Hiking in Cinque Terre

This morning we slept in- thank goodness for Italian shutters! We
then had a leisurely time getting ready and finally rode the train
down to the first of the 5 villages, Riomaggiore. There are hiking
trails that connect the villages and we wanted to hike the first 2.
The first was an easy stroll- wide and practically paved the whole
way. The trail hugs the edge of the cliff and the Mediterranean
looked absolutely turquoise in the sunlight. In the 2nd town,
Manarola, we got some delicious focaccia pizza for lunch, and then
walked down the trail to find some shade. The picture at the top of
this post was from our lunch spot, looking back at Manarola. So
amazing!
The 2nd trail was definitely more tiring than the first. Lots of
stairs, and the terrain was much rougher. I carried C in the Ergo
(LOVE that thing) and he actually fell asleep. By then it was HOT.
Okay, so maybe it was only 70, but for us Oregonians who left 40 and
rain, it seemed hot! The kids loved the hike. They were so nice to
each other and kept pointing out interesting things, like wildflowers,
butterflies and boats. I think this is the most engaged G has been
the whole trip. At one point we were taking a break and I watched him
stand perfectly still and stare at the surf hitting the rocks for
several minutes. When we arrived to Corniglia, city #3, we were
beat, and rode the train back to Monterosso.

We were all hot and tired, so we put on our swimsuits and went down to
the beach. Monterosso's beach is kind of in a bay, so the waves are
very small and gentle. The Bigs sat on the edge of the surf and dug
holes, looked at rocks, and threw stones into the water. C sat by us
and played in the sand. J layed in the sand and watched the kids, and
I alternated between reading and sleeping in the sun. It was truly
relaxing!
Ciao!