Day 5: Hiking the Cinque Terre Trail
Finally Eggs for Breakfast
We started our day like all days so far - with a stop at a cafe. Much to our surprise they actually served something that involved eggs! It was an odd combination of pizza and quiche, but still good.
Hiking to Vernazza
Vernazza is the next town over from Monterosso, where we're staying. There's a trail that connects each of these seaside towns, but our main focus was this first one.
Some online resources say this hike requires "moderate effort," but nobody prepared us for the thousands of steps required right at the start of the hike. Here's a photo.
The trail here is nothing but steps
The first half hour of our hike was nothing but incline. Kassidy's watch said we had ascended some 58 flights of stairs and an elevation gain of 830ft!
The views were worth it, though. Here's a couple photos from the hike:
Looking back at Monterosso from the trail
Just before entering Vernazza
Arriving in Vernazza
One moment you're towering over Vernazza with a panoramic view - the next, you're walking its winding passageways between buildings.
It's such a charming town whether you're looking at it from above or below.
The view of Vernazza from the hiking trail
Walking into Vernazza, just a block from the trail
Lunch in Vernazza
We got a late lunch after our hike and did our best to blend in and eat pizza with a fork and knife. It wasn't easy.
I ordered an Aperol Spritz, which seems to be the go-to drink in Italy. At every restaurant and bar, these fluorescent orange drinks decorate the tables.
