via dell'amore

Friday morning, we took the train to Riomaggiore to hike the only other open path, via dell'amore (lovers lane). A long time ago, there weren't paths and it was very difficult to get from one village to another. Most married within their village until this small path was paved between Riomaggiore and Manarola. As you walk the path, you can see old graffiti where lovers met between villages... I assume along with much more recent graffiti from tourists. Unfortunately, there was a landslide during the night so the path was closed. Alternative "off coastal" paths also connect the villages. We assumed they were far into the hills and you wouldn't be able to see the ocean (or villages) but we decided to take the trail because we'd already taken the train there.

Wowser! I'm definitely glad we decided to ditch the groomed coastal path and get a bit more of a workout through the hills. I think this path gave the best views!

We lunched in Manarola before taking the train to Monterosso. It looked like the sun was there so we went searching for it. We rested on the beach the rest of the afternoon with a faint view of all the villages. Later we found a bar near the beach playing country music so we enjoyed a drink and snacks before hopping the short train back to Vernazza for dinner.

You can see all the villages along the coast - Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.

We didn't realize how used to long French dinners we were until we were served immediately and finished within an hour! We looked at each other with looks of, "well, that was fast!" The second night, we ordered a seafood platter appetizer - hoping for some anchovies because we had some that were delicious the night before. The area is known for anchovies and pesto. And THEN decided to order dinner. It was a little slower paced. Before calling it a night, we sat by the water staring into endless sea waters. I knew I was missing the water but I forgot how nice it was to hear it splash against the rocks.