I eventually got out of bed on Sunday... 10 seconds too late. Yeah. I could see the train coming around the corner across the bay so I RAN my little butt off, up the stairs, into the station, onto the platform aaand, yes... train pulls out, I'm on the WRONG platform, dumb-dumb head, so close... SO close. Gaaaah. This didn't stop me though, no it didn't, I waited at the station for 40 minutes and got the next train. GOING hiking. Damnit.
Now, I'd heard Cinque Terre was a bit of a hike but even THAT didn't stop me, NO it didn't. As we got closer to Monterosso, the first of the five villages, I noticed that EVERYONE getting onto the train... was in hiking gear. I'm talking backpacks, dorky bandanas, sunglasses, walking sticks, hiking boots, hats, those ridiculous zip off pants... EVERYTHING that I didn't have. I looked down at myself, wearing black gym pants with holes in them, running shoes and a silly owl top I bought in Thailand. I realised I had completely forgotten to bring a hat, or sunglasses, or a warm top, or a tracking device, or a pop-up tent or emergency food supplies or a malaria testing kit (?)... I'M GONNA DIE! No, not really. I just laughed at how over-the-top everyone was being about a little walk.
The first village was beautiful, Monterosso. Everywhere I looked there were LEMONS and stalls with people selling LEMON stuff and people were wearing yellow and it SMELT like lemons. How bizarre. Turns out it was the "Festivale de Limone", yeah, festival of the LEMON. How cool is THAT. I bought a glass of lemon juice, only 'cause the kid selling it had set up the sweetest little stall and he was so brown-eyed and CUTE I absolutely had to...
Anyways, I'll cut a long story short, 'cause no one really likes a long blethery story... the hike was one of the best things I've ever done. It took almost seven hours, stopping off at all five villages. The scenery was absolutely breath-taking, walking through flowery fields, past vineyards, over streams, along dramatic cliff-drops down to a beautiful, sparkling turqoise sea. The sky was ridiculously blue, the sun was warm and there was a light breeze, one of the most perfect days I've ever seen. The ramshackle villages were bright and colourful and everything I thought they would be, the streets were filled with everything delicious and beautiful and Italian. The hike was, um, challenging, I'm definitely feeling it a little today. Oh, and all you tourists in hiking gear, pfff, you're all soooo silly. I had the best day ever and only spent 10 euros... oh, and 24 on a plate of grilled prawns, gotta treat yourself after a seven hour hike.
You can see the pretty pictures I took on the right, if you click on them they'll enlarge, but I'm sure you know that, of course you know that. Sorry. I would post them here but I've just looked at my blog from a proper computer screen for the first time in ages and just realised how completely rubbish the quality is when I upload from my phone, MUST do something about that.
Oh, by the way, did you know a huckleberry is an ACTUAL berry? I bet you the whole world knew that. I BET you. I get this a lot.
