Here’s our view this morning looking straight out from our balcony and then to the right and left in Corniglia. It is a perfect location and we’ve loved being here.
Today we’re going to Manarola for a few hours. As you can see from the photos above, it continues to be fine weather and the temperature will get to the low 60s today.
The current village of Manarola dates back to the 12th century, however, Romans were here long before that but were a bit inland and not on the seafront here. Most of this area was under the control of the city-state Genoa, a major commercial power in the Mediterranean. Manarola has always been a fishing and wine-making village. And I think it is interesting that the dialect in each of the 5 villages is slightly different. To the locals, which village you live in is easy to know by the way one speaks. Although we group the villages together as the Cinque Terra, each is uniquely different and none of the individual towns feels like one group of towns.
Manarola is really spectacular! I think it is the most picturesque of the 5 village. It has a beautiful harbor, and really is perched up and down the cliff side. Getting around the village is quite a workout as the rise is steep.
After strolling down the main street we ended up at the harbor. I didn’t realize how rocky the harbor is. The are lots of rocks and guys were climbing up and jumping into the water from the top. Looked kind of dangerous. But the views from the water level were nice.
There is a walkway, called the Path of Love, that is a wonderful walk along the cliff side affording magnificent views of Manarola as well as Corniglia in the distance. We spent a lot of time sitting along the walkway in shady spots just gazing out at the sea, watching the birds, and listening to the sea sounds. It was just great.
Here’s the best shot of Manarola that we captured.
This one is runner-up.
We had lunch in a restaurant along the main street and then headed back to Corniglia for a rest before a dinner out in an upscale restaurant very near our Airbnb.
Walking through the tunnel to get from the Manarola main street to the train station, I saw a photo on the wall that I thought was great, so I took a photo of the photo. I don’t really have any photos of the village of Corniglia as a whole, and this one shows off how the village is not a sea level.
Again, I’ll say that our little flat in Corniglia was just perfect and our time in the Cinque Terre has been beyond our wildest dreams. It’s been grand! Tomorrow we’re off to Naples for a short stay. We’ll be traveling all day via several trains. Let’s hope the travel gods are back from their day off!
Finally I have started reading your posts. I am going backwards and have a lot to catch up on. So far, I am Really enjoying your trip