RIOMAGGIORE
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LAST OF THE FIVE CINQUE TERRE TOWNS. RIOMAGGIORE
IS DIRECTLY AT THE SEASIDE AND WAS DEVELOPED VERTICALLY WITH STEPS AND
STAIRWAYS CRISS-CROSSING THE TOWN. IT IS QUITE POPULAR WITH THE
TOURIST TRADE AND HAS A
NUMBER OF UPSCALE SHOPS AND STORES. |
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These murals greet visitors at the train
station
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A typical public walkway between the
steeply terraced levels of homes
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A handy lunch spot, one of many, with
pizza,
foccacias, etc.
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Il Castello, "The Castle" of Riomaggiore, a
fortification believed to date to about 1260.
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The
very pleasant walkway from Riomaggiore to
Manarola is just above center in this picture
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Riomaggiore
from the sea
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In this wider view of
Riomaggiore note the white building atop the hill. It is a
church, you will see it again soon.
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"THE HIKE"
OK, SO ONE DAY I HAD THIS GREAT IDEA
FOR A HIKE UP TO THE TOP OF THE
MOUNTAIN RIDGE BEHIND THE VILLAGES. I HAD A TRAIL IN MIND AND
THOUGHT (1.) THAT I HAD HIKED THE TRAIL BEFORE AND (2.) THAT IT WAS
SORT OF A PLEASANT WALK TO KILL A DAY. WRONG ON BOTH COUNTS.
FROM OUR HOTEL IN MANAROLA CARRELL AND I WALKED EAST THROUGH TOWN
TRYING TO DECIPHER THE VARIOUS TRAILS WHICH BRANCHED OFF FROM THE
HIGHWAY. WE FOUND THE ONE WE NEEDED, #02, LEFT THE ROADWAY AND
BEGAN CLIMBING.... ....AND TWISTING.... ....AND
CLIMBING.... ....AND TURNING.... ....AND
CLIMBING.... ....AND CLIMBING.
IT WAS A MARKED TRAIL BUT IT WAS NOT THE ONE I HAD BEEN ON BEFORE,
ACTUALLY IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE ANYONE HAD BEEN ON THIS ONE FOR A LONG,
LONG TIME.
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11:00
- Looking down at Manarola with
the twisting road exiting town |
And,
to our left, the tiny hilltowns
of Groppo (foreground) and Volastra |
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By 1:00
we have attained the ridgetop,
perspiring copiously, and are getting different views of Manarola
below. In the right picture note the white church atop the hill
again. We continue southward and I am hoping against hope the
little restaurant atop the hill at Telegrafo is still there. Mass
quantities of very cold "biera" are on my mind.
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Lunchtime salvation!
There is a road from the much larger city
of La Spezia up the "back"
side of the mountain to the top of the ridge. A very nice lunch
with dessert was enjoyed before we started down the hill into
Riomaggiore.
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And here is that "white church on the
hill," the church of the Madonna di Montenegro.
The white side faces the ocean, the dark side is the back. Note
the nice bell tower.
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Here is an aerial view of Riomaggiore as
we took the steep trail down the nose of the hill toward the sea.
Our thoughts at this point related to how quickly we could find the
first gelato shop in Riomaggiore, we were long overdue for our daily
"fix."
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ON THE NEXT PAGE A DAY TRIP TO PISA
AND OUR RELOCATION TO SIENA IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY
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