Cinque Terre - Day 4 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Ciao Turkey Eaters! Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone is having a pleasant day with friends and family.

I am in the village of Riomaggiore, the southern most village of the Cinque Terre. I am still staying in an amazing one bedroom apt right on the water. The weather has continued to be beautiful each day - clear, crisp, warm in the mid day, and cold at night.

On the first day I hiked from Riomaggiore through Manarola, to Corniglia...covering the first three villages. The next day I took the train to the northern most village of Monterosso and hiked south to Vernazza. And today I hiked south from Vernazza, back through Corniglia, Manarola, and back to my apt in Riomaggiore. I have now hiked each leg of the coastal trail connecting all 5 villages. Needless to say, each leg is stunning, amazing, and ubelievable in its scenery. I feel blessed to have had such great weather each day. http://goeurope.about.com/cs/cinqueterr1/l/bl_cinque_map.htm


I have formed a bit of routine staying here...... each morning I wake up and go to the cafe in Riomaggiore for espresso and a pastry. I then take the train or hike to the nearby villages and explore until late afternoon. After walking all day I return to the apt for a late lunch and wine. I then read on the terrace and watch the sunset until 5pmish. My terrace is ridiculously awesome. Right on the water, possibly one of the best spots in all of Riomaggiore. I still cant figure out why Dominico gave it to me at such a low price. Regardless, I am absolutely loving it and the sunset each night on the Mediterranean is beyond description. After the sunsets the clear sky becomes full of stars over the sea, and the whole scene is just really unbelievable. At night I make dinner, watch some BBC or CNN :) and usually crash very early. As it is November, there is no night life at all here and even by day the streets are close to empty. Many businesses are closed for the season, but there is just enough open to make it pleasant and relaxing. I love it.

I really just cant believe what I have stumbled into here - from the apt, to the trails, to the villages, to the perfect weather....its all hard to believe at times.

I have to admit today I certainly thought of all of you today as it is Thanksgiving and felt a bit lonely after a month now of sightseeing alone...all this solo walking everyday...thank goodness for my Ipod. :) But I certainly cant complain, I feel very blessed, and this has been the highlight of my travels thus far.

I have to be out of the apt on Sunday morning. Dominico has offered me two other units to move to if I wish to stay longer, but I think I will be ready to move on by Sunday. I will keep you posted and hopefully be able to post more pics of my hikes along the coastal trail called Sentiero Azzuro. From this computer I cannot post any pics of my hike today, but it included sections through high mountain side olive groves where locals were harvesting as I passed by, and as always stunning views of the sea, the villages from the high ridges, and the many vineyards carved into the mountain sides. Its really all just unbelievable.....

On this Thanksgiving, please send your thoughts and prayers to the people of Mumbai, India who are suffering through a tragic terrorist attack that started yesterday...... We are all very blessed to be where we are. Peace, T