"Hiking" is really just another word for "difficult walking"

Oh Ryanair, how I’ve missed you.  It was Boo’s first Ryanair experience, and she was definitely a fan.  She was right there applauding along with all the other passengers as we gave thanks to God that we landed safely. The Pisa airport brought back memories of a particularly trying Ryanair experience where they made us fit our bags into the metal thing to make sure they were small enough.  Of course, they weren’t.  Ryan managed to get his suitcase in the thing, but then couldn’t get it out.  With Eric and I on our hands and knees holding the metal box down so Ryan could pry his suitcase house.  “Think thin, think thin!”   Good times.

We took a train from Pisa to Riomaggiore, where we are staying in the Cinque Terre.  Emiliano, our apartment owner, said that he would meet us at the train station when we arrived in Riomaggiore.  Well we got there, and no Emiliano.  Some lady asked us if we were “Melissa,” but other than that, no signs, no patiently waiting Italian man, no nothing.  So I had an address, and got to walkin – the wrong way.  We walked, then we turned back, then we just kind of wandered around.  Finally, we asked that woman who was asking about Melissa, if she knew where we should go.  And she exclaimed, “I am Emiliano’s mother! Why didn’t you say something! I have been waiting here a half hour for you!”  How am I supposed to know what Emiliano’s mother looks like when I don’t even know Emiliano.  I was pissed.  She drove us up to our apartment, which is perfectly nice and has a balcony overlooking the city, but she has yet to get in my good graces.  And I want to know, Whatever happened to Melissa?  I bet there’s some poor tourist still stranded at the Riomaggiore train station.

View from our room

Ocean view from our room

Riomaggiore

Backing up a bit, Cinque Terre is a group of five towns in northern Italy along the Mediterranean coast.  They are tiny, little picturesque places with brightly colored buildings and breathtaking sea views.  You can hike from town to town, which I did three years ago and Boo and I did again today – and let me tell you, it was just as miserable as the first time. The first time I was here, it was raining the whole time, so this was a little better in that regard, but it still as arduous as ever. And what’s worse is when Boo and I did are taking a “photo break” (aka gasping for air and hoping our legs don’t collapse under us), Germans in their 70’s are marching right past us holding their walking sticks with pride.  But really, the views were stunning and well worth the strenuous hike.  We took a train to Monterosso (the furthest town from Riomaggiore) and hiked from there to Vernazza, where we ate lunch.  Then we hiked to Corniglia.  It seemed with each mountaintop (hilltop – I don’t know – it seemed like mountains), that we passed, the views became even more incredible.  It really was awesome.  The next path was closed, so we just took that train on home.  The next day we did the short walk between Riomaggiore and Manarola and back again.

We made the best of the rain back in '08

Monterosso

Vernazza

The unstoppable mother-daughter duo

In the town of Vernazza - debating whether to continue hiking or call it quits. 

Spoiler alert: Boeckings never quit.

Corniglia

I carved "Boo + Lori 2011" just kidding.  That would have been weird.

Little lovers

Manarola

On Sunday, we went to Mass like good Roamin Catholics.  We were inadvertantly made instant celebrities.  How did this happen?  Well there was a baptism at Mass and Boo and I wanted to be close to the action so we sat up near the very front (apparently the pews reserved for the family of the baptized).  So we will be making appearances in many home videos and photos.  Hoopsies.  Interestingly, the priest faced away from the congregation – what is this, Pre-Vatican II?

If you are planning on coming to the Cinque Terre, be warned: it is absolutely LOADED with tourists.  Not that I can complain, because I, too, am a tourist.  If you’re looking to really experience the essence of Italian culture, this is not the place to do it.  However, it’s still one of my favorite places ever and would highly recommend it to anyone.  I think the pictures from the hike speak for themselves.

This picture does not do justice to the amount of tourists there

But then again, maybe it's not so overrun with tourists