OK, so Shel & I are lying on the sand on the little beach in Vernazza. The sun is warm and every time we get hot, we run into the clear, cold water. The bells from the church by the harbor startle us back to reality, and I say,"Well, I guess I'd better go switch my laundry."I walk barefoot 25 yards up a skinny alley to a pointed, unmarked arch and push open the green medieval door. Inside is a tiny state-of-the-art laundromat. The 2 washers and 2 dryers have digital displays in 10 languages. I pop my wet clothes into the dryer, choose my language, choose my program, and insert €6. The readout says I have 50 minutes. Then it's back to my nap on the beach. What a life!
This morning we took the boat from Vernazza to Riomaggiore, 3 towns down the coast. We walked the Via del Amore, or Street of Love. It's acually a hiking trail clinging to the mountains, running along just above the seacoast between riomaggiore and Manarola. Most of it is actually paved, and there are native flowers and rest stops. There's a place where lovers bring padlocks to fasten to the rail. Then they throw the key into the sea, signifying their undying love for each other. Romantic! The whole hike was supposed to take 30 minutes, but it took us more than an hour because we kept stopping to take pictures. It's sooooo beautiful!
There's a wonderful little 45-minute vineyard hike above Manarola. The hills were terraced over hundreds of years by men and women building dry stone walls, and then backfilling them with rubble and then layers of good soil they brought in, one basket at a time. We passed several little shrines and the views are spectacular!
Some people (especially energetic Germans) hike from one end of the Cinque Terre to the other, covering all 5 towns in one day. Shelley and I hiked from the first town to the second; then took the vineyard stroll, stopping often to sit and enjoy the view. Then we took the train back to Vernazza and laid on the beach and shopped the rest of the afternoon.
