I arrived at Genoa airport at 12.20pm and by 12.30 pm I was on a bus to the railway station (€6). It was all super fast and unstressful - even passport control and customs. (Mind you, even the grimmest-faced Italian official would fail to intimidate, sitting at a counter with the sign "TUTTI PASSEPORTI" - serious, uppercase, bold font notwithstanding.) There is a manned Tourist Information desk (joy of joys!) in the Arrivals Hall, where I got my info and my ticket, and was told to hop on that bus there and stay on till the last stop (Stazione Brignole). Perfect!
At the station, I bought a ticket for €9 to Levanto, a trip of just over an hour. My Airbnb accommodation was an easy 10-min walk from the station, and such a nice place to arrive at.
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| L'erba persa - my Airbnb accommodation in Levanto |
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| Breakfast room at the farm house |
The first afternoon, I explored the waterfront and later, had dinner with some other Dutch guests - with a car! We drove to the next charming seaside village to the north, Bonassola, wandered around for a bit checking out restaurants, but eventually decided to eat back here in Levanto at the Acqua Dolce restaurant in the camping ground - recommended by our hosts. Lovely food and good prices!
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| Levanto |
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| Levanto |
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| Cafe della Rose, Bonassola |
Next day, I did a circuit walk from Levanto to another neighbouring village, Monterosso, which is the first of the Cinque Terre villages. (Paths 1, 10 and 14) Strolled through the old, quaint part of town before heading back to Levanto by a mountain track.
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| Levanto, through the olive trees |
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| Towards Monterosso |
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| Monterosso |
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| Monterosso |
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| Monterosso |
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| Monterosso - "modern" beach |
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| Old town, Monterosso |
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| Levanto |
Next day, I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with some American guests and then left to walk as much of the Cinque Terre as possible. I caught a train to Monterosso and then walked to Vanazza. The park official who took my €7.50 fee, advised that the whole coastal path from Vanazza to Riomaggiore was closed, due to rock slides, but that a mountain path from Vanazzo to Corniglia was open. I enquired about this path in Vanazzo and was told to just use the coastal path for that section. Yay! So, I got to walk two of the four sections.
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| Monterosso |
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| Lemons, olives and Monterosso |
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| Vanazza |
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| Vanazza |
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| Vanazza to Corniglia |
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| Corniglia |
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| Corniglia |
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| Harbour, Corniglia |
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| Corniglia station, with Manarola in background |
On my last day, I took a train to Riomaggiore (€2.40) and walked from there to Portovenere - beautiful! (Paths 3a, 3 and 1.) I had planned to catch the 5pm boat back to Levanto but it wasn't running due to swell; so, having to abort my plan, I adopted the itinerary of a group of UK Ramblers I'd met on the last leg of the walk and followed them - to the 4.10pm ferry to La Spezia (€5) and then to the railway station. My train back to Levanto cost just €3.40.
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| Riomaggiore station |
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| The path winds through the village |
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| Main Street, Riomaggiore |
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| The trail leads through the village |
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| Don't go right; go straight |
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| Riomaggiore |
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| Harbour, Riomaggiore |
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| Not right - straight ahead! |
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| Long, steep climb out of Riomaggiore |
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| Beautiful, wild path |
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| Looking back at all the Cinque Terre villages |
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| To Telegrafo |
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| Long, steep climb from Riomaggiore |
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| Campiglia, with view of La Spezia |
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| Campiglia |
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| Campiglia |
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| La Spezia |
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| Campiglia |
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| Campiglia |
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| Looking back at all the Cinque Terre villages |
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| Portovenere |
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| Portovenere |
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| Church of St Peter |
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| Looking back towards the path I walked |
Next stop - Nice. Caught a train from Levanto to Genova Príncipe (€9) and, right outside the station, is the main bus station. My iDBUS fare cost €15 but that was a promotional price. Very comfortable 4-hour ride to the airport at Nice; then a €6 bus ride to the Old Town. Now, a jus d'orange at the Jazz Cafe while I work out where my Airbnb apartment is.....
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