During my 4-night stay in Levanto, I convinced myself it was okay to do a day hike for fun and not just to get to or from the stazione. I'd really wanted to hike the entire Cinque Terre..Monterosso-Vernazzo-Corniglia-Manarola-Riomaggiore. Once I tried my packs on in the hotel room in SF before my trip, I knew there was no way I was backpacking that route. When I got to the info station in Levanto they also informed me that the coastal trail was closed in areas so I opted for the road less travelled from Levanto to Monterosso. Here is a look back up the trail to the North:
The trail was steep (more than 1000ft elevation gain) and you see guys off the trail on the cliff to the sea working terraces with chainsaws. I guess to cut wood for the winter. All of these towns basically shut down for the entire rainy season and hunker down with no roads to connect them. Here's a view of the first town from the top of the trail:
At the top of the trail there are the remains of (I think) the Chapel of S. Antonio as seen in the 3rd pic.
The entire hike is about 2 1/4 hours. I opted to take the train back to Levanto for another huge meal. Monterosso has it's share of bars, restaurants and shops. Probably the most in the whole region-which isn't a lot. Here's a view on the way into town...not a bad place to learn the national sport.
The final pic is a last look at Levanto. I truly fell in love with the place! The photo uses the pop art fxn of my camera while I'm swimming in the Ligurian Sea. A look back...also the spot of my first favorite meal in the world: insalata mista no pomodoro, lasagna Bolognese, and muscoli ripieni. It all went very well with a bottle of Sensi Chianti Riserva...a blend of Sangiovese and Canaiolo.
A wistful departure from Levanto ...wanna get back pronto!
Random bonus pic:
