Cinque Terre (the five lands)

So  here we are.  Manarola.  Cinque Terre has been one of my most favorite places in this world for many years.  The scenery is beyond your imagination.  Pastel colored buildings perched out over the cliffsides, timeless, with water so crystal clear and deep blue it is almost purple. 

It is 5 VERY small towns connected by a walking trail and a small railway. 

You can only drive to 2 of them.  Those towns are larger and more crowded.

This region used to be very quaint small poor fishing villages with no real income to speak of until they developed more fully the olive groves  and grape vineyards and some of a few local fruits grown here to sell at market.  The white wine here is light, fruity, fantastic, and very inexpensive.

    The biggest dollar producer here now is tourism.    And we helped feed the machine.    This is the view from our rooms up on the hill.  We counted.  78 steps  From the main street in town to the rooms. And Newton and Karen were one level up above us in the house.  I was told it was 22 steps when I booked this apartment.   HA    Perhaps there was a miscommunication going on between my crappy Italian and the nice lady who rented to us.  And the apartments were very nice?  So what could I do?  Once we got there, we did not want to leave.     Not only was it way up there, but the view was worth a million bucks.                                                             Way in the distance in the up right hand corner you can see another town along the water (7 miles away) called Monterrosso.  It was the farthest away town from us.  The walking trail you can see is called "Lover's Lane".     These first two towns it is mostly flat and level and an easy walk,  unlike the other end between Vernazza and Monterroso.  THAT is a full on and difficult 3 hour HIKE uphill.  Just ask Newton and Karen :) 

These little boats live on roller carts and when the men go out fishing they literally push them down the street and splash them at the ramp at the waterfront.  It is old fashioned and simple but still works.  We ate fresh seafood all four nights we were here.    Mussells, Clams, Shrimp, Lobsters, Langostino's,  Anchovies, Sardines, The fresh fish was readily  available and could be cooked any way you wanted it.   

                                   

This is a closer view of the walking trail Lovers Lane.  Here it was wide and paved.  In the upper left side is a pink bunch of buildings looking out over the water.  That is where our apartment was. 
Location Location Location.