A High Five for Sure

Likely you have heard the expression, "give me five or give me a high five".  Ordinarily, it refers to giving one a handshake of greeting or a gesture of congratulations after some sort of accomplishment.  Well, for the last 3 days, our travels have taken us to the Cinque Terra region on the Ligurian Sea where we have taken to the ancient paths of yesteryear.  The trails have been here for years and apart from the arriving traffic from the sea, they served as the only connections between these ancient cities on the hillsides of the Italian Riviera. 

We arrived via train to the village of Manarola, the second in the series of seaside villages.  From the town, we made our way up to Volostra where we have been staying at a B&B.  This has served as our ground zero for the last 2 days of hiking.  Our elevation from the sea is nearly 1000 feet, which means that the ascents and descents have been significant.  Unfortunately, the "sientero azzurro" or the trail along the sea has been washed out, so our feet have had to carry us up and down the hillsides but have provided us with some spectacular vistas.  Equally, we have not encountered any inclement weather which has made this experience possible all the more enjoyable too.

Tomorrow we make our way to the final city of the quintet, Monterosso.  I suspect that we will find it just as fascinating as the others have been, but it is not just the cities but the whole experience that makes this region so pleasant.  It is no wonder that it is the destination of so many tourists, but it is not for anyone who is unwilling to climb even a few hills.  You quite literally rise from the sea, and over the centuries, its inhabitants have built their cities into those hillsides.  From what have seen, it has taken both hands of its laborers to fashion this magnificent place, and that deserves a high five and then some.  Ciao!