Day 7 - Stream Day Visit to Monterosso, Vernazza, Riomaggiore

Day 7 of our journey began with Deanna and I walking up into the stairwell that leads the central part of Riomaggiore. In the Riomaggiore hallways there are a few shops like scuba instruction, gear rental and a little café. We went into the café to grab some breakfast. We picked up a bottle of prosecco, two caprese focaccia sandwiches, and a cup of watermelon. 

We walked back down to the marina and marched up the long flights of stairs to our terrace. We sat down on the terrace to enjoy our food and drinks. We watched the sun grow larger on the colorful buildings of Riomaggiore while listening to the sound of tourist murmurs growing louder beneath us. It truly is a wonderful place to visit. 

The plan for this day was for me to go livestream on Twitch while Deanna relaxes in the pool and enjoys some time on her own as well. 

After lunch I packed up my streaming backpack and set out alone from our hotel to buy a ticket to Monterosso. Luckily our hotel was situation right above the ferry ticket booth. I picked up my ticket and walked around the mountain edge path down to the ferry dock. There was already a pretty significant line forming. 

I took a moment to show my viewers on Twitch the beach around the corner and then jumped in line to wait for the ferry. The ferry picks up from this dock every hour both Northbound and Southbound. I was waiting for the Northbound ferry. This ferry makes two stops before Monterosso to pick up passengers at Manarola and Vernazza. 

We loaded onto the ferry and were off into the Ligurian sea. The ferry has drinks for sale so I purchased a beer and went to the top deck to catch the views. After a few minutes we arrived at Manarola and unloaded some passengers and loaded some new ones. Then we were off toward Vernazza. The rain started to come down a bit so I went downstairs in the boat, picked up another beer, and watched out one of the forward windows. 

When we arrived in Monterosso the rain had increased significantly. I had checked the forecast in the morning and it said sunshine all day, so the rain and thunderstorms were quite a surprise. I didn't bring my umbrella, my backpack rain cover or anything rain ready. So I walked along the marina and into the cave tunnel to Monterosso al Mare beach on the Northern side. As I exited the tunnel I quickly got soaked by the rain. I kept on Northbound and took refuge from the rain in doorways, overhangs, and thick leaved trees. 

I came upon a restaurant with an open table and asked the server nearby if the seat was available. "Is this table open?" I said. "It is for customers" She replied. "I would like to be your customer then...." and took my seat at the table. The vibe was not very welcoming. I understand that this could be due to the rather large action cam residing on my shoulder, but still, I'm nice, you should be nice too. 

After that I struggled to order food from that lady or the other male server who was running around. I finally got my order in with the lady after the guy said he'd be right with me and ignored me. I ordered a half and half anchovy and calamari fried plate. I also ordered a Hugo spritz to try because I heard they were good. It's a drink with Prosecco and Elderflower and some other items, but I didn't like it as much as the Aperol spritz. I think it was just too sweet, but also kind of watered down tasting. I like the bitter sweet vibe of the Aperol spritz so much better. 

While I was waiting for my food, the male server decided to push the water from the canopy behind me off onto the ground below causing a pretty large splash that I felt. He didn't acknowledge me at all and walked off. It was pretty rude. 

When my food arrived I started eating it pretty fast so I could just leave the bad service I was receiving and be on my way. The anchovies were really good and the calamari was pretty tasty too. I ordered an Aperol spritz while I was finishing up and then left. 

After lunch I headed toward the train station and waited for the train to Vernazza. After a few minutes of waiting with the large crowd the train pulled up. I got on and stood in the corner by the doors and just proceeded to sweat profusely for the duration of the next couple stops before Vernazza. 

When my train stopped in Vernazza I got off and for the first time was asked for my train ticket in order to go downstairs into town. I went downstairs and under the train bridge and began to head up some stairs. I had no idea where I was going but the goal was to go up the terraces across from the main buildings in Vernazza. I wanted to get a great photo from there. 

I hiked up higher, stone step after stone step. I did this for a while and then ran into an older gentleman on the steps and talked with him and confirmed that I was on the right path to the best view. With renewed motivation I continued heavily breathing and sweating my way to the top of this series of stairs. When I emerged from beneath the roofline of the town I was now on an open path that wrapped around the side of the mountain that I wanted to be on. I stopped to catch my breath and admire the view. To the left of my view is the mountainside vineyard where local wine is produced. I could hear the clanking of the tiny train they use to reach the crops. I took a photo but it was hard to see the driver. I'll post a clip below. To the right were a number of rooflines and off in the distance the view of the Doria Castle or tower at the point of Vernazza. 

Wine Train Clip: https://www.twitch.tv/jamonitmack/clip/SleepyBeautifulClipzFeelsBadMan-VHTA0Qrw3IoS8uJb 

After some photos and a rest I continued my hike around the face of this mountain and finally reached the point I wanted to be at. I was now above the marina, beach and main areas of the town. I could see all the building faces and the Castle across the water from me. What an amazing site to see. This spot was very high on my goals list for this trip. Standing there, sweating, hot, tired, and maybe a little miserable I was also very satisfied to have made it. What a fun experience. I took a moment to really soak it in and then continued down the mountain into the beach area. 

After a quick look around the beach I followed the signs that pointed to the Doria Castle. These steps were very steep and the corridors very narrow that led up to the castle. Before you get to the final flight of stairs there is a tiny booth that charges you admission to the castle top. I quickly paid the man and climbed the last stairs to the top. Whewwwww. What a cool view from the top of this point at the castle. When you get close the castle you can see that they have wrapped it in chicken wire and support straps to keep it from falling down. I'm hoping they are just renovating it and will eventually remove those items. Luckily from a distance you can't see it so it still looks cool. 

I walked around the top of the castle area and took some photos. At one point I saw a lazy cat enjoying the little perch it had above the Sea. A lady tried petting it and quickly got a swat from the cat. It was funny to observe. I had my fill of the castle and started back down the narrow hallways and steps to try to find my way back to the train station. 

I found the pathway through the middle of the town and stopped at a couple shops along the way. I found some trinkets for gifts and then continued on to the train station. 

A cool tunnel near the town center in Vernazza

I had purchased the Cinque Terre train pass so that also allowed me to use the train station bathrooms at no charge. Normally you would have to pay 1 Euro. The bathrooms at Vernazza station are very nice and have an attendant outside. I then went to the platform and waited for the train back to Riomaggiore. The train came and I hopped on, drenched in sweat. I stood in the entryway and clung to a handrail so I could get off as quickly as possible at the next stop. It was only about a 5-10 minute trip to Riomaggiore. We stopped once in Manarola and continued to Riomaggiore where I got off. 

Near the tunnel through the mountain there is a lift that takes you up to one of the mountain terraces. I paid 1 Euro and took the lift up. At this point I had a nice view of a smaller marina that is below the train station and a nice view of the Northern part of Riomaggiore. I hiked around the terrace toward the main side of Riomaggiore. As I came around the side of the mountain I had a nice view of the main marina and town center from above and the Southern faces of the towns buildings. I took a few photos and then kept on making my way to the next lift which was over by a large church. I paid another Euro and went up to the top of the mountain. At this point I hiked up a bit more to where the clock tower is and took some additional photos. The view up here was pretty impressive too. 

Sweating on the train

Manarola Station

Castello di Riomaggiore

For my descent back into Riomaggiore I decided to hike the entire way. Along the way I saw lots of narrow side pathways and day to day life such as hanging laundry etc. I followed a path along the edge of the mountain and came out at the top of the town center. This was just up the hill from restaurants that we had eaten at earlier in the week. I didn't realize how close we were to the actual path that led to the top of the mountain. 

I kept on down through the town and stopped to pick up some Aperol Spritz for us to enjoy. I ventured back up the steep steps to our hotel and met up with Deanna. We sat there in the orange glow of sunset and sipped on our cool refreshing drinks. We talked to my stream chat for a bit and just a few minutes later the sun took it's final dip behind the edge of the sea. 

For dinner we went up into the town center and tried to get a table, but had a tough time as it was after 8pm. We checked nearly every restaurant in town and none had open tables. We decided to order pizza take away from Il Maggiore, which turned out to be pretty good pizza. 

That was the end of a very long and sweaty day 7. 

Remember all photos will be linked here: Full Photo Dump