I spent today hiking. Unfortunately 2 of the main trails are closed, so I took a train to Corniglia to begin my hike there. The stair climb from the station up to the town is a hike in itself! I just walked through Corniglia but didn't check it out much, I started late because of a late train so I wanted to start my hike. I hiked from Corniglia to Vernazza, up along the mountain through vineyards and olive orchards with views of the Mediterranean. It took me about an hour and a half to reach Vernazza. I stopped for a focaccia sandwich and sat by the water, peeked into the church, then decided to continue my hike. There were so many tourists in Vernazza, it was somewhat unbearable. The hike to Monterosso al Mare was a little tougher and it was very hot by that point in the day. But the views were unreal, and being up there just felt amazing. There were vineyards everywhere, and olive orchards. Some of the trails were right along the cliff, some really narrow, and the stairs at points were so steep. I feel bad for the people who decided to start their hike from Monterosso because it looked like a tough climb up. Monterosso seems to be the biggest of the towns, I didn't explore much, just rewarded myself with a gelato when I got there and walked around a little. I plan on returning tomorrow. I wanted to head back to Manarola, so I caught the next train but didn't realize it only stopped at Riomaggiore, so I had to get off there and catch another train back. I splurged tonight and went to a restaurant for dinner. A little awkward sitting by myself when everyone else was groups or couples, but I didn't care. The food was good, the beer was good, and I was content.
