30th May

After breakfast took a taxi to the station and train to Pisa.  Deposited our bags at the station and walked to the Piazza del Miracoli to once again marvel at the Leaning Tower, an archaeological project gone wrong, but making a name (and dollar) for itself.  Wandered around this, the Cathedral and Baptistry but decided not o wait the extra hr to climb it once more.  No doubt the views will be much the same.  It is nice to see it all without the scaffolding that was present in 1986.   After lunch caught the train on to La Spezia which passes through Carrara, famous for its white marble, favoured by Michelangelo and other sculptors.  At first you think you are passing snowfields but as you draw closer you realise you are seeing fields of marble in vast quarries.   Finally we get the connection to Manarola, one of the 5 villages that make up Cinque Terra.  That last leg is only 12 minutes long and you do about 10 of it in one long tunnel and then emerge with sheer rock cliffs on the right and the aquamarine Ligurian Sea to the left.  A collective audible sigh is heard as everyone in the carriage is awestruck. 

My god the paths here are steep, the mountains just fall into the sea and the houses in the village are all built as if leaning into the cliffs and holding each other up.  They are connected by little pathways.  After all the stairs up and down train platforms today I have now had enough.  Found Da Paulin apartment, absolutely gorgeous with balcony just perfect for sunset overlooking the sea.   After a short rest we walked out to the point then got a few supplies for dinner and breakfast. Max-ed out the pedometer at just under 18,000 steps today, most of them up or down what’s more, but it is going to be more of the same for the next 4 days I can see. Enjoyed a beer at the bar closest to the waterfront just before sunset and then went home to share olives and cheese on our balcony. Eric cooked chicken with fennel and rice tonight, already we have decided on fresh seafood at the local tomorrow night. We note that corks are still the norm for wine bottles in Italy.  The local drop here is made by a collective of all the little vines along the terraces, another of the ways UNESCO and the National Park are maintaining the culture and lifestyle of the area.