One thing we have realized about Italy, is signage is not exactly amazing. In the Cinque Terre, it is definitely not their strong suit. One of the key things to do in the Cinque Terre is walk between the 5 different towns. There is the Via dell'Amore that travels between all the towns. It is beautiful. The views are amazing and the Via dell'Amore is full of locks and strings that people have tied up on posts to show their love. It's cute, but weird. Well, the Via dell'Amore was under construction when we were there between the 2nd town of Manarola and Corniglia, so we took the train to avoid a 3 hour hike. We then walked up the 381 stairs to Corniglia (yes, there was a sign congratulating you on making it to the top) and followed the sign that said it went to Vernazza. Signs LIE! Or maybe they tell the truth, but it was definitely not the Via dell'Amore to Vernazza. The Via dell'Amore is a picturesque sidewalk that has very few hills and is paved the whole way. Not very adventurous . . . our way was much more interesting.
Apparently, that sign to Vernazza was the hiking trail that went up and over the mountain and down into Vernazza. We realized that about half way through. It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit and every single person hiking looked like they had just gone swimming in their own sweat. It was a beautiful hike, and I highly suggest it, but be forewarned, there are stairs! Another side-note, don't carry all your belongings with you on the hike. They get heavy . . .
Lesson #31: Go for a walk + End up hiking a mountain = Fantastic memories!
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