The long-awaited update.. (our blog has been on holiday with us..)
The second village along the walk
The Cinque Terre is, as the name suggests, a collection of 5 picturesque fishing villages on the north west coast of Italy. The main attraction here is the 10km walk between the villages, so on our first morning we rise ready to tackle the track. We are staying at the southernmost village, Riomaggiore, so this makes our mission simple - Walk from Riomaggiore to the final village and then catch a train home.
The fourth village, see final destination in the distance
The first part is a stroll and we scoff secretly at the hordes of tourists with boots and walking poles. We arrive at the second village and find that the next part of the track has been washed out. The alternatives are to either hike up and over a hill, or catch a 2min train to the next village.
As we embark on our climb, we notice a marked thinning of tourists. After half an hour of vertical climbing, in 30 degree heat, we can see why! However, it is with a sense of achievement that we arrive at our next village sweaty, dusty, and ready for lunch.
Somewhat sweatier, but still smiling
Overall the walk takes about 6 hours with lunch and gelato stop included. We see tour groups of people in white, pressed pants and boat shoes looking remarkably fresh and know that we are amongst the few that have actually walked the whole journey.
A refreshing sea awaits at the end
Wearied, we catch a well-deserved train back to our home village. With the sun setting over our balcony, Oli decides that it is the perfect time to propose. After a few moments of surprise and a couple of tears, the answer is yes!
Proposal sunset
It is a relief to finally be able to take the ring out of its hiding place in the bottom of the pack and it looks much better on Sarah's finger than in the box! With family and friends asleep on the other side of the world, we head out for a delightful dinner in the village to celebrate.
The next morning we go to the local square (which happens to have the only internet access) to attempt to Skype our families and friends with the exciting news. This leads to a fairly entertaining episode for all involved. The poor internet connection and Skype problems result in us having to shout our good news into the laptop. We then have numerous strangers passing in the square congratulating us and stopping to listen.
The long awaited ring photo
Finally, after many dropped Skype calls, text messages and mobile calls we manage to reach nearly everyone. After this, we head off to the beach for the rest of the day.
Three days in the Cinque Terre pass too quickly and we are sad to leave. From here we train to Pisa, where we catch the first of our cheap Ryan Air flights, to Spain. We have five nights booked in San Sebastian, a town in the Basque Country of Spain, renowned for its good food and surfing.
Local beach with hired mal
The food of choice here is Pintxos (tx pronounced ch), a form of bar snack that the Spanish seem to eat at all times of the day. Think tapas, but all laid out on plates sitting on the bar. The barman hands you a plate, and you then select your Pintxos. At the end you are supposed to tell him how many you ate, and pay the bill.
Pintxos bar
Basking in Basque
Traditional cider pouring technique
Our days pass easily in San Sebastian, with hours spent at the beautiful beaches reading, swimming and surfing.
7pm, still lying on the beach reading
The only alteration to the routine is a brief stop at a friendly local dentist, who kindly agreed to perform a root canal on Oli's molar (the one that broke in Positano) at short notice! This is an interesting experience in Spanglish, but thankfully all goes well.
Muy Bien Dentist
From San Sebastian we catch a train up to Bordeaux, France, where our stories will continue...
Nicely put x
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