Even the tour guides lie

Wanting to make the most out of our time on the western side of Italy, we decided to take some of the guided tours held through the travel office of the military base. After the trip to Florence, we tried to get out of the trip to Cinque Terre, but they did not give refunds. I'm guessing too many people would have wanted their money back after being disappointed with the lack of "guiding" given by the tour guide.

The guide to Cinque Terre seemed very knowledgeable about Rome. The problem was, we weren't going to Rome. When it came to questions about Cinque Terre, he kept referring us to the information sheet that he had handed out. The sheet was what we used to decide we wanted to go on the trip, but it was not overly informative about the area. Seems he was a non-informed guide.

If you're not familiar with Cinque Terre, it's a beautiful coastal area consisting of 5 small towns perched along the cliffs and the Lagurian Sea. The guide told us that we would be stopping at La Spezia, a city south of Cinque Terre, where we would board a train which would take us to any of the five towns. After dropping us off at La Spezia, his job was over, and we were on our own. He told us that we could get off the train at whichever town we chose, and could either walk or ride the train to see each town. After grumbling with the other tourists about our lousey tour guide, we boarded the train and headed for Monterosso al Mare, the town farthest away, deciding that we would work our way back towards La Spezia.

The town was fantastic. The water the bluest I've even seen in my life. The town was quaint, with little shops and trattoria's. Our kids had fun playing on a playground, and DH enjoyed some foccacia pizza. I decided to wait until the next town to eat some lunch.

From one vantage point we were able to see Vernazza, the next town along the way. It didn't look far away at all. We were hikers, our kids have handled long hikes. No problem. So, we set out on the path. The first part was a stone stairway cut into the side of the hill. It wasn't a bad walk, but it reminded me that I needed to do some stairmaster training. Then, things got interesting. We were walking along a narrow path, about 18 inches wide, less in some spots. There was a rickety rail along parts, and "precarious" didn't even begin to define the view over the side. DH is not scared of much. However, his fear of heights began to creep in the further up we went. I think things would have been better if we didn't have 2 children along with us. The children weren't scared; the bigger problem was that they have no fear, and wanted to run. Interesting footwork was required when people coming from the other direction had to pass by. Those were the moments you sucked it in and said a quick prayer. Talk about getting close to others.

As we went along, the views were amazing. We were walking through farmer's vineyards and orchards. Plants were being cultivated on the sides of cliffs. Everywhere you looked, the land was being used to grow something. The view of the water was equally incredible. The water was so clear that you could see the rocks deep in the water.

It was funny the response the children garnered from the passing travelers. Calls of "Bravo" and "Way to go" cheered on the boys. I was impressed by the seasoned adults who were braving the walk. I guess their tour guide hadn't been very informative, either, as they were looking as if the decision to walk had been a mistake.

About 45 minutes into the walking, we debated heading back. It was hard to tell just how far away the next town lie. We kept thinking it had to be just around the next bend. When our youngest declared that he needed to use a bathroom, and it was nothing he could take care of on the cliff, we decided to press on.

Two hours later, we finally arrived at our destination. Exhausted, hungry, and in major need of a restroom, we sought out a restaurant. We later found out that it had been a 6k (about 3 1/4 miles) hike through some of the roughest terrain we have ever tackled.

Needless to say, we opted for the train to see the rest of the towns.

Ciao' for now!