Remembering Cinque

We've all lost things we love. I haven't lost a whole lot of people very close to me, but for me the peace and closure of losing someone comes from believing that they are not gone forever but in a better place where we will someday meet again.

But what happens when a location, not a person, is lost?

This past Friday I woke up to an email from my dad saying CinqueTerre had been all but obliterated by flash floods. This was a place that was so special to me while I lived in Italy. I basically tried to get out there to camp any time I could. The views, the smells, the tastes, the sounds, and the adventure were irresistible. My heart sunk when I found out what had happened.

I also remembered that the day the flash floods hit was the five year anniversary of the day that John Thompson and I headed out there for a quick camping trip. On that day, we laid out on the beach in Monterosso in 80 degree weather and then headed up to the abandoned church on the mountain above to catch the sunset and fall asleep. Pretty heavy contrast there.

My hope is that the village will slowly heal from the flood and that not all of the magic has been washed away. When I return, hopefully someday soon, I want to be able to relive all the joy and adventure that this land has brought me. Perhaps all the fond memories I have will cover up all the scars that Mother Nature has left behind.

So here's to remembering the great times that CinqueTerre brought all of us.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2006

The Return to Cinqueterre

Maybe they call this an Indian summer, or maybe this is just how their autumns are. I'm not sure, but the weather is still spectacular. Another successful trip to Cinqueterre is in the books. This time it was a two man operation with myself and His Thompness. Everyone else backed out at the last minute. I was tempted to as well, but then I looked at the weather forcast, and it called for sun and temperatures in the mid 70's along the Ligurian Coast. Tourist season in Cinqueterre is basically over, so I saw an opportunity to see the area the way it used to be in ideal conditions.
We left pretty early Friday morning and arrived in Monterosso around 2. After this trip, I'm pretty confident in my TrenItalia capabilities. When we got there, we layed out on the beach and went swimming for a couple hours. There were quite a few people on the long, sandy beach, and it felt like mid-July instead of late October.

After our beach time, we bought some water and made the climb up to our campside on top of the mountain. We got there before sunset this time, and there were some people already there looking out at the life-changing view. We set up camp on the same roof of the monesary as last time, had a dinner of meat, salami (which i'm getting kind of tired of at this point), olive oil, pesto, and apples, and waited for the show. An Austrian couple who was on their way down asked for some water, I offered some of mine, and then talked with us for a while. As they left they took my water with them; either it's a cultural difference or they were just selfish. All I know is that I was really thirsty until the next morning. We chatted with another guy who was up there taking pictures who happened to be from Seattle. Small world. Then the sun set. It was a spectacular sight, difficult to describe. The afterglow was beautiful as well, and the clear sky gave way to excellent star gazing. We saw tons of shooting stars, and a warm breeze blew above our sleeping bags. It was hard to believe that November was only a few days away.

The next day, after a pretty poor sleep, we hit the trail bright and early. We bought some water on the way out and found the main trail to be almost completely empty. I don't think that many people get the chance to hike Cinqueterre with the trail to themselves. We made incredible time and made it to Vernazza sometime around 10 a.m. The sun was beginning to make its presence felt, and after some time in the town, we made our way to the next town. We sweated buckets after the steep climbs. Luckily my pack wasn't quite as heavy this time and I knew what I was in for. In no time at all we reached the small side trail that led down to the beach that Miller and I had wanted to visit the last time we did Cinqueterre. The trail was pretty narrow and steep, and there were times when I wondered if we'd be able to make it all the way down. My sleeping pad got a little scratched up after getting caught on so many thorns and branches. We finally made it down to level surface, made our way through an olive grove, and saw the beach up close for the first time.

As we walked down the steep stairs, we realized it was a nudist beach. It's an aspect of culture I've never been exposed to, but it was interesting nonetheless. We laid out in the sun, which was hotter than ever at this point, did some swimming, and rested. Minus the naked dudes walking back and forth right above me, it was paradise.
The climb back up was an excruciating sprint, but when we got back on the trail, the rest of the hike was pretty level. We spent some time in Corneglia and then cruised through the last two. We caught a train in Riomaggiore and made it back in time to catch the second half of the Notre Dame game on my computer. It was a full, fun-packed, adventurous, and relaxing weekend. It was everything I had expected and then some.