The hike

We had planned to get up at 9 this morning and hike to Monterroso, but some 3 am hooligans blasting techno music and shouting outside our room meant that we didn't arise until 11. Because my legs got a little red yesterday on the beach, we decided to give my "lobster sticks" a rest and hike to Corniglia instead. The first hour or so was entirely uphill, providing for some breathtaking views, but also requiring us to stop for water every 30 vertical feet.

We ran into some other west-coasters at about the halfway point, exchanged some pleasantries and took photos of one another with our respective cameras before continuing on.

Corniglia was... not Vernazza: pleasant enough, but much smaller, and being situated so high off the water gave me a frustrated burning sensation in my stomach. Of course, that could also have been because I hadn't eaten much beyond a few apple slices and some spoonfuls of Nutella.

We found a little bar, bought some panini and sat outside on the bench in the sunshine in the middle of the town square to eat and people-watch.

If Vernazza is small, it seems positively cosmopolitan compared to Corniglia, which boasts maybe 6 bar/ristoranti and 3 souvineir shops. Needless to say, we saw most of the town in less than 10 minutes, caught the shuttle to the train station and then headed back to our beloved Vernazza to swim and eat more (Pizza! Oh soft, pillowy, fresh pesto pizza!).

After our dip in the Ligurian sea, we bought fresh cherries, trofie, pesto, and a few pasticcini dolci (like biscotti) to make an economical dinner in our room and read and relax.

Tomorrow, I think we'll take the train to Monterosso to explore and the ferry back, and then in the evening we have reservations at Il Castello Ristoranti, highest (reasonable) point in town. There's an amazing view from up there and we decided on our first night here that our last night's dinner should be held there.
Dinner at sunset, overlooking the sea with good food and the one you love... what could be better?