Italy: Cinque Terre Part 2

I hope you enjoyed reading Part 1 of my Cinque Terre post. 

So with Cinque Terre ticket in hand, I boarded the train in search of accommodation. I love to travel on a budget so I was in search of a hostel. I had not booked one as I like to wing it and so the search began. I had stayed in a lovely hostel in Manarola two years previously so I went straight there. When I say straight there I mean I got the train there and proceeded to walk the very steep hill to the place only to be told they were fully booked. At this stage I was hot, sweaty and turning a funny shade. 

I decided to connect to the free Wifi (thanks to the Cinque Terre ticket) at the bottom of the hill to retrieve other hostel options. Next stop, Corniglia. When alighting the train in Corniglia my memory started to jog, Corniglia was not easy to get to. About ten minutes of stair climbing separates you from the village. It is definitely challenging in the mid summer heat. So up I went, located the hostel at the top only to be told 'No room'. 

I considered paying for a more expensive room. I considered phoning in advance of travelling to possible hostels. But then I thought, I'm not in any hurry, I'll make use of my unlimited travel pass and board the train AGAIN, this time heading to Riomaggiore. A tunnel leads you to the village and up yet another hill. The hostel was nowhere to be seen. I decided to enquire only to be told I had passed it out, at the train station. So back down the hill, negotiated with an old lady (she did not speak English at all, I spoke very little Italian) and eventually flopped down on my bed for the night. 

The next day I set out on the coastal walk. Unfortunately two sections of the walk were closed due to landslides and unsafe paths. One can start the walk in Monterosso or Corniglia. I had heard it was harder to start in Monterosso as it was steeper and that there was more uphill walking. Fear of the unknown and lack of fitness made me start in Corniglia. I was so excited and had wanted to do this for a few years so off I set. 

To read the final part of my Cinque Terre experience stay tuned!