Monterosso – Day 38

Today we decide to do the coastal walk from Monterosso to Venazza again because we all enjoyed it on Saturday and we also want to get some lunch in Venazza. We pack our back pack and head off around 10am. Again, we are on a mission, just completing the track is not enough for us, beating everyone there is more important so we come up with a motto "we will never be passed by someone we have passed". The track is much more muddy than it was on Saturday and makes the walk a little more difficult. When we get to Venazza we wander around for a while and then decide to get a couple of pizzas to eat down on the rocks overlooking the ocean. Just as we sit down to tuck in it starts to rain so we pack up our stuff and move to the main square and find a tree to stand under. The pizza was fantastic and we feel revived. We have a quick look in the local church before asking a local how we get to the Bellfort as we'd like to go up and have a look around. He points us in the right direction and we take the climb to the top which provides great views over the village and views back to Monterosso and the other three villages. While up there we notice people walking along the coastal trail on the other side of Venazza. Assuming the track is open to Coniglia we head back down and follow the sign to the Coniglia path. We start walking the stairs to the ticket office and once there find that the track is open so we decide to do that as well with no real plan for the return back to Monterosso. The track to Coniglia is just as tough as the first track but probably provides better views. This track is the same length as the first being 4km long but just continues straight up. We make it to Coniglia exhausted and Kris and the kids get themselves a gelato. I can see people sitting on seats drinking the local Birra Moretti (beer) and I'm salivating. While the kids are getting their gelato we make the decision to walk back to Venazza and see how we go from there with regards to getting back to Monterosso. This puts a stop to the beer because drinking and walking these paths don't mix, its just too tough so I settle for a Sprite before we all muster up as much energy as possible to start the long climb and walk back. After the stop at Coniglia starting back up is extremely tough but we get back in a rather quickly. The one thing you notice when traveling around Europe, especially the places like Switzerland and here where there are walking trails, is all these people walking around with hiking sticks. Not only do these walking sticks do sweet FA, they all look like idiots. This has got to be one of the biggest rorts going around. All these people dressed in the latest hiking fashions from boots to pants to jackets, this is a multi-million dollar business aimed at ripping money out the pockets of idiots. And here are the dumb old Aussies who live at sea level in the flattest place on earth doing these hikes in our sneakers and shorts. All these Europeans with all their fancy hiking crap that must have set them back thousands of dollars each are all sucking back the big ones sweating like pigs......pussies!!! Anyway, we get back to Venazza and we are feeling pretty good, the kids are starting to feel the pinch but a chupachup kicks their spirits back into gear and we decide we might as well walk back to Monterosso and make it a round trip. We get moving and the first stage from Vanezza is all up hill on dodgy steps and we are really starting to feel it. While we take a quick breather the unthinkable happens, we got passed!!!! This simply is not on. Even though the people that passed us were 20 something Aussie blokes this still is unacceptable so we start the chase. We catch them and tail them for about 1/4 of the trail before they are forced to wait up for their girlfriends. We pounce on the opportunity at seize control and the funny thing is, I reckon the two Aussie blokes were annoyed that they lost front position. We push it hard all the way and the kids keep an eye out saying things like "Dad, dad, their catching us, we gotta get a move on". We finally make it back to Monterosso and we are pretty exhausted. Kris's and my knees are really feeling it so I decide to stop off at the beach on the way back to the apartment with Mia to soak the feet in the water. The small pebble like rocks act with a massaging effect and it is heaven. Kris and Tyler head back to the apartment to shower up so we can head out for a well earned drink. After we have all showered up we take a walk along the beach promenade and get ourselves a table at the same restaurant as yesterday. We have a great feed and a few drinks chatting with a young American couple who just got engaged and later chatting to an older New Zealander couple before calling it a night and heading back to the apartment to pack. Tomorrow we leave Monterosso for Rome. We have really enjoyed our stay in Monterosso and are sad to leave, we could have easily spent a lot longer here. Tyler even told me it was his favourite place so far. Tomorrow will also mark our last train journey which again is sad because that means we are so much closer to coming home.

Photos to follow. I'm tired and I'm going to bed.