Sto come un papa!

I feel like a pope (i.e. happy)! (Don't ask me why this is a pope-ular expression - ha - but it is.)

We're in Monterosso, the northern most Terre of the Cinque. We hiked between Monterosso and Vernazza today, the next Terre, and weren't sure what to expect. There are plenty of apparently German tourists/hikers here, and we've seen them head off to the trail equiped with steel-toed, shank-soled boots, trekking poles, and enough khaki for the desert. Could it really be that hard of a hike, we wondered.

We headed out this morning, after reading the hike was "tough." I was a little nervous when we started out...me in my all-terrain sandals, and Ray in his hipster/practical tennis shoes. Maybe those hikers knew something we didn't. Along the way we ran into other Americans (tank tops, New Balance running shoes), more Germans (boots, poles, etc.), and some Italians (soccer balls). The first part of the trail was pretty much steps uphill, through terraced vineyards and lemon groves. Stunning. We broke a sweat, but it wasn't that rigorous. Eventually the trail leveled out into some more reasonable ups and downs, and we ran across more people. My favorite was the tour group of middle-aged Janapese women, decked out in street clothes, some with shopping bags and low heels. They were having a great time...sans poles!

Anyway, a worthwhile hike, with some incredible views! Perfetto!