Cinque Terre - The Italian Coast: Day 3

To reach the Italian coastal towns that make up the Cinque Terre, Pat and I woke up at 3:45 am (after only 2 hours of sleep) to make the 45-minute walk to the train station where we caught another 5-hour train. When we pulled into the tiny town of Monterosso we were glad to have warmer weather but disappointed to be greeted with rain. Caught in a downpour for which we were ill prepared (no umbrellas or ponchos), we sought refuge in a small café in the center of town. Here we finally had some breakfast and I tried Italian hot chocolate (basically liquid chocolate) (here also we were finally able to get some cash with our debit cards). When the rain died down, we began our hike to Vernazza, the second of 5 consecutive seaside villages. The views we saw here were absolutely incredible. Far beneath us the Mediterranean stretched into a mass of ominous grey rainclouds and the sight was unforgettable. The sea pounded against the coast, unleashing its blue-green rage in majestic fashion and we were stunned and amazed. The towns we visited along the coast were quaint and small and as it grew dark we left the Italian coast for Pisa.