Monterosso to Colla di Gritta

We started our stay in Monterosso al Mare with a hike to Soviore, on to Colla di Gritta, then back down to Monterosso.  Today, we're going to approach Colla di Gritta a different way, walking through Monterosso, hiking north toward Levanto, then turning east along the ridge around Monterosso and following it to Colla di Gritta from the other direction.

We step out and admire the beautiful sunrise over Monterosso and the Mediterranean, then descend into the streets to cross over to the northern end of the village.

Sunrise

Passing by the northern end of the village

We start to follow the road up with great views back at Monterosso.

Looking back as we ascend

Soon we leave the road and follow a path up the hill.

Path heading up

Along the way, we get views of the sea and the coast stretching south from Monterosso to the other four villages of Cinque Terre.

Views of the sea

Looking down the coast

We reach the top of the trail, with one direction proceeding north along the coast to Levanto and the other to the east on the ridge around Monterosso.  We turn east (right) and continue up the ridge. 

 

Trail choices at the top

Continuing up to the ridge

Looking down at Monterosso

We follow the trail up and down the hills along the ridge, with glimpses of Monterosso on the right and Levanto on the left as we proceed.

Continuing along the trail

Views of Monterosso and Levanto

Looking back at the start of the trail  (the far peak)

The trail reaches several steep up and down sections, then descends into Colla di Gritta.

Steeper sections

Final steps to Colla di Gritta

At Colla di Gritta, we can return to Monterosso's new town (road to the right) or old town (road straight ahead).  We decide to return to the old town and follow the road to the path between Monterosso and Soviore, hiking the stretch from the road back to town.

Follow the road

View of Monterosso and surrounding hills

Upon reaching town we head straight down Via Roma to Pan e Vino and reward ourselves with two sandwiches:  mortadella and stracchino and the Pan e Vino special (anchovies).

Our rewards

We've enjoyed another fun, local hike and have left many others (and perhaps the same again) for later visits.

Market Day in Monterosso al Mare

It's market day in Monterosso al Mare and we head down to Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi to see what has come to the village for sale.  One the way, we find that one of the local cats has a better idea:  nap.

Lazy morning

In the market, we wander the stalls, admiring the clothing, housewares, vegetables, meat, cheeses, and food for consumption on the spot.  We purchase a shirt at one of the stalls and continue to wander.

Market day in the piazza

After wandering through and around the market, we stroll off to explore Monterosso's old town, revisiting some places and looking for new streets and neighborhoods that we haven't previously seen on other trips.

Walking through the streets of Monterosso

We walk up to a hill across from Hotel Villa Steno and find new (to us) neighborhoods, gardens, and views across the village and also a path to Termine, a trail that we haven't followed yet and we put it on our list of things to do later (this trip or the next).

Views across the village

Hotel Villa Steno in the distance

Path (untaken) to Termine

We descend and continue through the village, up and down the stairs/streets, until we reach the statue of San Francisco d'Assisi overlooking the harbor, from which we can look north and south to the new town and the old town of Monterosso.

Continuing through Monterosso

Overlooking the beach

Looking north and south

We get a great view of the stretch of beach along Via Fegina, then descend to the street and enjoy the blooming trees and bushes across from the sea.

Beach view

In bloom

At the end of Via Fegina, we step into Barabba in White for lunch:  octopus salad and pizza ai frutti di mare.

Salad and pizza

As the sun sets, we sit outside our room at Hotel Villa Steno and take a few pictures looking across the roofs of the village as the colors change, darkness advances, and the happy sounds of the city rise up to us.

Night arrives

Another perfect day in one of our favorite places in the world!