Colin’s Blog on the Cinque Terre Walk – Too much walking and not enough gorgonzola

You will all be relieved to hear that I survived a journey by train. It was touch and go and rather alarming. In case you don’t know about trains, they are huge, hissing, rattling things, our one didn’t bite us but it was obviously capable of eating a small dog whole. Penny wasn’t a bit worried but I am a very cautious dog. We only survived by sitting on our humans and distracting ourselves by flirting with a very nice Italian couple sitting opposite.

After a short distance we got off at a place called Cinque Terre, our humans told us that there are five villages built on terraces at the bottom of a cliff on this bit of coastline joined by a footpath and that we were planning to walk some of the footpath.

As you may know, Penny is a very keen walker but I am not quite as enthusiastic, I don’t mind a short hike, followed by lunch and a sleep in the sun but personally I think walking is a bit overrated. I was very relieved when ‘He’ told us that part of the footpath was closed for repairs so we could only do the first section but alarm bells should have rung when he mentioned that there was an alternative high footpath over the top of the cliff.

The coastal path between the first two villages was easy and covered in tourists from America who all thought that Penny and I were the best dogs they’d ever seen and stopped to fuss us. I generously rolled onto my back at every opportunity and allowed the Americans to rub my tummy, which they seemed to think was “delightful/gorgeous/so sweet etc.”.

The path between the first two villages was about a kilometer, a nice distance in my opinion. We had a stroll round the village; they have tables on the street out here, a practice I approve of because I can usually stretch my lead far enough to dive under a table if I see a speck of food.

We sat overlooking the sea and I scrounged lunch off my humans and was just settling down for a pleasant siesta in the sun, when ‘He’ said. “Right where is the start of the high path?” Next thing I know I’m off up a sheer, scrambly path and the village is far below us. We walked seven miles and ascended 1200 feet, which is too much for a little dog with short legs who just wants to eat some gorgonzola and sleep in the sun.

About Peter and Nia

Rambling about Europe with the Kray Twins (Colin and Penny).