Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
will burn your digital photos to a CD or DVD for €5). The Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre
bar (at the top of the town) and Burgus Wine Bar (on the harbor) both offer free Wi-Fi
with a purchase.
Laundry: Domenico'sLavanderia, at the topoftownnext tothe postoffice, iscompletely
self-serve (coin-op, €6/wash, €5/dry, daily 8:00-22:00, operated by Domenico and Bar-
bara at the fish shop).
Massage: Kate Allen offers a super-relaxing fusion of aromatic/Swedish/holistic massage
for €50 per hour in her little studio adjacent to the clinic at the top of Vernazza (mobile
333-568-4653, www.vernazzamassage5terre.com ) .
Best Views: A steep 10-minute hike in either direction from Vernazza gives you a classic
village photo op (for the best light, head toward Corniglia in the morning, and toward
Monterosso in the evening).
Self-Guided Walks
Welcome to Vernazza
(See “Vernazza” map, here . )
This tour includes Vernazza's characteristic town squares and ends on its scenic breakwater.
From the train station, walk uphill until you hit what was the pre-flood parking lot, with a
post office and a barrier that keeps out all but service vehicles. As you survey the post-flood
reconstructionwork,itiseasytoimaginehowthisravinecouldbesusceptibletoflashflood-
ing.Thestream inthis ravine once powered Vernazza's water mill. Vernazza's shuttle buses
run from here to hamlets and sanctuaries in the hills above.
Walk to the tidy, modern square called...
Fontana Vecchia: Named after a long-gone fountain, this is where older locals remem-
ber the river filled with townswomen doing their washing. A lane leads from here up to the
cemetery. Imagine the entire village sadly trudging up here during funerals. (The cemetery
is peaceful and evocative at sunset, when the fading light touches each crypt.)
Glad to be here in happier times, begin your saunter downhill to the harbor. Just before
the Pensione Sorriso sign, on your right (big brown wood doors), you'll see the...
Ambulance Barn: A group of volunteers is always on call for a dash to the hospital, 40
minutes away in La Spezia. Opposite the barn is a big empty lot. Like many landowners,
the owner of Pensione Sorriso had plans to expand, but since the 1980s, the government has
said “No.” While some landowners are frustrated, the old character of these towns survives.
A few steps farther down is the town clinic. The guarda medica (emergency doctor—see
buzzer) sleeps upstairs.
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