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By Christina CookeStaff Writer

When walking the Sentiero Azzurro, the ancientfootpath that weaves through the Cinque Terreregion of Italy, high heels are not OK. Signsplaced along the path, which picture a pair ofcrossed-out pumps, make that clear.

And the suggestion is wise. The trail meanders five milesalong Italys northwestern coast, through five fishing villagesand the terraced countryside between them. Anyone wearing

heels would turn back 20 steps into the hike.On a Sunday around 11 a.m., my parents, sister and I shut

behind us the heavy, wooden doors of Albergo Barbara, the800-year-old hotel where were staying. Were surrounded bythe four-story yellow, peach, pumpkin and maroon buildingsof Vernazza, our home base.

We walk up Vernazzas main street, past the shrine to theVirgin, the two closed-for-Sunday gelato shops and the crowdof stray cats curled up outside the fish market. Were in searchof the red and white signs that mark the southbound trail.

In recent years, the traditional, coastal towns of Italy have

Photos by Christina Cooke

Vernazza, one of the five villages of the Cingne Terre on the northwestern coast of Italy, was founded in the 1st century.

Hiking in Italy

Laundry dries on lines above the main plaza in Vernazza, Italy.See HIKING, Page D3

A grand experience

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become popular among touristsseeking to escape the bustle ofthe larger cities. Like the othervillages in the Cinque Terre, Ver-nazza huddles at the foot of an11th century castle that defendedit from pirates.

As we climb towards the cas-tle and out of town, the seamlessrow of stuccoed buildings grad-ually gives way to personal gar-dens. Soon, nature surrounds uson all sides. Jack-in-the pulpitsfill the spaces of the dry stonewall lining the trail, and cacti,euphorbia, oaks and fig treescling to the hillsides. To the east,a boat motors alone through thesea.

UNESCO began protectingthe Cinque Terre in 1997, and theItalian government designated it

a national park in 1999.Since the 1st century A.D., the

people of the Cinque Terre haveearned their livelihoods by fish-ing and farming. They dug ter-races into the hillsides to plantgrape vines and olive trees, andthey erected over 4,000 miles ofdry stone walls, or muretti, toretain the soil.

During our hike, we pass aman and a woman harvestingolives behind a fine nylon nethung from the tops of the trees.As they run their fingers over theolive branches, the fruit falls ontoa net thats covering the ground.Later, we pass three men fishingfor sardines and anchovies onthe rocks 100 feet below the trail:two suspend their poles out overthe surf and a third plunges a tri-

angular net into the water.The cuisine of Cinque Terrestill resembles that of centuriespast. Family-owned restaurantsserve sardines, anchovies, wine,olive oil and pesto, a sauce thatoriginated in the region. The foodis light and fresh because the vil-lagers harvest or catch most of

the ingredients less than 30 milesfrom where they cook and servethem.

As the trail approaches eachof the towns, we begin to seeincreasing signs of civilization.At first, we walk by fenced gar-dens on either side of the road.Later, as we pass open windows,we hear clinking dishes and lowconversations emanating fromwithin.

We stop for foccaccia sand-wiches in Cafe Bar Matteo alongthe main street in Corniglia, thesmallest village of the five. InManarola, we maneuver betweenthe fishing boats parked in theplaza and pass under the stringsof lights draped across the streets

between balconies.Most of the stores are closed

in Riomaggiore, the main villageof the region. Ascending the mainstreet, we walk beneath twoelderly women leaning from theirapartment windows to shout aconversation.

By the time we reach the endof the trail, the sun is beginningto set. We buy tickets for thenorthbound train that travelsbetween Rome and Ventimiglia,passing through all five CinqueTerre villages on the way.

As we ride back to Vernazza,our daypacks on our laps, thecountryside whizzes by outsidethe window. The speed blurstogether the details.

The pace of our walk was justright, we decide.

Author and poet Paul ScottMowrer shared similar senti-ments in The House of Europe.There is nothing like walking toget the feel of a country, hewrote. A fine landscape is likea piece of music; it must be takenat the right tempo. Even a bicy-cle goes too fast.

E-mail Christina Cooke atccooke@timesfreepress.com

Sunday, June 19, 2005 D3

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Continued from Page D1

Hiking

Photo by Laura Cooke

Manarola, the second village from the south in the Cinque Terre region of Italy, perches atop cliffs that border the sea.

ON THE WEB

For information about the trailand the region, visit www.cin-

queterre.it

Knight Ridder Newspapers

The National Herb Garden inWashington, D.C., the largestdesigned herb garden in NorthAmerica, will kick off a six-month celebration of its 25thanniversary this year.

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For anniversary informationvisit usna.usda.gov

National Herb Gardencelebrates anniversary