Through the Crowds

9:19 AM

Muscle soreness 🤫 Well… maybe slightly too short calf muscles 😂

The bed was fine, but the room was a bit on the cold side. Since I’d washed all my clothes, unfortunately not everything was dry. So we quickly head out walking to warm up—though in Italy that’s hardly a challenge: once the sun breaks through, it gets warm immediately.

9:57 AM

There’s a little market in Levanto. Well… what do you do then? 😏 Buy everything and keep hauling an overly heavy backpack along, or just close your eyes and walk straight through? 😂

Aimee wants to explore the village at a relaxed pace and then continue by train. Gos prefers to keep walking for a bit longer, so we split up. See you in Vernazza! 👋

It’s another solid climb up, but I don’t have much trouble with it and I’m back on top in no time. I really have to slow myself down, so I settle at the highest point for a moment to enjoy the view.

It’s also a lot busier on the trail than yesterday. Once again it’s single-file walking, adjusting to each other.

10:44 AM

12:07 PM

View over Monterosso. It’s crowded. Anyone with even a bit of athletic ambition hikes up to enjoy the view. Down in the village itself, it’s shoulder-to-shoulder along the promenade.

I duck into the first little place I see and thoroughly enjoy an insalata for lunch.

1:45 PM

1:50 PM

Fortunately it gets a bit quieter as I start climbing again… but then 🤔 People are standing in line. Can I pass? Do I need to join them? Nah—just keep walking and sit on a low wall to figure out what’s going on.

Oooh 😂 of course… you need to buy a €7.50 ticket to continue walking. I’d already passed the line and was beyond the checkpoint.

I did very dutifully try to buy a ticket, but the site barely worked and I had almost no reception. Sorry—done with this for now.

+2

2:10 PM

Oops… it’s so busy that you have to climb the stairs step by step, constantly waiting. It’s so narrow that oncoming hikers get impatient and try to squeeze past anyway. Luckily there are safety railings, where I can place my foot on a crossbar to make some room. Still—let’s just hope that bar doesn’t snap… fingers crossed 🤞

2:33 PM

2:43 PM

Clear views toward Monterosso, and when I look the other way, I can already see Vernazza. Time to start descending.

2:56 PM

3:19 PM

I made it—squeezed my way through the crowds. Aimee and Anna are sitting at a terrace and welcome me.

Leaving the crowds behind for a bit and blissfully retreating to the hotel bed.

7:29 PM

8:58 PM

Finally, peace in the streets 😮‍💨