Finding Outer Peace in Cinque Terre

Since starting my first full time (3 month long) contract, life has been a whirlwind. Admittedly I only started a week ago, and yes I know lots of you have been doing it for months and years already, but I’m new to this game so you’ll have to bear with me. In many ways I took the job because I just needed a little structure in my life. Just for a few weeks. Being freelance, searching for acting work and writing are really good fun. Trouble is, the money, work and inspiration all come and go, which means there can be an awful lot of thumb-twiddling and feeling like you’re wading through treacle. So I see this job first and foremost as a structuring principle in my otherwise chaotic life.

I have also reached a point in my life where I feel it is good to be busy. They do say “be careful what you wish for” and I have recently found myself overwhelmed by physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, so perhaps I have taken the advice ‘keep yourself busy’ a little too far. Still I’ve never liked to do anything by halves, and I’m unlikely to change the habit of a lifetime now! So that’s exactly what I’ve been. Busy busy busy. I have been to the theatre 3 times in a week, caught up with 7 old friends, taken my parents out to dinner, and am very shortly off to crash a local party I was never really invited to.

In amongst this chaos though, and a silver lining to this cloud of relentless activity, there is the promise of hope, rest, recuperation and Cinque Terre. Last week was not the best week of my life, to say the least, but like a glowing ray of multi-coloured sunshine I had the promise of a long weekend in Italy with the one and only Barney. The Barney-Butcher dream team together again. I landed in Milan late, and exhausted after a full on day in the office. I trained my way across Milan and into Hannah’s arms for a much needed embrace. She escorted me to her apartment (with a rather delayed ‘big reveal’ as she made me cover my eyes while she quickly lit candles, dimmed the lights and opened the wine). But it was well worth the wait.

Our romantic dinner for two was just what I needed, and the famous “Henry’s red wine” was like a hug from the inside. Still, with so much to catch up on we ended up getting a fairly late night that was perhaps less sensible with our 8am train out if Milan looming. Still, in spite of the confusing Italian train system, we made it, with second to spare. The train doors closed, we took our seats, and we were on our way to Cinque Terre. For those who don’t know what Cinque Terre is, let me explain. It is a string of 5 villages along the Ligurian coast of Italy. The houses are famously multi-coloured and sculpted into the coastline so that they look as if they’re ready to pitch into the sea. They are the choice for many Italian postcards and tourist websites, and for good reason. They really are beautiful.

We began our trip at one end of the cluster, in a village called “Riomaggiore”. Sadly it was raining buckets, which rather takes the edge of the postcard perfect view, although we consoled ourselves with a thoroughly indulgent lunch at a fancy restaurant. After we had seen what we could of Riomaggiore we decided to try and take the famous “blue trail” along the coast. Sadly it only took us as far as the train station, where we were informed the trail was closed for health & safety reasons as there had been significant rockfall. No trekking for us. Instead we took the train to the next piece of heaven: Manarola. Thankfully the sun was kinder to us here, but not until we’d sought very expensive refuge in the string of shops this village had to offer!

Our third and final village of the day was Corniglia. What I loved most is how each village had its own personality. Riomaggiore seemed the most exclusive village, Manarola was a bit more ‘happening’, and both were exceedingly busy. But Corniglia. CORNIGLIA! I left my heart in a Corniglia. It might have had something to do with how peaceful it was here. Apparently few tourists ventured here so late in the day, or perhaps it was something to do with the incredibly friendly Italians who helped us find our way, and our food. There was something about this place. And as we made the arduous and hour long trek up the mountainside to our very remote air bnb in the village of San Bernardino, we looked back down at Corniglia. The sea stretched out for miles. The sky was a perfect hue of indigo. We could see the other villages twinkling along the coastline. Even our sweaty, rucksacked backs couldn’t take away this feeling of pure joy. And peace.

The next morning, after much deserved food and drink that we had hauled up the mountain with us, we made the much easier (and now considerably lighter) trek down to Vernazza. This village was perhaps the one that made the least impression on me, but I fear that the combination of hoards of tourists and endless rain may have blurred my judgement. Still, we had a very lovely breakfast, a wander round the harbour, and yet more shopping before we headed to our final destination: Monterosso. Here we tried the famous dessert wine, I bought yet more earrings (who’d have thought?) and we wandered along the beach, eventually collecting pretty rocks, since sunbathing was out if the question. We then trained back to Milan that afternoon, before heading out for a wonderful dinner, and a bleary-eyed flight home the next morning.

The peace I had found in Cinque Terre was not faultless, and it has since been shaken, however I think that view over Corniglia, with the world stretching before us like some endless pool of opportunities and possibilities, will stay with me and always be a comfort. Even when life is chaotic, you don’t know what you’re doing or where you’re going, or even what day it is (I’m not quite there yet!), Cinque Terre will always be there. As will the people you love.

So on that note, thank you, and peace out (or some less cringey alternative). Xx