Searching for African diaspora on trips
When I first came to the Cinque Terre, then an isolated stretch of the Italian Riviera south of Genoa, it was a classic “back door”: a string of five pastel-hued hamlets, gently and steadily carving a good life out of difficult seaside terrain. It was authentic, romantic and without a tourist in sight. Fast forward several decades … and the oncesleepy villages are now on Instagram bucket lists and mobbed in high season by organized tours and cruise-ship excursions.
The resident population of the five towns (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorola and Riomaggiore) is just 4,000 — but it’s estimated that some 2.5 million travelers visit annually. And it’s not just foreign tourists who flock here: Italians love the Cinque Terre too.
The result, especially when day-trippers hit, is that trains and platforms can be mob scenes, the iconic coastal hiking trail becomes almost impassable and the towns’ tiny lanes are clogged to bursting. Even so, I still recommend this seductive corner of Italy. You can (and should) have a memorable trip here. Avoid the worst of the logjams by following these tips:
Consider your timing.
April can be ideal, with fewer crowds and lower temperatures. The busiest months are May, June, September and October; July and August can be less congested (but hotter).
Omar J. Dorsey has had parts in critically acclaimed films such as “Selma,” “Django Unchained” and “The Blind Side.” The actor’s latest role is in the Harriet Tubman biopic, “Harriet,” where he plays Bigger Long, a free black man who captures runaway slaves for their white owners. The 43-year-old actor splits his time between Los Angeles and New Orleans.
An edited version of our conversation follows.
Q: What’s the best part of filming on location?
A: Going to different cities and countries and meeting different people. One of the trips I enjoyed the most was when I did a movie called “Cargo” in the Bahamas. I was there for a month and a half. I really became close to some of the locals. I’ve since been back about three or four times, and as soon as I get off the airplane, they’re like “Omar, you’re back!” because Nassau is fairly small and everyone knows everyone.
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: It’s actually a whole country — Italy. You get everything with Italy … Venice, Milan, Rome, Florence. It’s great to visit. There’s a lot of wine places and farmland. If you’re someone who just wants to hang back and kick it, Florence is perfect for that.
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?
A: The first trip I took as a child was to a Native American reservation in Avoid holiday weekends — especially Easter and Italian Liberation Day (April 25). I thought reports of catastrophic crowds were exaggerated, until a three-day weekend hit. On one recent Easter holiday, 95,000 visitors to little Vernazza caused shoulder-to-shoulder gridlock.
Cherokee, North Carolina. My dad used to always pack us up and we’d go to different places. The indigenous people were there and teaching us how to do crafts, and they showed us how to do a totem pole and all of these different things. It’s just really seared into my head, because we didn’t really fly when I was a kid. My kids fly everywhere in the world. But we never did that.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A: To be open. A lot of times people have a tendency to dump their own thing onto other people’s culture. That’s Western civilization. You come in and you dominate. But I never want to offend anyone when I travel. I try my best to communicate with people enough in their own tongue. I’m a visitor in their homeland.
Q: If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A: I go away every Christmas and New Year’s. My wife and I travel with (actress) Niecy Nash and her husband. I think my favorite one may have been the London and Paris trip that we did maybe six
Sleep in the Cinque Terre — not nearby.
The towns of Levanto and La Spezia are near the Cinque Terre and well-connected by train, making them popular home bases. But it’s easier to take advantage of the cool, relaxed and quiet morning and evening hours if you’re sleeping in one of the five towns.
Qyears ago. That was a good trip. We were actually going to see a friend of ours, Colman Domingo, who was doing a play out there on the West End.
Q: What are your five favorite cities?
A: Atlanta, New Orleans, New York, Paris, Johannesburg.
Q: What city reminded you of home?
A: I try to go wherever the African diaspora is in every city. When I was in Brussels, I went to the African part of Brussels. I wanted to get some soul food, so they told me where the oxtails were. It really reminded me of the west end of Atlanta.
Q: What would be your dream trip?
A: To travel throughout Africa for six months. Not just to go to Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania or anything like that. I really want to go to the motherland, and I want to experience as much as I can. Maybe for a year, just to live in all the different countries, taste all the different cuisines and talk to all the different people.
Skip town at midday.
Cruisers and day-trippers start pouring into the Cinque Terre around 10 a.m. and typically head out by 5 p.m. Those midday hours are your time to hit the beach or find a hike away from the main trails. Be a reverse commuter: Leave town during the day and come back in the late afternoon, just as the crowds are thinning out.
Most travelers aim for the wellknown main coastal trail, which can be a human traffic jam and very hot at midday. Making things even worse, recent landslides have closed two key segments of the trail, pushing more hikers onto the remaining pathway. If you’re determined to hike it, go early (by 8 a.m.) or late (around 4 or 5 p.m.). Before setting out on an evening hike, find out when the sun will set — there’s no
Hike smartly.
lighting on the trails.
Figure out crowd-free activities.
When the towns and trails are jammed, find something fun to do that’s off the beaten path. For example, pick a scenic spot for a wine tasting (the Cinque Terre is known for its white wine made from bosco grapes) or sign up for a pesto-making class (the tasty basil-and-nut sauce originated here).
If the regularly scheduled boats between towns are overwhelmed, consider hiring your own boat to zip you to the next village. Captains hang out at each town’s harbor, offering one-way transfers to other towns, sightseeing cruises and more. It’s cheaper than you might think (about $35-$60) and very affordable if you split it among three or four travelers.
Hire your own boat.
On a recent trip, I smartly took advantage of the shuttle buses that connect the towns to higher trailheads: I rode up, soaking up the scenery, then hiked down. Those upper trailheads are often where you’ll find remnants of much older Cinque Terre settlements, including evocative cemeteries and age-old churches. High above the tourist crowds, I could hear the birds and feel the maritime air pushed up with the breeze — and I was alone. The tranquility was heaven.
I’ve come back to the Cinque Terre nearly every year for decades. And even though the region is now well-discovered, I love that the magic still survives — if you know where to find it.
Rick Steves (www.rick steves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@rick steves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.