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I have always wondered how many miles I walk in an average day while I am on vacation. This year I took my pedometer with me to Italy and found out that in an average day I walk about 5 miles. I felt pretty good about the distance walked, but of that 5 miles only about 30 minutes was walked fast enough to be considered aerobic.

In other words I was strolling around the narrow streets and through beautiful churches but I was not getting a cardio workout.

As soon as I realized I was doing more meandering and less aerobic walking I stepped up the pace, at least for part of the day. After all I was in Italy so there was no way I was going to rush around like I do when I am in New York City. On the other hand I was drinking a lot of wine and eating pasta twice a day so I needed to burn some calories if I wanted to fit in my clothes when I returned home.

The Via dell' Amore hiking trail in Cinque Terre, Italy runs between Riomaggiore and Manarola. I use the term hiking trail loosely because it is actually a paved path and is very easy to walk. It would be easy to push a stroller or wheelchair on the path but I do not believe the path is wheelchair accessible. To get to the Via dell' Amore you have to walk up a series of steep stairs.

All of the trails in the Cinque Terre require a purchased ticket and the Via dell' Amore is no exception. You can purchase 1-day, 2-day, 3-day and 7-day Cinque Terre Cards. These cards allow you to hike all of the trails in the Cinque Terre.

There are benches where you can sit and admire the view or just watch all the people wandering by. There is a small restaurant on the Via dell' Amore where you can get something to eat and drink. Picnic tables with a spectacular view are located above the restaurant. You do have to walk up a number of steps to get to the picnic area.

Although the Via dell' Amore is an easy walk, it may not be for you if you have a fear of heights. There is a railing all along the trail, but there is a long steep drop off from the railing to the Sea.

Not all of the trails in the Cinque Terre are easy so don't be fooled. Just because you find the Via dell' Amore to be a leisurely stroll does not mean you won't find some of the other trails challenging.

This sign shows a pair of pink high heels with a big X through them, meaning "No Hiking in High Heels!"

For most of us this would be a totally needless sign because it would never occur to us to actually hike in high heels. But if they have a sign preventing it, that means that people were actually caught hiking or more likely falling in their high heels.

I found the sign in Monterosso, one of the villages of the Cinque Terre in Italy. Although you could walk the Via dell’ Amore in heels, because it is paved, the other trails are fairly rugged and should be hiked in good walking shoes or hiking boots.