Cinque Terre Status Report

Just returned yesterday from Cinque Terre with Rick Steve's guide as a main resource. The Rio Maggiore to Manarola (Lover's Lane) walk is closed due to active ongoing work. The Manarola to Corniglia walk also remains officially closed (as reported by Rick) for restoration work following the 2011 landslides EXCEPT it is unofficially possible to walk it (as we and others did) by going under the very secluded gate in Manarola and at the other end walking through the broken gate in Corniglia. But this is not a walk for children or the less than fully abled. Both ends of this walk still need some work done: on the Manarola end there is a short stretch which is a little muddy, slippery and goes down a short ways without a banister and on the Corniglia end you must walk around through a rough patch before walking down and coming through the gate and then when past the gate, at the underpass of the Corniglia train station before going upstairs, you must actually walk over flowing water coming out of the hill and this could be dangerous if it was raining heavily. Also, there was a piece of rough metal sitting in the underpass that I caught my pants on so some care is needed. The walk itself is easy -- and there are 3-4 brand new beautiful suspension bridges now along the way. We were told this are fully completed and just waiting for final signoff. So we did 4 out of the 5 walks -- on beautiful sunny days a few days ago.