“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." --Jawaharial Nehru
The Cinque Terre: Five Villages, One Slice of Heaven
Ahhh, the Cinque Terre. After the hustle and bustle of Venice and every other major European city, a stop in the Cinque Terre was just what we needed. No museums, traffic, or chaos--the pure peace and natural beauty of the charming villages were all that we focused on during our second-to-last stop in a place that is arguably second to none.
Monterosso al MareWe arrived in Monterosso in the early afternoon and immediately stowed our luggage and changed into our shorts and flip flops; not needing walking shoes was a sure sign that this was a different kind of stop--that day at least! Then we were off, wandering around the new little village. We walked between the old section of the village, where we were staying, and the newer section, which were connected by a pedestrian tunnel. In the evening our entire group joined again for another dinner Cristina arranged; each time the dinner was optional, but our group enjoyed each others' company so much it became a common occurrence. Embracing the spirit of adventure, I tried the pesto pasta the region is known for, while John had the catch of the day--and while we never figured out what type of fish it was, it was delicious!
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Memories of Monterosso |
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Hiking in the Cinque TerreDay two we woke up early and hit the trails of The Cinque Terre National Marine Park. Though it had been devastated by landslides earlier in the year all but one trail was open when we were there.
We began our hike enthusiastically in Monterosso, planning to hike all four open sections and to explore each village in-between. By the time we had gone up hundreds of stairs our enthusiasm for the entire experience was waning, but we pushed on to Vernazza. The guidebook described this part of the hike as "the most challenging," and Rick did not lie! Going uphill, upstairs, and up higher and higher was tiring, but the vistas were more than worth the hard work--and it helped burn all those pasta and wine calories we were piling on. Though we didn't end up doing every open trail--the beach was calling our names!--we also walked the fabulously flat Via dell'Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola. We loved seeing each colorful village appear before us. In our opinion no visit to the Cinque Terre would be complete without taking advantage of the hike on Trail Two! |
Living La Dolce VitaIt's impossible to visit the Cinque Terre and not relax! After our hike, we joined tour friends and Italians alike on the pebbly beaches of Monterosso and promptly forgot about our tired feet as we read, relaxed, swam, explored, and even napped as we listened to the Ligurian Sea. By the time we gathered our things to leave we were among the last people left on the beach--and even then it was hard to want to go.
We took our sandy selves straight from the beaches down the street to La Cantina Di Miky, where we sat beachside, enjoyed flights of wine, and played charades with the waiters to be able to understand each other. After dinner we wandered around and took advantage of the opportunity to be spectators at a lively Monterosso soccer--er, football--game, where the crowd waved scarves, sang songs, and even climbed the fences that surrounded the fields--it was a small field next to the beach, but it felt like we were watching Manchester United in the Premier League. We finished off the night with gelato, then shared drinks and lots of laughs with our tour friends on our attached patios back at the hotel. We might have been having so much fun together that we were shushed by other guests...whoops! |
Favorite Cinque Terre Moments?
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Through the Looking Glass |
Ciao, Cinque Terre!
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