Monday morning we left for Cinque Terre, a series of five towns along the coast. When we walked out of the train station in Monterosso, the town where we were staying, I thought I was in the Italian version of paradise! The sparkling blue water, rocky beach, multi-colored buildings, and sidewalk adorned with bright umbrellas were so picturesque! From the main street along the beach, we could see the next three towns nestled in the alcoves of the mountains. Filling the space between the towns are terraced rows of vineyards, lemon and orange orchards and the small houses of their owners. Our hotel had a perfect view of the beach and of course the first thing we did was spend the afternoon on the beach ourselves. The water was cold but the shining sun was perfect! The region of Cinque Terre is known for its pesto so I had to try some at dinner. The pesto lasagna I had was even better than I expected.
We woke up to the ocean breeze coming in through the open window and took full advantage of the continental breakfast before a day of hiking on the trails that connect all 5 of the towns. Along the way, we met fellow hikers from the U.S. and saw beautiful views as we wove in and out of vineyards with small trails branching down to the beach. We reached Vernazza, the most touristy of the towns, clad with brightly colored boats and cafes along a harbor.
We took a break for lunch and wondered through a few stores before hitting the trail again. The next town was Corniglia, the only town not along the water.
To get back to the path we walked down a staircase of 382 stairs- we were grateful to be walking down and not up them! It was a shorter walk to Manarola and then onto the last, Riomaggiore.
Between Manarola and Riomaggiore is the “”Via dell Amore”, a pretty path with magnificent views, a tunnel, and a tradition for couples leaving locks along the path to signify your love is “locked together.” In Riomaggiore, we walked through the town and got dinner after a long but wonderful day.
Wednesday was Veronica's birthday and I got up early with her to see if we could catch the sunrise. We walked along the beach and then up to a convent at the top of a hill in the middle of town. It was an amazing way to start the day! We wanted to take the boat that stops in all five towns in order to see them all by water and found out that we could also go to a larger town called Portovenere and take a boat tour around three islands off the coast. So we made it a day of boat rides and it was another wonderful day to do so! While waiting for the ferry, a few local boys about 11-13 years old came up and started talking to us. They spoke english really well and enjoyed asking us about music and movies they knew as well as told us how great Monterosso was! It was cute. The first glimpse of Portovenere from water is the Church S. Pietro with dating back to the 11th century with fortress walls and remenent of an early temple surrounding it. Our boat docked in a large harbor and we had some time to eat before our island tour. The three islands just off the coast are uninhabited but spotted with caves, trees and a few 11th century ruins including an abbey, oratory, military fortifications and a small lighthouse.
Upon returning to Portovenere, we explored the town's shops and the church as well as got a view of the castle that rises above the town. We got back to Monterosso for a wonderful dinner at one of the local's favorite restaurants and our last night before Venice.
Upon returning to Portovenere, we explored the town's shops and the church as well as got a view of the castle that rises above the town. We got back to Monterosso for a wonderful dinner at one of the local's favorite restaurants and our last night before Venice. 
0 comments:
Post a Comment