Cinque Terre

We woke up quite early (6:00) and checked out of our hotel, rented a car and headed out of Rome. Renting the car took a little while, and so did driving out of Rome. We took a wrong turn somewhere which took us to the center of the city rather than outside so by the time we got out it had taken about 2 hours. But, then we were on our way.

We took a scenic view through Tuscany. There were quaint houses and villages all along the way. Brianna and I slept for some of the ride and apparently we missed all the good stuff. As we neared our destination, we began to see clumps of brightly colored houses amidst trees, rocks and cliffs. It was incredible to see these buildings and churches with tall steeples in the middle of nowhere with steep cliffs and rocks surrounding them. As we wound through the mountain villages a spectacular view opened up of a colorful city along the coast, Monterosso, the first of the 5 cities in Cinque (Five) Terre (cites). It was beautiful!

We continued to wind down and up and back down the mountain until we finally came to the city. We were able to drive up to our hotel which was in a cute blue building. We checked in, put our bags in our room and rested for a little bit before we went back out into the city.

At the suggestion of our excellent hotel receptionist we first took the train from Monterosso (where we were staying) to the end city, Riomaggiore. All five of the cities are along the coast and built right into the cliffs. They are tall colored buildings which are so cute and quaint. We started our tour of Riomaggiore by walking up the hill to the city. There were cute shops and restaurants as we walked up, including fresh fruit stands. The fruits were varied and looked delicious! When we came back down we decided to go to the marina, which turned out to be a great idea.

The marina was filled with bright blue boats, bold orange safety rings and buoys. The view from the marina was incredible as well. We could see the waves crashing up against the dark rocks and most of the amazing city. The way the light was hitting the buildings and the boats made the colors even more vibrant.

After exploring the marina we took a hike (more like a paved walkway) called “Via dell’ Amore” from Riomaggiore to Manarola, the next city over. This was supposed to be the easiest hike from one city to another, and it definitely was. The sun was shining brightly on us so we decided to beat the heat with a delicious icy lemonade made with real lemons, probably grown locally.

We made it to Manarola and again explored the city. While it was similar to the other, it was different enough that we had a really fun time walking around. We made it to the top of the city and saw the bell tower and chapel. From there we took a hike (and this was more of a hike than the other) around the vineyards and down to the cemetery. The vineyards in all of the cities are impressive. They are terraced and extend most of the way up the mountain. They grow grapes as well as other fruits, such as limes, lemons, and oranges, as well as olives.

It took us longer than we expected to reach the cemetery, but the view was well worth it. The cemetery was interesting as it was just locked boxes above ground. Many people attached flowers and pictures to the side of the box. It looked a little bit like decorated lockers. The great view though was looking back at the city. We could see all of the city plus its marina and the cliffs and rocks where the waves hit. Up close the buildings are cute, but the combinations of colors aren’t the most pleasing. When you look at the city as a whole however it is absolutely stunning.

We walked back to the city after visiting the cemetery. While we waited for the next train to come we ate a local specialty, Focaccia bread. The kind I had was cheese focaccia. It was delicious! Nearly every food shop or restaurant in Cinque Terra sold focaccia, and it’s no surprise because it is wonderful!

After eating the Focaccia we took the train from Manarola to Vernazza, two cities over. It was supposed to have one of the best views. It was nearing dusk, so we headed up the hill toward Monterosso. This was quite a hike. If we didn’t know the view would be do beautiful we might not have done it. The sun was setting and the light was hitting the city beautifully. The colors were astounding and the bay and marina were beautiful. I don’t think we could have picked a much better time or day.

While we were taking pictures a couple girls were coming down from a little higher up and said the view from up there was even better. So, Dad and I took another hike up. At this point I was pretty tired and wimpy, but we got far enough we decided we just needed to get there. The view was awesome. We could see almost the entire mountain and the city nestled in it, although I was a little too tired to enjoy it. After we took a few pictures we rushed back down the mountain in order to make the next train to Monterosso.

When we arrived back in Monterosso we walked around for a little bit and waited until it was dark enough that we could see the lights from the four other cities along the edge of the water. It is amazing how far you can see, even though it was a little foggy. Naturally, we had some gelato and sat along the beach while we watched the sun go down. This time I had Biscotti and raspberry. It was delicious. The biscotti is one of my favorite flavors so far. Other flavors I tried tonight, compliments of Brianna and my dad, included Kiwi and strawberry.

We walked back to the hotel after enjoying the gelato in order to rest and shower. Today was one of my favorite days thus far in our vacation. I may say that later on, but thus far, today was the best.