We left Rome bright and early for the Cinque Terre in the Italian Riveria. After navigating trains with our luggage we fortunately made it into Vernazza without a hitch- although as soon as we got off the train it was evident that the Cinque Terre is a very popular place to travel in August- we were shuffling slowly through narrow streets shoulder to shoulder with enormous crowds. Fortunately our bed and breakfast was tucked away in the cliffs away from the main strip near the ocean. We unloaded our luggage and stopped for a quick pesto sandwich with tomatoes and mozzarella on Foccacia bread. I decided to go for a dip in the ocean, so we walked down the pier to the rocky beach and I jumped off the cement block into the crystal cool blue of the Ligurian Sea. I scraped my foot a little as I was sloshed by waves against the cement wall while trying to wait my turn for the ladder. Cooled off, and a little bloody, we embarked on our hilly journey to Monterosso- the beach village over the other side of the cliff. This section of trail is definitely not for the weak, especially in the heat. I found myself stopping more than I would like to admit to douse myself in cold water, but you are rewarded with amazing views! After what seemed hours of uphill-downhill walking and trying not to slip down the rocky, cactus-grown cliffs we finally made it to Monterosso where we were able to sit down for a cold drink. We decided after that sweaty journey to take the train back instead into Vernazza for dinner. We explored the village at night and had one of my favorite meals of the whole trip- trofie pasta with pesto sauce! The next day was supposed to be our hiking day, we planned to take the train straight to Riomaggiore and then hike until we made our way back to Vernazza. Unfortunately trails between the villages were all closed due to landslides (that apparently happened over 10 years ago) so we decided to spend a little extra time exploring the villages and take the crowded trains in between. Riomaggiore was sleepy and quiet in the morning so after a quick croissant and a look around we moved on to Manarola where we spent most of the day (I should tell you a huge part of that time was spent lost trying to find the Trattoria de Billy- GPS does not handle the tight streets and buildings piled on top of one another well) I ordered the grilled catch of the day- which happened to be swordfish, but not after sharing an enormous cheese platter. Stuffed from lunch we stuffed ourselves into the train to reach Corniglia, the last of the villages we hadn't yet explored. This village is high up on the cliff, with a wide staircase that zigzags up from the train station. Corniglia was beautiful, but very small so we snapped a few pictures and made our way back to Vernazza for a much needed late afternoon nap. As the sun was slowly starting to drop in the sky we climbed our way up narrow streets and staircases to the Vernazza Wine Experience- a cliff side restaurant that seems like a little hidden secret with amazing views of the sparkling blue sea. We tasted four different Cinque Terre local wines and ate yet another cheese board for dinner. This place ended up being our favorite part of Cinque Terre.
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AuthorI believe that travel is essential to exist in this world and that it is the perfect medicine for staleness. Archives
August 2022
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