View of Riomagiorre
Cinque Terra ferry
High heeled Crocs... what?
Shannon and I in Pisa!
Posing in Cinque Terra
Pizza in Italy - classic
Brushing the teeth before bedCinque Terra - May 29-31
It only took 8 hours by train, and several changes (all of which we made… phewf) to arrive in Riomaggiore, 1 of the 5 cities in Cinque Terra. Going the first week of June – when everyone (Germans and Italians alike) seemed to have a holiday might have been an oversight, nevertheless it meant a worthwhile use of a 3-day weekend. After sharing a room advertised for 4 people (meaning 2 beds) with our gang of 6, we woke ready to hike the trail. Starting in Riomaggiore, we bought tickets for the hike and started at the Tunnel of Love walking along meandering paths by the coast that alternated with views of the UNESCO heritage sites of the terraced vineyards – literally breathtaking (gorgeous and a workout). Every picture was postcard worthy; if you take me out of the photos – because I’m hot and sticky after a 5-hour hike. Venturing through towns, we tried focaccia pizza with artichokes or pesto.
Once in Monterosso, we went beaching as a reward for ‘most of us’ not falling off the trail into the bushes of the steep hillside. For dinner – fresh catch of the day or the usual Italian thin crust pizza that’s the size of a huge dinner plate (sometimes not all 6 plates could fit on the table), and lots of gelato for dessert. We also had some jazz entertainment in the street and I’m determined that jazz makes kids go crazy. The kids just danced like mad in the middle of the gathering tourist crowd and are at least half the entertainment. (I wonder if I was ever like that…??)
The following days included a trip to Pisa with another hike near the top of the cliffs where inevitably there was a coffee house, which served Italian-style cappuccinos and a church next door. We could hear the musical harmony of bells during our descent along the steeply slopped vineyard paths. The bright pinks, oranges, and yellows of the houses accented with matching windowpanes seem to vividly emit the Italian joviality. Amid the narrow cobble streets below, there was a bustle of fruit markets and tourist shops selling assortments of delights from limoncello to high-heeled crocs (comfortable fashion?). Backpackers and diva-adorned fashonistas alike strolled through the packed passageways meandering upwards at acute angles from the water. Senses were stimulated with the wafting baked aromas and the singsong Italian language emerging from the cacophony of foreign murmurs - everyone soaking in the culture.
The following days included a trip to Pisa with another hike near the top of the cliffs where inevitably there was a coffee house, which served Italian-style cappuccinos and a church next door. We could hear the musical harmony of bells during our descent along the steeply slopped vineyard paths. The bright pinks, oranges, and yellows of the houses accented with matching windowpanes seem to vividly emit the Italian joviality. Amid the narrow cobble streets below, there was a bustle of fruit markets and tourist shops selling assortments of delights from limoncello to high-heeled crocs (comfortable fashion?). Backpackers and diva-adorned fashonistas alike strolled through the packed passageways meandering upwards at acute angles from the water. Senses were stimulated with the wafting baked aromas and the singsong Italian language emerging from the cacophony of foreign murmurs - everyone soaking in the culture.
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