Blogs from Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy, Europe - page 3

Italia! We made it to the beautiful city of Cinque Terre after many winding roads & hairpin turns! It is hard to believe we left the snowy Alps in the morning & reached the sunny beachside village this afternoon! The villages are totally stunning! We went out fir a big Italian meal with our group & the food was ridiculous! The kids all tried calamari which was the best I have ever had by far & anchovies! Even Rose!! I am shocked at all the foods this picky eater has tried! We finally slept in for once in this trip & hung out at the beach all day! We did some shopping & soaked up the views while the kids ate tons of gelato! I stuck with the Rose' wine which is fantastic here! This has ... read more

We stayed in a small rented house out in the country near Beverino for our visit to Cinque Terre. After we showed an inkling of enthusiasm, the effervescent keyholders called and reserved a table for us for lunch at a restaurant up the road (Trattoria La Pineta di Polverara). This kind of thing is often a scam, but the food was some of the best I’ve had in Italy (and I’ve been cooked for by a lot of Italians!). Their specialty is ravioli, and they were filling and delicious. They also offer wine from down the road at cheap prices. I would go back to that area just to eat more ravioli! Then, we were eager to see some of Cinque Terre. After a trip to the grocery store in the mall and searching for our ... read more

There is a place where dreams are captured in real life. They drift inland on cool breezes across choppy turquoise seas tossing beneath pink clouded skies. They are captured by the rocky green hills that rise straight from the sea. The hills, worn by time and weather, stand as silent witnesses to a culture of hard work and dedication and a desire to create a visual masterpiece, a perfect mixture of nature’s harshness and man’s desire for not only sustenance, but beauty. The hills are terraced as they tumble to the sea from high above. The mortarless walls of the terraces, built over centuries by masters of stone craftsmanship, are perfectly shaped to capture the soft morning light. The fertile earth yields everything necessary to not only sustain life, but to nurture it. The terraces are ... read more

This day was absolutely breathtaking from every angle, also find the nicest soccer field in the world!... read more

We headed out for our hike about 9:30. The first leg of the hike between the 5 towns is from Monterosso and Vernazza. Some guide books say it takes 2 hours and some say 1.5 hours. With tons of stops for photos we made it in 2 hours which is pretty good for folks on Social Security. The trail wasn't that busy or that difficult. In some places the stairs were steep and it was a little tough for Jack's knees. He found it more difficult than Petra, but it probable had more to do with his overall fitness, than anything else. The view are spectacular which is why so many people come here. We arrived in Vernazza to find it was as crowded at Monterosso. ... read more