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Published: February 13th 2008
Riomaggiore from our window
This is the first town we stayed in. 8 minutes by train from La Spezia but seems like a world away.We have found the perfect place to "winter"...Cinque Terre. We are so grateful to our friends Tad & Liz that recommended this area to us, knowing how much we enjoy great scenery and the outdoors activities. This place was amazing....here's more:
We left Rome on a train to La Spezia, where we caught another train to Riomaggiore, the first of five towns (Cinque Terre in Italian means 5 Towns). We spent two nights in Riomaggiore and the remaining 3 nights in Vernazza. All five towns are all along the Liguarian Sea, which eventually becomes the Mediterranean. There is a train that travels about every hour between each of these towns; or for the more adventuresome, there is a popular trail that links them all as well. Ben and I of course couldn't just stop there: we hiked all through the area, up and down the hillsides, thru wine vineyards and olive groves....very rewarding views. We spent most of our days hiking these more remote trails and exploring the countryside that most visitors never see.
A typical day for us looked like this: sleeping-in until 8am or so, having yogurt & granola for breakfast in our room, getting café lattés
"Hey Ben, where'd you put that bananna....it's not in my pack" at a local cafe, heading into the local market for picnic supplies, then starting out on the trails. We were very grateful for the perfect weather as well: clear sunny skies and comfortable temperatures in the 50°'s everyday. After hiking all day, we would arrive just in time for sunset up on our rooftop terrace. These were our favorite times....sitting and enjoying the beautiful Creation. The sunsets were spectacular as was each other's company. We also enjoyed sipping our wine or limoncello (lemon liquor made locally in Cinque Terre) while eating fresh bread, olives, cheese, and pesto. Picnics have become one of our favorite pastimes here. It feels so good to be relaxed and enjoying daily life.
We went out for a nice dinner and Heather tried some of Ben's steamed clams.....and like Sam-I-Am, she liked them, she really liked them. And the pesto and olives are the culinary equivalent of the Mediterranean sunset, rich and delicious.
It's hard to describe in words how beautiful this place was and all of our experiences: walking a narrow path right in the middle of someone's wine vineyard, thru groves of olive trees, taking note of all the details of the
Sunset from rooftop terrace
We caught the mediterranean sunset from our terrace almost every night. stone terraces built into the hillsides....just amazing. We are seeing how God has created such an amazing world; and even more than the beauty of the land, but also the beauty He creates in each one of us. We are so enjoying this time together and enjoying all the growth that comes from it. Our cups runneth over...
We recommend this place as highly has Tad and Liz recommended it to us. If you have an opportunity, take a trip here and see if for yourself!
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Aunt Linda
non-member comment
112
Hello Again, Careful in those cliffs...112 is the 911 number world wide! There you two are...seeing the world...and your poor ole Aunt Linda is here organizing closets and drawers. It may sound like a mundane goal but I am only two days away from what everyone says is impossible, and that is a whole house that is organized from top to bottom! I know what you are thinking...."Get a life and go on a trip!" Love, Aunt Linda