Wanderlust: Cinque Terra

Boats in the water at Vernazza.

Pomegranate tree on a terrace in Vernazza.

Fresh Anchovies from the market.

Regional Specialties-capers, anchovy, wine!

Boats on shore at Monterosso

Hiking back to Vernazza- on the ancient paths.

View of Vernazza from the path.

Lime trees above us as we dine alfresco in Corniglia.

Boats in Vernazza.

This is from my recent holiday. It really was this beautiful and pastoral in the Cinque Terra- a region in the Italian Riviera. Above are the fishing boats that the fisherman row out in every day- and the fish that they have caught. The water was great for swimming and there are phenomenal hikes on small (cliffside!) paths which were built by the peasants of the five villages. There are no cars in the villages (the villages are so old they were built before cars! and the roads can't fit them), however there are trains between each village. Trains come in handy if you can't bear the paths again. The hikes are not arduous, but they are not short little jaunts. It takes about an hour or so to hike from Vernazza to Monterosso- and I believe it starts with an uphill hike of over 100 steps! But the paths are STUNNING! They wind through orchards, and vineyards and forests and breathtaking ocean views. And of course once you arrive at a village, after all of that hard work, you MUST sit down and EAT all of the fresh local produce and frutti di mare- and the local wines. Its TOUGH out there! So many meals so little time!