• Cinque Terre, Italy, May 2018

    Cinque Terre was an awesome location to kick-off our Italy trip in May, 2018. Although already ridiculously crowded with tourists, the trains and boats ran efficiently, and we were able to appreciate the wonder of these old villages on the cliffs of the Mediterranean Sea. Our studio Airbnb was located in new "Monterosso," perfect for us, close to an adorable little grocery, the beach, several restaurants, but not close to the mobs of people and their night noise. This picture was taken from the trail to Vernazza which we took the first morning after arrival. Walking the trail was a lot of up and down and took several hours to get from Monterosso to Vernazza. 

    Along the trail....
    Padlocks left by romantic lovers symbolizing their unbreakable bonds.

    Music 

    Delicious homemade no-added-sugar juice refreshment. This lovely gentleman had what must have been a very, very long electric cord and kept his eyes on us, warning us not to take a step backwards since it was a LONG way down the cliff to the sea below.

    Mystery

    Crowds

     

     

     

     

     

    Then on to Manarola where Scott had a sandwich called "The Manarola" and I found an "all gluten-free" gelato and cannoli shop.

     

    and then Riomaggiore

    It was late in the day at this point and time for a sit-down.

    where we enjoyed a glass of local wine.

    This Riomaggiore lady watched us.

    We took the train all the way back to Monterosso. 

     

    And stopped to poke around in old Monterosso for awhile

    Time to get back to the apartment for a relaxed pasta dinner and rest.

    The next day we set off for Portovenere by boat. 

    This was our helmsman.

    He had to supervise mobs of people getting on and off the boat 
    as well as drive.

    We passed this residence early on...who lives here?

    And the rugged, steep shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

    Here's turning the point at Portovenere. What a grand old church on the point.

    Here's the town of Portovenere with the wall and fortress behind visible.

    Portovenere was our favorite town and not as crowded.

    Walking the interior of the towns is fascinating. These are not Hollywood sets. Real people live and work here and have for centuries.

    This is a lady with her cane coming home from a spot of shopping.

    There are stairs and people on them everywhere.

    Here's that old church, again. It is so gorgeous up there!

    We walked up to see it up close.

    The inside with all those layers of black and white marble and

    the light streaming in was really lovely.

    Just outside there was this view of the Bay of Lerici (or Poets' Bay).

    And out the other door...well, check out the door first.

    Then a quiet spot behind the church.

    A little further on we approach Byron's Grotto.

    Lord Byron and Mary and Percy Shelley swam here, from whence comes the familiar title Poets' Bay. Portovenere was a popular spot for many poets and artists to escape the dreary English winter months.
    Through this door is a popular place where the poets swam.
    It is still used today.

    On the right there are changing rooms and I imagine that people do swim off the rocks here in the summer, but there is no sandy beach.

    Here's a man reading at the grotto.....

    And here's an oboe professor playing his latest passion, the harp.

    Yes, I bought CDs.

     Here's a shot as we left the town to return to Monterosso.

    On the way back we pass this cute borgo (village)..it may be part of Corniglia which we missed due to overcrowded buses.

     We loved Cinque Terre just because it's like no other place. Real people, real shops, real houses, real crops, real wine, real sailors are found here. 

    Next we head for Pisa where we'll pick up a rental car to drive around Tuscany for a few days. Wow, that sounds like a dream when I say it, but we DID it.

     

     

     

  • Comments on this post (4 comments)

    • Jeanne and Ben Falletta says...

      What a memory walk this was for us. Can’t thank you enough!

      November 10, 2018

    • Kathy wingert says...

      Loved your pictures and narrative.

      October 27, 2018

    • Carol and Phil says...

      Another beautiful spot for our bucket list…..

      October 27, 2018

    • Adria & Brian says...

      Beautiful, Carol. Brings back great memories.

      October 26, 2018

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