Cinque Terre
On Day 5 we said goodbye to beautiful Volterra and were on our way to the mountainous, harbor-hugging villages of the Italian Riviera. Our charter bus dropped us off in the town of Levanto, the location of our family-owned hotel called Hotel Primavera. After we said hello and checked in, Tommaso taught us how to use the area's rail system and gave us a mini-tour of Levanto and Monterosso. We were so lucky! The weather was perfect, so sunny and warm. We enjoyed looking at all the vibrant buildings and artisan shops, and Monterosso's beautiful sandy beach. We ended our day with a feast at the restaurant in our hotel. The owners of the hotel were phenomenal cooks, and the food was so fresh and delicious. We kept going back for more!
Day 6 was our free day, and we spent the whole day exploring the Cinque Terre. We were so thankful that Tommaso taught us how to use the rail system the day before, it made traveling around a cinch! Since we already saw Monterosso the day before, we headed out to see Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarolo. Vernazza was one of the most beautiful places we visited on our trip, a traditional fishing village with colorful Ligurian houses and boats bobbing on the waters of its tiny harbor. We could have easily enjoyed our whole day there, but we decided to venture on to Corniglia. This village isn't built directly on the sea, but on a cliff 100 meters above sea level. You need to climb 382 stairs to reach the top, or you can opt into taking the shuttle bus from the train station. Being pregnant and all, we definitely decided to take the shuttle bus! We loved exploring the town's narrow pathways and small courtyard that held a church. Our last stop was Manarola, with its multicolored and charming houses, small harbor and quaint piazza with seafood restaurants. We loved the area so much that we decided to have a late lunch in the piazza. We enjoyed some local seafood and homemade pasta before returning back to our hotel. What a lovely day it was!
