Why I Miss Amazing Cinque Terre, Italy

I yearn for the sites and sounds of Italy, or France, or anyplace far away.

This year all my funds are tied up in writing conferences and other necessities so travel abroad will have to wait.

What this means is no vacation this year, only staycations in the places where the conferences take place: Los Angeles, New Mexico, maybe New York City. (I know, wah-wah).  

So, I took out my flash drive of last years travel photos of Italy and took a little mind vacation.

I miss the Cinque Terre for its history, colorful villages, beaches, cliffs, food, and Limoncino.

The towns of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore teeter on the rugged Italian coast. These fishing villages are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the oldest one, Monterroso, founded in 643 A.D.

We arrived on a very warm day, in a crowded train and walked to the village of Monterroso.

Sweaty, tired, but excited, we came upon the beach around the bend. The view was enough to make us want to run, strip and jump into that azure water. (We did that later-with bathing suits).

Overwhelmed by the colors, beauty, and terraced homes, we walked and gawked at everything around us. Our legs got a work out wandering the streets.

 

In the smallest town, with the narrowest streets, is Vernazza. You must pay attention when walking or you’ll end up head first into one of the fishing boats. Now, this is the town to order a meal of shellfish or fresh fish and pasta.

 

Although I’m not a white wine lover, I did enjoy the local chilled wine named Cinque Terre, D.O.C. It’s refreshing after a long walk through the village.

After the meal, the drink to have is Limoncino, not to be confused with Lemoncello. The limoncino lemons grow in the villages, especially Manarola. I thought the liquer tasted better than lemoncello, but I’m not partial to lemoncello anymore (another story).

In Riomaggiore, the famous Via Dell’ Amore (The Walkway of Love), connects the village to Manorola. Unfortunately, the half mile coastal walkway was closed, probably because of a landslide. This was the lover’s lane where people from the two villages met. Here’s a photo of the sign that says ‘Open,’ but the gate was locked.

I wish I had noted which village we were in when I took this photo from the top of one of the villages. (Note: carry a pocket notebook to jot down names and places of photos).

 

I’m taking a three week break from blogging while I attend conferences and visit family.

Whether you have a staycation or not, I wish you a wonderful rest of the summer.

See you in mid-August. Take care!