The Cinque Terre
We left the walled city of Lucca and were transported by our Alterini chariot to the beach town of Levanto. Praise is in order for the drivers who navigated our huge coaches through the hairpin turns and along the winding mountain roads, which at times were single lanes. Meeting other large vehicles and passing with centimeters to spare was pretty impressive.
While Levanto is not part of the Cinque Terre, it is situated just minutes north of Monterosso, so the location was excellent for our two days exploring this unique part of the Italian Riviera. Levanto also has a beautiful beach for wetting your toes and walking on the pebbly shore.
One of the reasons for choosing the "Heart of Italy" tour was to not only see Rome and Florence, but matchless places in between, such as the Cinque Terre.
With timely and convenient train and boat schedules, the other towns of the Italian Riviera were just minutes away.
While all the history, art and romanticism of Rome and Florence held their own attraction we really fell in love with the Cinque Terre. We felt we were "In Italy" and enjoyed the people and sites on a more personal level than in the big cities.
While Levanto is not part of the Cinque Terre, it is situated just minutes north of Monterosso, so the location was excellent for our two days exploring this unique part of the Italian Riviera. Levanto also has a beautiful beach for wetting your toes and walking on the pebbly shore.
One of the reasons for choosing the "Heart of Italy" tour was to not only see Rome and Florence, but matchless places in between, such as the Cinque Terre.
With timely and convenient train and boat schedules, the other towns of the Italian Riviera were just minutes away.
While all the history, art and romanticism of Rome and Florence held their own attraction we really fell in love with the Cinque Terre. We felt we were "In Italy" and enjoyed the people and sites on a more personal level than in the big cities.
Levanto
From
our base in the Hotel Nazionale we explored Levanto, a charming beach
town with a much slower pace than the villages of the Cinque Terre
which made for a great place to simply relax and enjoy this diverse
region of Italy. We call this part of the tour "the great escape."
The hotel is in a central location on Via Jacapo, with restaurants and shops close by and just minutes from the beach.
The hotel is in a central location on Via Jacapo, with restaurants and shops close by and just minutes from the beach.
(Click on the photos for an enlarged view)
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On to Vernazza
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We awoke to the sound of raindrops on the rustic shutters and thought, "Oh great." But by the time we had our breakfast and a couple of cappuccinos, the rain stopped, the sun poked out, and we were ready to go.
Jamie advised us to concentrate on Vernazza and Monterosso, the most characteristic of Cinque Terre villages. We took the short walk from our hotel to the train station where we caught the train to Vernazza, a beautiful seaside village of colorful buildings, interesting shops and cozy cafes. Just be sure to watch for the depot stops and not bypass your destination as some of our tour group cast-of-characters did. Arriving in the morning before the crowds gave us time to explore the town while delivery trucks came and went, shops opened and restaurants enticed us with aromas of breakfast cooking. It was lovely that vehicle traffic was limited, making our walking experience that much more enjoyable. No dodging Vespas here! As the day went on, the crowds on the main street, Via Roma, grew. But the side alleys remained quiet and peaceful for extended wandering. |
Our intention was to either hike the trail south toward Corniglia or north to Monterosso, but heavy rains overnight closed both trails. We were met at the roped- off trail gate by a friendly local who told us the trail was closed. We hiked as far as we could north and south of Vernazza to make the most of the village, views and photo opportunities. The "closed" rule apparently wasn't very strictly enforced as a few of our hardy tour mates later in the day bypassed the barricades and hit the trail anyway. Fortunately, no one went missing. The only injury was to the pride of one who slipped and fell in the mud.
When it was time for a mid-morning break, we stopped at Gelateria Porticciolo on the pier for some refreshing lemon and chocolate gelato. It tasted even better after our aborted hike to Corniglia.
We bought a beautiful landscape print at the Bottega d'Art. It now hangs in our home as a reminder of our exceptional time spent in the Cinque Terre. |
While the trail to Corniglia was closed farther south, we still were able to reach some incredible viewpoints and see interesting locals in action. We were intrigued by the motorized stair climber that delivered supplies up the steep trail. Looking south we could see Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, while to the north we looked back to Vernazza and Monterosso. So we really did see the entire, beautiful Cinque Terre.
The ticket for the Castello Doria is well worth it for the view from the top. You can imagine the pirate ships coming over the horizon.
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As the water view was expansive and one can see the entire coast of the Cinque Terre while on board the boat, we chose the ferry for the trip to Monterosso. The nearly glass smooth Ligurian Sea made for a very pleasant water excursion.
Monterosso
We heard beautiful music upon arrival in Monterosso. While the town is divided into a picturesque old town and a new town across the seawall, rather than take the seawall walk to the new town, we followed the sound to the tunnel, to discover a pianist performing at the far end. The stone of the tunnel enhanced the acoustics of his beautiful music. The sun, sea, beach, village, people and the music--it felt uniquely Italian!
Old town Monterosso had many street artists and small shops worth browsing, with outdoor cafes for lunch and people watching.
The Church of St. John the Baptist, heavily damaged in the 2011 flood, is fully restored and another vivid example of Romanesque marble design.
Starting our day in Vernazza, exploring up and down the hills, wandering the many little quiet lanes through the sun-washed village was a dream-come-true day.
Sharing our day with new tour friends made the experience all the more memorable.
The finishing touch to this incredible day in the Cinque Terre was our late afternoon sail to Monterosso on the ferry.
Sharing our day with new tour friends made the experience all the more memorable.
The finishing touch to this incredible day in the Cinque Terre was our late afternoon sail to Monterosso on the ferry.
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