Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre was our destination on Sunday morning. The Cinque Terre (Five Lands) is a series of small, timeless villages along the Italian Riviera in the Italian province of Liguria. The towns are connected by railroad and rustic hiking trails. Luckily the first two villages, Riomaggiore and Manarola, are connected by Via Amore, a stroller-friendly trail.

When Dan and I were here ten years ago, these towns were considered off the beaten path and were truly remote, but nowadays Rick Steves devotes a full section in his Italy tour book to the towns and tourists flock here in droves. Nevertheless, spending time in the gorgeous area is amazing. The mountains are terraced with olive orchids and vineyards, and the dramatic terrain falls suddenly into the crystal clear ocean below where you can see straight to the bottom of the sea. There are plenty of staircases leading to secluded giant, flat rocks that touch the ocean where families or couples lay claim for a day of sea and sun. In the distance, you can see boats of every size and type - from yachts and sailboats to classic wooden boats.