Cinque Terre

Second stop on our Italian tour was the Cinque Terre. I have been wanting to do this 9km hike for a while. We stayed in a town just north of the Cinque Terre called Moneglia - - highly recommended. It was small and quiet, still on the beach and on the train line. A good place for authentic Ligurian cuisine, uncrowded streets, and afternoon naps. Our second day in the area, we hiked the "5 lands" from South to North, starting in Riomaggiore and finishing in Monterosso al Mare. Fortunately for us, this was our only day of the entire week where it was mostly sunny. Between Vernazza and Monterosso, our luck finally ran out and we got caught in a downpour....fortunately, we were on the very last leg of the hike. Corniglia was my favorite - we stopped for a light lunch of roasted vegetables, italian cheese and honey. Perfect! Click here for more photos of the Cinque Terre

On the Cinque Terre trail; the village of Manarola in the background