Italian Holiday II

After leaving Florence, we decided to take a few days on our own, so we ventured to the picturesque Italian coast, to Cinque Terre (Five Lands).

Cinque Terre is comprised of five seaside villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.  All have their own personalities, and it is quite easy to visit each village by train or even boat.  We decided to stay at an AirBNB in Manarola.  The towns were fairly quiet, particularly in the evenings, a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Florence.

Private Boat Trip

One of the first things we did was to charter a private boat to see the five villages from the water.  We started the trip in Riomaggiore, heading northwest to the other four towns.  We also learned a bit of Cinque Terre history from the captain of our boat.  It was a lovely sunny day.

Vernazza

Of the five towns, Vernazza and Manarola are considered the most picturesque.  We took the train to Vernazza and wandered around this quaint village.  

Via dell Amore

There are a myriad of hiking trails in Cinque Terre, some connecting the five villages.  We took an easy one between Riomaggiore and Manarola, which has the name Via dell Amore (The Way of Love).   ​The trail's name was inspired by the fact that it provided an easy and private meeting place for young lovers who lived in the two small towns in the mountainous terrain.

Manarola

As train service between villages stopped in the early evening, we spent our late afternoons and evenings in Manarola, which suited us just fine.  The town had just enough shops and restaurants for our three-night stay, and it offered some wonderful views of the Italian coast.  

Our lovely view of Manarola from the aptly named "Nessum Dorma" restaurant

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