The Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre on Italy's riveria is absolutely awesome. It is great to just have a couple days where we have nothing planned and just relax and watch the world go by. We got in yesterday around 5PM and checked into the ocean view room we have at Trattoria Gianni Franzi that is literally built into the side of a cliff in the City of Vernazza. The foyer of the hotel has the walls of the cliff on the side of it. We have a shared bathroom and the hallways are a little noisey in the morning, but it is a great place to stay with a great price. The hotel is at the top of about 50 stairs though so it is kind of challenging at the end of the day and a bottle of wine.

Dinner last night was at the hotels restaurant and it was very good as well. I had some sort of mussle pasta and Rea had the pesto (which was originally started here in the region apparently). We had sardines for an appetizer which were very salty but good. A bottle of house wine finished it off.

Vernazza is a sleepy little village with one road the goes down the the harbor. That is it. There are little shops and food stores as well as awesome views out onto the sea. Don't expect to go here for museums, clubs or night life.

Today we did the hike between Riomaggiore and Vernazza. It took us around 3 hours to do (as the guide said) and Rea took the train home for the last part. The views were stunning the entire way and totally worth the sometimes strenuous portions at the end near Vernazza. The last part into Vernazza was the hardest since it was all stairs up and down and it was about 25C out in the shade. Hiking through the olive groves and hills was break-taking (both literally and figuratively).

After the hike we got back and decided to go for a swim in the harbor where everyone else was sunning on the rocks. The water was just cold enough to make it refreshing and it was clear and waveless. Compared to the fresh water lakes around Calgary, it was great to just be able to float out there and not have to tread water to not drown. There was not too many fish in the water, but every one in a while you would see little fish scoot by and remind you that you were swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.

After the swim and a shower we went and took the train to Monterosso to have dinner at the Belveder restaurant that was highly recommended to us by a few people. The food was fantastic and cheap (for Europe). We had the seafood spaghetti that was enough to feed three people. I also had the stuffed sardines which were surprisingly good and not salty at all.

Anyhow, tomorrow we have another day here before we have to catch a night train to Paris from Milano, so I think we will just check our bags and relax out by the harbor again. Maybe do some tourist shopping...

Ciao!