ABC Wednesday - "C" is for Cinque Terre

In October 2006, I visited Italy for the first time. Notice I say the "first" time because I intend to return one day and see more of this Charismatic Country as well as revisit many of the places I saw then. However, for today's purposes I've Chosen to highlight the area called the Cinque Terre in the north-west region of Italy. It was by far the most Captivating, Curious, and Compelling spots of my trip. Rick Steves has more information on the area here.

Built along the Coast of the Mediterranean Sea, this area is Comprised of five villages in the province of La Spezia in the Luguria region of Italy. The Coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all encapsulated in a national park by the same name. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The five villages are Manarolo, Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, and Riomaggiore. The Cinque Terre is Characterized by the Craggy slopes which have been Cultivated into vineyards by means of a system of terracing.
Seafood is plentiful in the area's Cuisine and it is also famous for its pesto, a sauce made with basil leaves, garlic, salt, olive oil, pine nuts and pecorino Cheese. I sampled some at lunch the day we toured the area and I absolutely give it an A+. Also, a Common locally baked product is focaccia and farinata which is a savoury snack like a Crunchy pancake made from a base of Chick-pea flour.

In addition to wines made from the locally grown grapes, grappa (a brandy made with the pommace left from winemaking) and limoncello (a sweet liqueur flavored with lemons) are also popular and well-known drinks in the area. (And yes, I sampled both but preferred the limoncello. One of the ladies in our group had grappa every day but to me it tasted like rubbing alcohol. )

We arrived by boat in Riomaggiore. It was an amazing sight as we approached the first little dock! Climbing the tiny little alleyways, which I realised were streets, we finally came out on the small market part of the village. I couldn't believe how many Cats wandered the streets, too! They were everywhere. This Cat was sunning itself in a plant pot by the side of the street, totally ignorant of all the people milling around.

We realised we'd arrived on laundry day because Clothes were hanging from windows and balconies to dry in the natural sunlight. This turned out to be a Common sighting all over Italy.

From Riomaggiore, we walked along the Via del Amore (below) to the next village of Manarolo. A brief visit there and then we hopped back on the boat that took us all the way to Montarosso al Mare where we dined on pasta al pesto. The views from the restaurant that overlooked the Mediterranean were stunning and we enjoyed the rest from all the walking up and down hills and along mountainside Cliffs along the Mediterranean Coast.

Then we made a brief stop at Vernazza but skipped Corniglia and Continued on to Portovenere, a larger town directly across from our base in Lerici. Notice the brilliant Colours of all the buildings.
We ended the day by Climbing to the Church at the top of the Cliff in Portovenere. I even lit a Candle inside for my late husband and mother, even though I'm not Catholic, and the process left me feeling rather Calm and Cathartic. I hope you enjoyed these photos from my visit to the Cinque Terre and encourage all of you to include this area in any future plans for your trip to Italy. For tourist information click here.

And for more information about ABC Wednesday click here.