Yesterday, I took to the seas to take a look at the Cinque Terre from a new perspective. The boat left Monterossa for Vernazza where I spent a few hours wandering around. Vernazza is a pretty little town, maybe a good place to stay on a future trip. Then I hopped back on the boat to Riomaggiore, the southern most city, walked to the top of town (a long up hill climb). My plan was to walk from there to Manarolla, the last city in the region that I had not seen on this trip. However, I quickly learned that this trail was still closed from the 2011 flooding. So I opted for a walk up the mountain to a church at the very top for some of the most amazing views of the region I had seen yet (pics below). I took a different route back to town and panicked a few times that I might be off track but made it back just in time to catch the last boat to Monterosso where I had a nice dinner at Il Pozzo; awesome Insalate di Frutta di Mare, Trofie with Pesto and cinque Terre’s own white wine. Trofie is a special pasta that was invented specifically for the amazing pesto that is made in this region of Italy. The pasta and the pesto lived up to the hype. I also met a nice couple from Laguna Beach over dinner. Today, it’s off to Milan by train and Brussels by air.
There & Back Again - A Traveler's Tale 