We left Napoli and headed up north for a long travel day in the car. For a break we noticed the town of Lucca on the map. A quick Google search showed it had a famous church and tower and a favorite son, Giacomo Puccini. It was a beautiful walled city. A quick espresso and walk around town and we were ready for four days on the famous coastline.
We had always wanted to visit Cinque Terre – a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. We chose Corniglia as our home base for hiking ( and trains!) We’re glad we did. It was a charming town and our apartment had a great terrace with a view of the sea.
In each of the 5 towns, you find the famous pastel-colored houses and on the cliffs, vineyards that cling to steep terraces and produce a flinty, delicious white wine. The harbors are filled with fishing boats and in the villages, trattorias turn out seafood specialties along with the Liguria region’s famous sauce, pesto.
The region is also famous for the Sentiero Azzurro – the Blue Trail – a cliffside hiking trail links the villages and offers sweeping sea vistas. We did two legs – one in sun and one in wind and rain! Both beautiful!
Our terrace in Corniglia was a great place for eating basil-limone gelato or watching sunsets!
The colors of Cinque Terre
Everywhere in Cinque Terre you see hikers with packs and poles climbing and climbing up the steep stone stairs and cliffs. We did two hikes – which were great and then used our CT passes for the train or bus!
Since the start of the trip, we keep testing the waters of the Mediterranean Sea to see if a refreshing swim might be doable. Ellen took a couple of short dips – but mostly enjoyed the water from the shore!
After a month in Italy 🇮🇹 we sadly said goodbye to that wonderful country and drove along the coast to enter France.
Ciao Italia 🇮🇹 – Bonjour France! 🇫🇷
Chris and Ellen’s 2022 European Adventure 