6th
Cinque Terre
The last few days have been a whirlwind. We left Tuesday morning for day tours in Lucca and Pisa (Of course we took cheesy leaning tower pictures) then we rode on to Cinque Terre. The “5 lands” region of Italy has to be the most breathtaking place I’ve ever visited. We stayed in Vernazza, the 4th city. The most fantastic thing about this particular area is that the cities have all been grafted into the rugged cliffs and steep mountain-sides. Rather than blasting away the stubborn topography, the cities that make up the “5 lands” adapt perfectly to it. The spots of colorful buildings only add to the inspiring scenery.
The first night in Vernazza, we split off to explore a bit before meeting down on the beach by the rocks to sing together before bed. Sitting under the bright, clear, starry sky and listening to the waves crash in the backgound of 40 a capella voices in 4 part harmony is simultaneously a humbling and inspiring experience. I tried to memorize everything about those few moments. Other tourists, and even some of the townspeople would come intermittently to sit and listen and enjoy the experience alongside us.
Wednesday morning, after a fantastic breakfast at the hotel, we rode the train to the first city, Riomaggiore. We began our hike of the Italian Riviera on the Via Dell’Amore, the road of love. The trail spans all 5 cities, and takes the better part of a day to complete. We stopped in Corniglia, the 3rd city for water, then continued back to Vernazza for lunch. We enjoyed fresh calamari and stuffed mussels, prepared by personal friends of Robbie who own an upper class ristorante on the main street of the city. On the hike I took over 300 pictures: literally every turn held a breathtaking view of pristine, clear turqouise water crashing against rugged cliffs and boulders.
Thursday our schedules were free, and we were left to enjoy the day as long as we made it back to our villa by midnight. Three of us stayed together, visiting the quaint seaside towns once more for last minute sightseeing and souvenier shopping. We made it home safely after an (almost) uneventful trip, exhausted, but still exhilirated from the amazing experiences we shared.
