This morning it is still rumbling outside. Its cloudy and pretty dark out our back window and the sun is shining through our front window. That won't last long.
Brandon had to get dressed up in his choir outfit today - dark pants, white collared shirt, red tie. His school choir is performing at a retirement home in Monza this morning. I think they are singing a mix of Italian and English songs.
Katrina is working from home this morning. She is still sniffly and coughing a bit, but that is not why she is home. We will be leaving for Cinque Terre at 12:30, so it didn't make sense to drive to work today.
We left the house at 12:30, picked Brandon up at school and headed south towards Parma. In Parma we turned west through the mountains toward La Spezia, then up into the coastal mountains to Cinque Terre. Along the way we passed the route of the Giro d'Italia. Dang! I wish I could have seen that. I will try to see a stage next weekend.
The Cinque Terre (CHINK - weh Tay-reh) is a remote area of the Italian Riviera. The Cinque Terre is made up of five villages perched along the cliffs of the Meditteranean: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. This area of the coast was once referred to as the 'five lands', thus the name Cinque Terre.
Each town has its own character. Riomaggiore is the working town. Manarola is the picturesque town. Corniglia is the town on a hilltop. Vernazza is the poster town for the region and is the most touristy. And finally, Monterosso al Mara, the closest thing to a beach resort of the five towns.
We arrived in Riomaggiore around 4pm and checked into our rented apartment. We had to carry our luggage up some steep sidewalks and stairways, then up to the second floor of the building. Our room is a cozy little apartment with a bedroom, a sitting/dining room, a kithen and bathroom. Very small and tiny.
View from our room.
We also have a private rooftop terrace to enjoy. We headed up there after getting settled in the room. What a view. Katrina read a little bit. I relaxed and enjoyed a Coke. Brandon wrote in his journal.
After relaxing on the terrace for a bit, we headed out to explore Riomaggiore. Katrina wanted to head down to the harbor while the light was good. We checked out all the fishing boats, then headed out on the path along the cliffside. Brandon and I explored the jetty a bit.
We could tell right away that Cinque Terre was going to give us a workout with its hillside towns and its steep streets and stairways.
Riomaggiore
Looking south down the coast
Brandon on the jetty. Notice the big blocks of marble. This area of Italy is world famous for its fine marble.
From the harbor, we headed uphill to the old castle, or what is left of it. In the early days, the castle acted as a lookout and protection from pirates. There really wasn't anything at the castle to take pictures of, so here are more scenery shots:
Lemons are a specialty of this region
Another view of the water, from higher up.
Riomaggiore, looking up the valley.
I spotted these flowers near the castle. If anyone knows what they are, I'd love to know.
Brandon contemplates life as he enjoys the view.
It was getting dark and we were getting hungry, so we headed back down into town. Katrina wanted to take a few pictures in the dark, so we made a stop near the harbor before finding some dinner.
Looking northwest up the coast.
We started looking for a place to eat dinner around 8pm. Every place had a line and two of the places had an hour wait. We were tired, so we found a small cafe that wasn't crowded and ate. Ok this is an opportunity to say that, even in Italy, not all food is fabulous. Living here has taught us that there are many restaurants in touristy areas that are very good, but there are many that are not very good. Some of the best Italian restaurants are in 'real' Italy...in the neighborhoods where people work and live. Anyway, Brandon enjoyed his pasta. Katrina and I did not. Part of the problem was that they were premade dishes, warmed up when you order.
The room was calling, but we would not enjoy the comforts of a bed before we had to ascend over 80 steps to get to our room. We were tired. Brandon fell asleep almost as soon as he climbed in bed. Katrina nursed her ankle a bit (its been bothering her lately) while I opened the windows so we could enjoy the night air and the sound of the Ligurian Sea as we fell asleep.
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