CINQUE TERRE

It is our second morning in Monterosso, Cinque Terre and we are in paradise. Waking up to our amazing view.... To the east we see the terraced hillside with grapes, lemon trees, beautifully lush and green, dotted with yellow, pink and orange homes....and that is before we even get out of bed! To the south is the water, the Ligurian Sea.... Kayla, everything you told us about this place is true, even better than we imagined. Thank you!
Before we arrived, we had heard rumors that the hiking trails were closed, but didn't want to believe them as we were so looking forward to hiking from village to village. Unfortunately the rumors were true, all trails are
closed. If I let myself think about it, I would be disappointed, but there is no room for disappointment here, it is just too perfect of a place.
We bought a day pass for the train yesterday, and visited The town of Vernazza. It's harbor is beautiful, with a mix of fishing boats and pleasure boats. We watched a sailboat motor in, and thought of Mark and Gabe. We ate our picnic lunch resting against a sun warmed rock, gazing back at the town.
We hopped on the train and rode to the next town, Corniglia, the only town not on the water. We walked up the road to the village, the other choice, a zig zag path 400 steps up ( which we climbed down to get back to the train). This town was a lot smaller, less people, but with a beauty of its own. I took a path in front of some homes to get a better shot of a church, and as I was fiddling with my camera, I could smell something. I looked around, and in a yard behind me were about 6 big baskets of grapes beside a press, picture perfect.
Our last stop of the day was Manarola. This town was just as charming as the rest. They have no harbor, so the fisherman use a pulley to get their boats up to the village, and park them along the main street.
We got back to our B&B just in time for happy hour. There is a beautiful patio looking over the town and the water, and we had a chance to mingle with the other guests. Giovanni, our bartender/ breakfast cook, speaks very little English, but we seem to be communicating just fine.
Jane and Donna arrived last night from Venice, and we met up with them for dinner and an after dinner walk around town. There is a pedestrian tunnel linking the old town and the new, and there is usually a musician of some sort playing at one end, with the music echoing thru the whole tunnel, makes for an enchanting walk.
Needless to say, we love it here. We are off to explore one more town and see what the day brings.....stay tuned