Around the Cinque Terre

What could be better than a nice weekend away after a week full of work? We leave on Saturday morning, 23 June, for Levanto, a cheerful little Ligurian town facing the sea... We had in fact decided to switch off and enjoy the beautiful Ligurian sea; after all, from Milan it's also the nearest sea...?? Levanto, all in all, is nothing other than the westernmost town of the famous Cinque Terre. Suspended between dream and reality, set in one of the most evocative gulfs in the world, the Cinque Terre tell their thousand-year history. The Cinque Terre are located in the extreme east of Liguria, five ancient villages hidden by enchanting inlets or perched sheer above the sea in a striking landscape unique in the world.

Unfortunately, on arrival we realise that the sea is really very "angry"...huge waves that obviously made the fortune of the many surfers who had immediately rushed into the water looking for a wave to "ride". For accommodation we had decided to take a small flat not far from the sea. Settled in, we immediately decide to start the tour of the Cinque Terre. Honestly, describing them is a bit difficult...you would need to experience these wonderful little towns for real, as small as they are full of character and in some ways breathtaking for their position right sheer above the sea...A few minutes' walk from home there is the Levanto station. The best way to get around the Cinque Terre is undoubtedly the train, which in a few minutes links the various villages... The first village you meet setting off from Levanto is Monterosso.

Here we watched the sunset of a thousand colours and, walking, we made our way into the typical narrow, winding little alleys that in some points descend, descend all the way to the sea. Walking along these streets you can smell fantastic aromas, from the ever-present pesto on Ligurian dishes to the typical Ligurian focaccia filled in countless ways...From here we catch the train again and in 10 minutes we reach the next village, Vernazza. The sun had set a while ago and a not-bad breeze was rising, so much so that we began to feel cold. From the station we go down towards the village through the typical carugi and reach the little harbour of Vernazza. Beautiful, in our opinion by far the most beautiful village of the Cinque Terre.

Besides the cold we were also beginning to get hungry...we immediately go into a typical seafood restaurant, with the fishermen's nets hanging from the ceiling...cuisine nothing short of divine...Il Gambero Rosso of Vernazza... So in love with Vernazza that the following morning we decide to have breakfast right in Vernazza's little square and we can confirm that even by day it is truly beautiful. Back on the train we continue our journey. Perched on the promontory, surrounded by two enchanting beaches, Corniglia can be reached from the station by a flight of steps or by a minibus that shuttles between the station and the village, carrying the many tourists who visit the Cinque Terre every year. Continuing towards La Spezia we arrive in the last village, Rio Maggiore, thus skipping Manarola for a very simple reason.

Arriving at the station, via a staircase you go up towards the famous Via dell'Amore, a wonderful walkway carved into the rock sheer above the sea that links the village of Rio Maggiore to that of Manarola.

Along the way on the rock you can see numerous murals and graffiti that lovers have made over the years...each leaves their own name and that of their sweetheart written on the rock. A photo must necessarily be taken on a chair depicting a boy and a girl with the beautiful view of the Ligurian sea behind them. Around lunchtime we catch the train again and return to the westernmost point of the Cinque Terre, Monterosso.

Here we lie in the sun like two lizards and decide to have lunch with some delicious pesto focaccia...delicious!!! By now our weekend is coming to an end and in the late afternoon we catch the train that takes us back to our starting point, Levanto. We get back in the car and from here return to Milan. The Cinque Terre too have been visited...but we will certainly go back one day...