The Promised Vacation from our Vacation - Monterosso Al Mare in the Cinque Terre!
We actually started this day (in Rome) by having to say
“goodbye to Uncle Keith.” This was
difficult because we had all bonded with him and couldn’t imagine having anyone
new! With those thoughts in our heads, out
jumps Rolinka, our energetic new guide from the Netherlands! As we waved good-bye to Keith as the bus pulled away, we all quickly embraced Rolinka's light spirit and European flair!
With our good-bye to Keith fresh on our minds, we were very thankful for our comfortable bus and a restful day traveling after all the walking we had done in Rome! We were now heading to the Cinque Terre, a vacation from the vacation. After all the amazing sights we had seen, we were now ready to relax and hit the beach! En route we stopped in the jewel of a Tuscan hill town Massa Marittima and wandered around its quiet cobbled side streets and stopped in a quiet sidewalk café for a bite of lunch.
With our good-bye to Keith fresh on our minds, we were very thankful for our comfortable bus and a restful day traveling after all the walking we had done in Rome! We were now heading to the Cinque Terre, a vacation from the vacation. After all the amazing sights we had seen, we were now ready to relax and hit the beach! En route we stopped in the jewel of a Tuscan hill town Massa Marittima and wandered around its quiet cobbled side streets and stopped in a quiet sidewalk café for a bite of lunch.
Lunch Stop at Massa Marittima in Tuscany
We stopped at this gorgeous little Hill Town for lunch. We meandered around the town and found this quiet little alley with not a soul around - so we had lunch at this restaurant below. It was a lunch to remember! Very Old World for sure!
Arrival in Monterosso
After lunch we arrived in Levanto where we boarded a
regional train to our destination for the next two days, Monterosso Al Mare. Rolinka gave us a walking tour of the area
and gave us many tips for excursions and dining. We were invited by tour friends Dale and Brenda to join
them and their family for dinner at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean
Sea. We walked back to our hotel
watching an electric sky full of lightning strikes. Magnificient!
We arrived back before the heavens opened! Phew! But
- glorious sunshine greeted us the next morning!
Our Day in the Cinque Terre
After a lovely breakfast we both decided that we did not
want to venture too far. The entire day
was free for us to do as we pleased.
Some tour members went on a hike with Rolinka but we just wanted to
explore this enchanting town to the fullest – on our quest to uncover some more
of the Old World. We sauntered down the
promenade overlooking the umbrella adorned beach and took the stairs behind a small
castle to the chapel with a delicately cared for graveyard behind the
hill. Monks were singing as we sat quietly in the chapel. We meandered through the peaceful
Old Town and of course stopping for a cappuccino in a beachfront cafe was a
given.
We walked down some local neighbourhood stairs with a winding path and saw beautiful gardens, and of course we tried to communicate with the locals in our very limited Italian. We lingered over lunch really believing that we must be dreaming because this seemed more like a dream than a reality. Renting two umbrellas on the beach seemed like the perfect way to spend the afternoon on our vacation from the vacation. Sipping on a refreshing drink, reading a good book, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea was sensational! We strolled back to our hotel, gelato in hand ready to compare notes with all our friends at happy hour arranged by Rolinka!
We walked down some local neighbourhood stairs with a winding path and saw beautiful gardens, and of course we tried to communicate with the locals in our very limited Italian. We lingered over lunch really believing that we must be dreaming because this seemed more like a dream than a reality. Renting two umbrellas on the beach seemed like the perfect way to spend the afternoon on our vacation from the vacation. Sipping on a refreshing drink, reading a good book, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea was sensational! We strolled back to our hotel, gelato in hand ready to compare notes with all our friends at happy hour arranged by Rolinka!
Exploring Monterosso Al Mare
Cinque Terre Dining!
At dinner on our second day we joined up with JoAnn and Sarah and decided to be quite adventurous with our choice, in fact it was quite a stretch for us. Following the recommendation in our guidebook we selected the Ristorante Belvedere in the Old Town and pre-ordered the Seafood Amphora. It soon became quite apparent what we had ordered as the server arrived at our table and emptied a clay urn into a serving dish filled with freshly caught seafood, including a small completely intact octopus, whole lobster, mussels, and variety of other seafood. Bracing ourselves, we gingerly tasted each morsel and found it to be quite delicious!
This day was truly a vacation from our vacation and one day for sure we hope to return and chill here for a week or so in the Cinque Terre.
This day was truly a vacation from our vacation and one day for sure we hope to return and chill here for a week or so in the Cinque Terre.
Oh....and ah....by the way.......
Ahem.....it was around this point of the trip that...well....ah.....we started to notice that two of our single tour members, Judy and Dale perhaps had succumb to the Italian romantic surroundings, because at times they could be observed displaying signs of outward affection - like ah walking arm in arm, hand in hand down the romantic promenade along the Mediterranean. Could it be? Well we just weren't totally sure. Perhaps more will come to light here as our tour through.... not only charming....but now also romantic Europe, continues. Stay tuned for further updates before the end of the trip......
Old World Charm of the Cinque Terre
The time we spent in the Cinque Terre was fabulous and it just whet our appetite to come back to this region and explore it more fully as there is so much more to see. We focused our time on the town of Monterosso Al Mare and wow - there was so much of the Old World to see there, but our choice goes to the incredible Mediterranean coast line, our meanderings through the quiet back alleys with all the amazing flowers, and we also really enjoyed the old town square full of Old World Charm and character.