Day Three - Day Trip to the Cinque Terre - Monday, June 18, 2012

The view of Vernassa at night. I wish I had taken this picture. It would have been fun to be there at night.

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Today we took a Day Trip to the Cinque Terre.  This is an area of Italy I have not traveled to before and I was really looking forward to the trip.  It did not disappoint.

The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernassa, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside.

The villages of the Cinque Terre were severely affected by torrential rains which caused floods and mudslides on October 25, 2011. Nine people have been confirmed killed by the floods, and damage to the villages, particularly Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, was extensive.

We started our trip by boarding a bus outside the Train Station in Florence.  Our guide for the day was Amadeus, a very fun and knowledgeable Italian.  As we drove toward the Cinque Terre he gave us information about the cities we were traveling through and basic information about the Cinque Terre.  We started our visit of the Cinque Terre in the second of the five villages, Manarola.  Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338.

While in Manarola we indulged in our first gelato of the day.  Because of the heat, I chose my stand by flavor, Lemon.  So refreshing on a hot day.

From Manarola we took the famous walking trail between Manarola and Riomaggiore (called Via dell'Amore, "Love's Trail").   

From Riomaggiore we took the Train back to Vernazza.  This was the town that was hit hardest by the floods and the even though they are working hard on the clean-up and rebuilding, the damage can still be seen in the shops and buildings.

The first documented presence of a Church in Vernazza dates back to 1251, with the parish of San Pietro sited in 1267. Reference to the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia of Vernazza occurs in 1318. Some scholars are of the opinion, due to the use of materials and mode of construction, that the actual creation of the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia took place earlier, sometime in the 12th century. The Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia was expanded upon and renovated over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries, and thereafter was erected the octagonal bell tower that rises from the apse.

From Vernazza we took the Ferry to our final destination of the day, Monterosso al Mare.The town is divided into two distinct parts: the old town and the new town. The two areas are divided by a single tunnel that caters to pedestrians and the very few cars in the town.

The beach at Monterosso runs along most of the coast line and is well used by tourists and locals. The beach is the only extensive sand beach in the Cinque Terre. Here is were we enjoyed lunch.  We were served a Shellfish Risotto that everyone raved about.  Being allergic to Shellfish, I thought it was best not to indulge.  Although, it did look quite delicious.

It was an incredibly hot day - in the mid 90's with about 80% humidity. I opted to have Gelato for my Lunch.  We found a quaint Gelateria named Slurp! I had their specialty, Crema de Limone de Monterosso.  It was a combination of Vanilla and Lemon with fresh Lemon Zest throughout.  Very delicious and very refreshing.

We then had two hours of free time in Monterosso al Mare to sight see or swim in the Mediterranean.  The beaches were beautiful and many of the patrons on the tour took advantage of the swim. We decided to walk around the town and find a shady place to sit and enjoy the scenery and people watch. We then took the train back to La Spezia where our Bus was waiting to take us back to Florence.  It was a wonderful day and I loved visiting these quaint seaside villages.

Back in Florence, we headed back to our Hotel to freshen up a bit and then off to have our last gelato of the day.  We decided to try a Gelateria we had passed walking around last night.  A little shop called GROM.  It was just off the Duomo and was full of tourists and locals ordering their favorite flavors.  I decided to try the Coffee Gelato tonight and it did not disappoint.

Tomorrow we explore more of Florence.

Buonanotte!