Cinque Terre
Day 25-26 (May 28-29, 2006)
Cinque Terre consists of five small fishing villages (Montorosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore) that are strung along the Italian Riviera. Travel between the villages can be achieved by train or via pedestrian paths.
Uli, Kevin, and I arrived in Montorosso in the late evening. The train station sits right on the beach boardwalk. We ate dinner in the village before going to our Bed & Breakfast. We walked up and down the small main street, searching for a restaurant that struck our fancy. We decided on one that was hidden away in a narrow alleyway. And fortuitously, we sure struck gold! The food was amazing! It was called Ristorante Al Carugio. We later discovered that this was the best place to eat in Montorosso, according the lady at our B&B. The portions were big, the prices were reasonable, and the quality was exceptional. And our waiter was very friendly and gave great suggestions. We ordered Seafood Spaghetti, Muscoli alla Marinara (mussels) and fries, and Steak w/ capers, regional red wine (Colline di Levanto), Grappa, and espresso. EVERYTHING was buonissimo!
After a extremely gratifying dinner, we called the B&B to pick us up. Since it is located up on the mountain, the owners personally drive guests up and down. Our room had a balcony overlooking Montorosso and the wide open sea. At night, fireflies flicker throughout the black mountainside underneath a star filled sky. The accommodation was most charming, and much better than any ritzy hotel. And it was cheap as well.
room w/ a view
In the morning, we awoke to the sweet aromas of freshly baked pastries. We made our way to the garden, where we would eat our breakfast and enjoy a great view of the Mediterranean Sea. Then started our village exploration. We managed to see all five of the villages. We hiked most of the paths to get from one village to the other, and took the train a couple times. My favorite village is Corniglia. All the other villages were at sea level. But Corniglia was a tiny village perched on a cliff that protruded out into the ocean, and basically had one main street that ran straight from inland to the edge of the cliff. Most buildings line the perimeter of the peninsula like cliff, thus yielding fantastic views.
breakfast vista
The hikes were exhilerating and relaxing. So much so that I could have easily hiked all of the paths between the villages. The paths offered gorgeous blue sea, rocky cliffs, variety of wild flowers, colorful villages, and crisp fresh air.
For dinner, we decided to return to the same place, Ristorante Al Carugio. And we even had the same cheery waiter. He not only gave us great suggestions for food and wine, but was also very sociable and comical. After a long day of trekking, our appetites were at its peak. We ordered Lemon Anchovies (steamed and de-boned), Risotto Frutti di Mare (seafood risotto), Muscoli alla Marinara and fries, and steamed fish w/ herbs and olive oil, red wine (Colline di Levanto), Limoncello, and espresso. The region is known for lemons and anchovies. Anchovies are not that bad (contrary to prior assumption). The Seafood Risotto was so very good! I'll always want to eat fries with mussels now. The steamed fish was prepared very similar to Chinese cuisine. The wine was excellent. I even got a pen as a souvenir! This small alleyway restaurant will echo hungry memories for the rest of my life.
The combination of a charming B&B, the fantastic restaurant, scenic hikes, and colorful villages made Cinque Terre one of my favorite travel destinations. There were not too many tourists, probably because it is more off the beaten path of Rome and Florence. It is truly an unique and refreshing escape from the chaos of the main tourist cities.
...
edge of Corniglia
montorosso
riomaggiore
manarola
vernazza
more photos: cinque terre
---
previous: http://theofficewindow.blogspot.com/
next: siena e milano
Cinque Terre consists of five small fishing villages (Montorosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore) that are strung along the Italian Riviera. Travel between the villages can be achieved by train or via pedestrian paths.
Uli, Kevin, and I arrived in Montorosso in the late evening. The train station sits right on the beach boardwalk. We ate dinner in the village before going to our Bed & Breakfast. We walked up and down the small main street, searching for a restaurant that struck our fancy. We decided on one that was hidden away in a narrow alleyway. And fortuitously, we sure struck gold! The food was amazing! It was called Ristorante Al Carugio. We later discovered that this was the best place to eat in Montorosso, according the lady at our B&B. The portions were big, the prices were reasonable, and the quality was exceptional. And our waiter was very friendly and gave great suggestions. We ordered Seafood Spaghetti, Muscoli alla Marinara (mussels) and fries, and Steak w/ capers, regional red wine (Colline di Levanto), Grappa, and espresso. EVERYTHING was buonissimo!
After a extremely gratifying dinner, we called the B&B to pick us up. Since it is located up on the mountain, the owners personally drive guests up and down. Our room had a balcony overlooking Montorosso and the wide open sea. At night, fireflies flicker throughout the black mountainside underneath a star filled sky. The accommodation was most charming, and much better than any ritzy hotel. And it was cheap as well.
room w/ a view
In the morning, we awoke to the sweet aromas of freshly baked pastries. We made our way to the garden, where we would eat our breakfast and enjoy a great view of the Mediterranean Sea. Then started our village exploration. We managed to see all five of the villages. We hiked most of the paths to get from one village to the other, and took the train a couple times. My favorite village is Corniglia. All the other villages were at sea level. But Corniglia was a tiny village perched on a cliff that protruded out into the ocean, and basically had one main street that ran straight from inland to the edge of the cliff. Most buildings line the perimeter of the peninsula like cliff, thus yielding fantastic views.
breakfast vista
The hikes were exhilerating and relaxing. So much so that I could have easily hiked all of the paths between the villages. The paths offered gorgeous blue sea, rocky cliffs, variety of wild flowers, colorful villages, and crisp fresh air.
For dinner, we decided to return to the same place, Ristorante Al Carugio. And we even had the same cheery waiter. He not only gave us great suggestions for food and wine, but was also very sociable and comical. After a long day of trekking, our appetites were at its peak. We ordered Lemon Anchovies (steamed and de-boned), Risotto Frutti di Mare (seafood risotto), Muscoli alla Marinara and fries, and steamed fish w/ herbs and olive oil, red wine (Colline di Levanto), Limoncello, and espresso. The region is known for lemons and anchovies. Anchovies are not that bad (contrary to prior assumption). The Seafood Risotto was so very good! I'll always want to eat fries with mussels now. The steamed fish was prepared very similar to Chinese cuisine. The wine was excellent. I even got a pen as a souvenir! This small alleyway restaurant will echo hungry memories for the rest of my life.
The combination of a charming B&B, the fantastic restaurant, scenic hikes, and colorful villages made Cinque Terre one of my favorite travel destinations. There were not too many tourists, probably because it is more off the beaten path of Rome and Florence. It is truly an unique and refreshing escape from the chaos of the main tourist cities.
...
edge of Corniglia
montorosso
riomaggiore
manarola
vernazza
more photos: cinque terre
---
previous: http://theofficewindow.blogspot.com/
next: siena e milano
posted by a(-_-)c at 5:33 PM
1 Comments:
I totally remember the postcard you sent me from here. I think these are my favorite pics yet!!! LOVE the one with the little boy.
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