Arriving into port

Ten years ago, Mom and I planned a long-anticipated excursion to Cinque Terre. It poured all day. Ten years later, I made a return trip and had a warm, sunny day. According to Google, “Cinque Terre is a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. In each of the 5 towns, colorful houses and vineyards cling to steep terraces, harbors are filled with fishing boats and trattorias turn out seafood specialties along with the Liguria region’s famous sauce, pesto.”

Our private guide, Mike, picked us up at 9:00 and drove first to Manarola, the 2nd smallest of the five villages.

We took the ferry to Vernazza, which is probably my favorite of the villages.

Gelato break #1

We then took the ferry to the largest of the villages, Monterosso.

Next we drove up in the mountains to reach the smallest of the villages, Corniglia. The roads made me appreciate having an excellent driver.

Gelato break #2

Portovenere is the final place we stopped. While not one of the 5 villages, it is considered the ”jumping off” point for Cinque Terre. Unfortunately, after a long, tiring day, we weren't up for much exploring - just a quick walk along the water.