7.21.2010

Italy, Part 2: Cinque Terre

After our time in Florence, we took a train to La Spezia where we met up with our Backroads tour group for a week of hiking in the Cinque Terre and the Chianti region of Tuscany.  I loved Florence, but the serene hillside trails and stunning vistas of the Cinque Terre were a welcome respite after the hustle and bustle of the big city.    
We hiked between 5 and 10 miles each day, oftentimes on quite hilly terrain.  The physical activity was tiring, but in a really satisfying sort of way.  Hiking in such beautiful surroundings felt almost meditative.  And I'm pretty sure I've never slept better in my entire life! 
Incredible view from the trail
The port at Santa Margarita Ligure, a town near the Cinque Terre
A view of Riomaggiore, one of the pastel-hued towns that comprise the Cinque Terre (which means "Five Lands").
Another view from the trail
We took a boat to dinner at Locanda Lorena, a waterfront restaurant located on a private island across from the town of Portovenere.
Beautiful hydrangea in shades of baby pink and periwinkle
The water is so blue...I was mesmerized.
The view from our table at dinner in Portovenere
The hiking was tough at times (there were some serious hills), but it was well worth it for views like this one, of Vernazza another one of the Cinque Terre villages.
Pretty bushels of lavender for sale in Santa Margarita Ligure.

I'm so glad we decided to do the hiking trip, as there really is no better way to see this region than to walk right through it.  There really aren't words for how beautiful it is, but hopefully I've captured some sense of it in these photos.

Up next...Tuscany!

xo,

2 comments:

Meg said...

this is definitely on my list of things to do for next time i travel to italy (which is hopefully not too far away!) - your pictures are gorgeous! ... we should definitely practice italian together, i've heard there are some really good computer programs for learning the language if you don't want to take a class!

sealaura said...

beautiful fotos. I have a huge photograph of cinque terre in my living room. I have never been but I was captivated by the sea and all those beautiful colorful homes. thanks for sharing your shots.

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