Belle, Belle Cinque Terre.

You know the pictures of Italy where the cities just kind of grow off some rocky cliffs? If that sounds familiar you've probably seen the Cinque Terre (or Five Lands). They are beyond description, and if you go to Italy- it is required that you go there. If you don't it will hurt me.























Fabulous vineyards and olive groves wind around the steep hillsides here. We assumed this is a little cart they use to gather their crops.











Vernazza is the Cinque Terre's "covergirl". It is probably the most touristy, but even at that I don't think the Cinque Terre are extremely well known. It takes about five minutes to walk from one end of each town to the other, and the people are extremely friendly. More than one person stopped what they were doing to help us find the trailheads to the hiking paths, or give us information about the trains.


























Vernazza from up higher as we scaled the mountainside at the beginning of the seven mile hike that connects the towns.





































Sorry- a little out of order, but this is the balcony of the apartment we stayed in. There are a few hotels, but locals mostly just rent out rooms. Ours was split level with a sitting area upstairs and a bedroom downstairs. The balcony and barnacled cliff (our room overlooked the Ligurian Sea) were the best features.











Vernazza in the early morning.