Chinque Terre

     Yesterday my program API took all one hundred and something of us American students to Chinque Terre – which literally translates into “Five Lands,” but more accurately means “five villages.” These five villages - Riomaggiore, Monarola, Cornigilia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare - are a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage cite. They are isolated cities that cling to the cliffs over the Mediterranean sea and are known for their seafood, fresh pesto sauce, and sweet desert wine. I’ve seen pictures upon pictures of these villages advertised in my program booklet, online, and even around Florence. The pictures are all gorgeous, and look something like this: 

Even these professional, enhanced, and beautiful pictures can’t do the real thing justice. Chinque Terre is a fairy tale, a dream, and a paradise. My jaw dropped the moment I set foot off the boat and stayed that way for the majority of the day. We meandered down into the first village, Monarola, on this narrow and ancient path that wound over picturesque little streams, passing by terraced farms of bright yellow lemons and gnarled olive and chestnut trees.  We passed by stone houses and cobblestone paths that have existed for centuries, and eventually the multicolored houses of the town itself came into view before us. We entered the town square and were afforded with this breathtaking view.

Afterwards, we hiked a path that gave panoramic views of the little town, and saw the stereotypical postcard image. It was unspeakably more beautiful in real life. The cool wind brought in humid salty sea air, and the sun broke through the clouds to light up the colorful pile of buildings and the crashing waves of the bright blue sea. Flowers were blooming, colorful roses and peonies and flowers I had never even seen before. It smelled like green earth and sea air. 

The hike eventually circled us back down into the village, where we got fresh gelato. Next up was a train ride to the fifth and largest of the five villages, Monterosso al Mare, the only village with a beach. Monterosso is gorgeous, but definitely more touristy  Here we had free time for lunch, and we got to experience some of their famous pesto – it was everything I expected and more. After shopping around the little villages and sampling and purchasing some of their unique dry wine, we went and lay on the pebbly beach, dipped our toes in the Mediterranean, and simply sat in the warm summer sun.

 

     Our last stop was Vernazza, a town that was devastated by mudslides and flooding in 2011. It has been mostly rebuilt in the traditional style, and at first glance you could hardly notice the telltale signs of damage. Vernazza is a port town and small fishing village, with a jetty that takes you out into the ocean to give you a view of the town from the water. We sat on the pier and watched the waves crashing against the rocks for about an hour before it was time to take the train back to La Spezia, where we caught a bus back to Florence. It was an absolutely exhausting day, and the bus was full of nodding heads on the way back. Chinque Terre is simply magical, and probably one of my favorite places that I’ve been lucky enough to visit.