We have finally arrived in the tourist mecca of Cinque Terre. Our home for four days is in the hills above Monterosso. They say one can walk down into town, which is on the beach, in ‘about ten minutes.’ Of course, they say that about every distance in Italy – most of which would have me hailing a cab or heading for the subway if it were in New York. Time just moves differently here.
The five villages of Cinque Terre are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the world definitely comes here to visit. We arrived on the train in a mild rain and were shuttled up to our charming hotel, with a lovely view.
We ventured back down the mountain a bit later, just in time for a colossal thunderstorm to move through the area. It was reminiscent of our day in Montepulciano, just not as cold. We went to one restaurant Rick Steves swore would be open. Closed. Went back to a beach bar, which closed just as the waitress gave us the menu. We finally found refuge in a small pizzeria where they took pity on us and let us sit at a table not normally used for diners. Guess that was because we were almost inside the pizza oven. At least it was warm. Don says there is no more to add.
We were able to get a few views of Monterossa, which should be clean and sparkly tomorrow. At least we didn’t have too much competition on the paths!
