Cinqueterre is a series of five towns on the coast of Liguria region in northern Italy (home of the famous Genova salami and pesto). We took a midnight train from Roma to La Spezia where we transferred to the regional train that took us to Monterosso. Since it was only 5am when we got there and it was still dark, Rebecca, Jessica, and I hung out at the train station waiting for the sun to come up over the mountains.
After a delicious cappuccino and some pastries from the secret bakery in Roma we got started on the 9km hike through all five towns. The first bit was hard because there was a lot of uphill and downhill, but it was well worth the muscle cramps I felt later that night.
We stopped in each town to explore and grab something small to eat. In Vernazza we ate our bagged lunches by the water until we had to move for the ferry to dock. Vernazza was our favorite town because it was so picturesque, and quaint.
I had a delicious panino in Corniglia and Rebecca finally got her gelato!
By the time we reached Manarola we were ready to sit down for a real pesto pizza. The pesto was fabulous, but nothing compares to my dad's homemade delicacy! Who knew that Italians could skimp on garlic?
We stopped in the southernmost town where we spent the night at a really nice hostel. Riomaggiore is a pretty small town with about 5 restaurants and one cafe, but it was no less beautiful than the others.
I'm so glad I got the chance to go out there, and I'm even more greatful that I didn't leave Italy this weekend because my flight would have gotten canceled.
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