Cinque Terre, Italy

View over the village of Vernazza

Last weekend, my friend Belinda and I took a weekend break to Italy. We flew to Pisa, but our primary interest in going was to visit Cinque Terre, a region in Liguria where five clifftop villages are connected by a walking track - the perfect day trip! The five villages are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. We started the day by catching the train to Monterosso, and walked back to Riomaggiore. Between each town is approximately an hour to an hour and a half's walk. The nature of the terrain means that the walks can be a little challenging, but there was always the promise of pizza and gelato at the next town. Plus the spectacular views of the 'Cinque terre' made the walking really enjoyable. Unfortunately the path between Corniglia and Manarola was impassable, so we had to take the train, but the rest of the walking was fantastic, and we finished off the day at a pizzeria in Riomaggiore. Given that it was the winter, not too many places were open, but it also meant that the hordes of tourists in the summer weren't there as well... Overall a really enjoyable day!

Beats a Hills Hoist doesn't it, for hanging out clothes! Left: Vernazza street scene, Right: Rocks near Monterosso

Brightly coloured fishing nets at Monterosso, and Vernazza streets

Via del'amore: Window scenes

Topping the day off, was watching the beautiful sunset over the Ligurian sea.