The Gallahers: June 2011

We spent two days in the Cinque Terre, which is the rugged coastal area of the Italian Riviera. Specifically, we stayed in Vernazza, which is one of the 5 small towns that compose the Cinque Terre. While we say that we liked all the places we visited, we have to put an asterisk next to the Cinque Terre, indicating that we especially loved this area. It was so ruggedly beautiful and pristine, and all 5 of the towns were very quaint and each one unique. The seafood here was exceptional, as was the fresh pesto. It seemed odd when we first saw our green pasta, but our doubts were quickly dispelled once we tasted it! There was an awesome little place where we ate breakfast both mornings that was also especially unique and delicious. It is run by twin brothers, nick-named affectionately as the "cannoli brothers" because they are such excellent pastry chefs. We, of course, did hiking along the coast, which was very strenuous at times, but the views were well worth it. Each little village had it's own feel to it. Other than Vernazza, Corniglia was one of our favorites. Very remote and quiet. You definitely know you are not in America anymore when a whole town pretty much shuts down for a funeral. One of the days when we were in Vernazza, most all the restaurants and little shops shut down in honor of one of the townspeople who had died. Oh, and cats lie around on the store steps and alley ways... This is another area we definitely want to re-visit sometime soon.

Preston enjoying the view, after climbing up above Vernazza

An old castle sitting above the town

Amazingly clear water

Still enjoying the views above the village

The locals

Getting ready to enjoy the "Via dell'Amore"(pathway of love) which is the pretty level, easy hike between Riomaggiore and Manarola, popular for romantic strolls

Entry way to the Via dell'Amore - notice the heart-shaped locks above Preston's head

Beginning of the Via dell'Amore

The hike lived up to it's expectations - it was a very peaceful and relaxing stroll

End of the Via dell'Amore

Back in Vernazza, down at the harbor

Sitting on the rocks, enjoying some aged Parmigiano cheese and fresh strawberries while watching the sunset

Our delicious cappuccino and pastry breakfast at Il Pirata cafe

Beginning our hike from Vernazza to Monterrosso, arguably the hardest hike, that's why we saved it for first thing in the morning!

Vernazza from a different angle

This is what our terrain was like - uphill most of the way

Another view of Vernazza as we headed towards Monterrosso

Looking down at the water from our trail

Preston once again trying to give me a heart attack, walking out on an old stone wall , with a long, straight shot down if he fell - it was a pretty cool picture though :)

Look how tiny Vernazza looks now in the distance

Our narrow pathway

Not much room for walking

An old door we stumbled upon

Monterrosso

Preston singing "I'm on a Boat" - I got my swimtrunks and my flippie-floppies...
(We took a ferry from Monterrosso, the northern-most town, down to Riomaggiore, the southern-most town, so we could get an ocean view of all 5 towns)

This is the land slide that shut down the trail between Manarola and Corniglia

Manarola

Corniglia - notice how high up it is. We had to walk up over 800 steps from the train station just to reach the town

Photo-op at Corniglia

On the trail from Corniglia to Vernazza

Looking back down at Corniglia

Approaching Vernazza from the south

Our last morning in Vernazza, we had to get some breakfast "to-go" from Il Pirata

Preston enjoying his pastry on the train, heading out to Florence

Venice, ah, Venice. We have very nostalgic memories of this "floating city." It has an enchanting aura about it that is hard to put into words. Definitely the most uniquely characteristic and romantic city we have ever visited. Our first day there we did most of the indoor tourist attractions. We visited St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Museo Correr, and spent a lot of time on St. Mark's Square. There are several cafes that line the square and a few of them have orchestras that compete with each other. One of our favorite things we did was sit on St. Mark's Square, sip cappuccinos and listen to the "dueling" orchestras. Especially at night, it was a wonderful experience, rivaling the Bellagio fountain show in Las Vegas. Preston and I actually gave the upper hand to the St. Mark's Square dueling orchestras! We were planning on a gondola ride but we got held up in our hotel room (Hotel Al Piave is wonderful, by the way, especially Claudio) buying a house! By the time the "deal" on the house was agreed upon, the gondaliers had stopped for the night. And the next day it rained literally all day. So we ended up just walking around and exploring the city in the rain. I know, very movie-esque, huh? Even in seemingly miserable conditions, the beauty and charm of this city was amazing. And even though I never got my gondola ride, I don't think I could have loved the city any more.

Here are some of the highlights...