----- Cinque Terre, Italy ---------------

Our visit to Cinque Terre was brief, but most rewarding. I had not heard of Cinque Terre until a friend who had been to Italy several times said this was his favorite place to visit. I can see why he loved it so much. Cinque Terre evokes in your mind what one imagines Coastal Italy to look like. Beautiful homes, little hotels and cafes rise out of the see and up the cliffs. Cinque Terre is a national park composed of 5 cities, hence the Italian word cinque meaning 5 and terre meaning land. So we were visiting 5 lands. Mountain bike and horse rentals are available for the higher trails, but we wanted to go through the towns and walk the trails between the cities. To do this we had to walk. This was the most beautiful yet strenuous walk we had done in all Italy. The beauty of this place is unimaginable. The clarity of the Ligurian Sea and breathtaking vistas will leave you wanting to extend your stay here. We only could walk to 4 of the 5 cities. We started at Riomaggiore the furthest southern city and walked to Manerola, Corniglio, and Vernazza. We did not make the 5th city, as it was night when we got to Vernazza. As a tip bring good walking shoes and only take the trail that runs from Corniglio to Vernazza if you're in good shape. It is tough! You can take the train between towns to speed up your journey.

Riomaggiore from the sea	Lunch along the cliffs	Gabe taking in Riomaggiore
View of Manerola, the 2nd city	Corniglio in the Distance	Closer view of Corniglio
And the closest view of Corniglio	Sunset over Cinque Terre	Vernazza in the evening
	Beautiful cliffs rising out of the sea