Beautiful Cinque Terre

And here we are. The place where every turn you take is another breathtaking view in which you simply can't believe your eyes. During our three days in the Cinque Terre, I kept saying outloud "really, people live here?!" The five little towns on the Italian Riviera were once only accessibly by this small trail along the ocean that takes about 3-4 hours to hike with gorgeous views. We spent our one full day doing that as well as exploring each little town.

Our town was Vernazza, the fourth of the towns from the South to North. It is said to be the cutest and most expensive, however we felt all the towns were almost just as adorable. We stayed at the Pensione Sorriso, which I would recommend in a heartbeat to anyone traveling to the Cinque Terre. In fact, if I go back, that's definitely where I would stay.

I can't tell you how awesome this place was. The hotel was small and just a few hundred feet from the train station and the main part of town. The owners were a couple in their mid to late thirties with a newborn. Each morning we awoke to smells of fresh baked croissants and sounds of great music. As we sat down (at our assigned table) the husband would ask us what we'd like to drink. One morning I asked for tea (and got about 20 options for teabags) and the next I asked for a cappucino because A's looked soooo amazing. Can't tell you how awesome it was! With fresh flowers from their garden to boot! And the smorgasbord we ate each morning was INSANE. And of course we couldn't leave without trying EVERYTHING. So, we would have...cereal, yogurt, fruit, salami and cheese on a roll/bread (this is a regular breakfast necessity in Europe), a sweet croissant and more. We would nearly roll ourselves out of there and on to our sightseeing agenda for the day. Wow!

This place was just beautiful. If you ever get the chance, go there. I had been dreaming of it after seeing pics a few years back from other friends who had visited and I'm so glad we made the trek. People there truly have it made. Quality of life was rich in all ways. They thrive on tourism so naturally, they are friendly to tourists, although at points I did feel like it got a bit touristy when they would get dumped off by the bus or boatfull. For your viewing pleasure...

Can you believe how blue this water is?!


Yum, produce!


Crazy bar tenders at the Blue Marlin (thank you for the suggestion Lonely Planet guidebook!)


Another beautiful view of Vernazza


Adorable little restaurant umbrellas (U.S. needs to take a hint!)