We decided to visit Cinque Terre in mid-March before Easter weekend kicked off the tourist season.
 Vernazza | These colorful towns are scattered along rugged coastline overlooking the Ligurian Sea. Visitors come to relax on the beaches, wander the hiking trails, and indulge in the regional cuisine. |
| .On our first afternoon we took the train to Monterosso, which is divided into two parts: old town and new town. New town appeared as a typical beach scene of sun bathers, boardwalks, and frozen drink stands. |  |
Day 1: Monterosso and Vernazza
 | The name Cinque Terre stands for “Five Lands”, representing the five coastal villages that make up the national park. Each town is protected by a series of hills, which have hundreds of terraces built up into the land filled with lemon trees and grape vines. |  |
 Monterosso - old town | In old town we found small alleyways dotted with cafes, souvenir shops, and markets. Limoncello appeared on every bar menu and the aroma of freshly baked focaccia bread wafted through the air. |
Our wanderings eventually took us to the beginning of
the coastal path leading towards Vernazza.
the coastal path leading towards Vernazza.
 |  |
This enchanting path provided
dramatic views of the coastline.
dramatic views of the coastline.
We reached Vernazza just before sunset.
A cluster of colorful buildings jutted out into the sea
with a 15th century castle watching over the village.
A cluster of colorful buildings jutted out into the sea
with a 15th century castle watching over the village.
| At dinner I chose a regional dish of tortellini tossed in walnut sauce with a glass of Cinque Terre white wine. |  |
Vernazza - the "prettiest" village in Cinque Terre
We watched the sun set
from the plaza of the bay.
from the plaza of the bay.
Day 2: Manarola and Riomaggiore
 After a bit of a mix up, we jumped on the next available train and wound up in the small town of Deiva Marina. We would be stranded here for the next FOUR hours! In order to kill time, we explored Deiva Marina and walked along the beach | It seems like once a month the Italian railways go on strike and the entire train system shuts down. This was one of those special occasions.  |
During our explorations,
we randomly encountered
a GIANT bird!
we randomly encountered
a GIANT bird!
 | Apparently an Australian tourist brought two emus to Deiva Marina a few years ago and this one still remains.  |
After four hours of waiting,
we finally caught a train going towards Cinque Terre
and hopped off in Manarola.
| Determined to salvage the day, we chose to hike between Manarola and Riomaggiore. The path began at the top of the village near an old church. It was a pretty difficult hike with hundreds of steps going straight up through the terraces. Some steps required an extra boost!  |  Once we reached the top we could clearly see the famous Manarola nativity scene. The entire hill is lit by nativity figures during Christmas time. |
It began raining as we descended the slippery steps to Riomaggiore.
Something I don't recommend doing in the rain.
| Once we reached the bottom, we still had quite a hike into town. Our stomachs were rumbling as we hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. We bought four slices of focaccia bread at the local pizzeria and devoured every last bite! Pear and gorgonzola was my favorite! When the rain stopped we purchased some Cinque Terre wine and a Christmas ornament to commemorate our little adventure! |   |
Day 3: Levanto
The next morning we took the dogs to the beach for the first time.
Our little athlete had a blast playing her favorite sport!
Our little athlete had a blast playing her favorite sport!
I collected sea glass and colorful rocks along the shore
Soon it was time to say goodbye to the coast of colors.
We promised to return again someday.
We promised to return again someday.
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