Ciao Cinque Terre

  One of my first weekend excursions was to the beautiful Cinque Terre on the coast of the Italian Riviera. After a two hour hike through the first four villages, I wound up in the last town: Monterosso al Mare.

The view of Vernazza from the hiking trail above.

 My nose had been tempted by the smells of newly ground pesto and the catch of the day at our first stop in Riomaggiore, so I had my mind set on some pesce. We found a tiny restaurant facing the Mediterranean that could accommodate our large group. 

The freshly baked focaccia was the perfect complement to my steamed mussels that were basking in a white wine and garlic sauce. Naturally, I washed down the meal with some refreshing Vermentino. 

After filling our bellies, we let our aching bodies sink into the rocky coast and soaked up the Italian sunshine for a few mindless hours. I could not have asked for a better first trip out of Florence.