Cinque Terre is beautiful. No pictures can do it justice and no words can describe it to its full extent. But I’ll try my best.
We’re staying in Villa Montale, the ancestral home of one of the earliest families in Monterosso. Also the home of the famed Italian poet Eugenio Montale, the only Italian winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The house is rich in history. We’re in the loft apartment, so to get there, we climb three flights of marble stairs. On the way, we are surrounded by stunning stained glass windows and tinted views of the village around us. The loft itself is quite large, aside from the slanted ceilings, which have come into contact with my dad’s head no fewer than seven times.
The village of Monterosso is split into two parts, divided by a tunnel. The part we are staying in is the newer part, which is located on the western side of Monterosso. What makes Monterosso so unique is that it faces south, like Santa Barbara, so we can see both sunrise and sunset. Not that we’ve ever gotten up early enough to watch the sunrise, but in theory we could see it. The historic downtown of Monterosso can be accessed by a tunnel, pedestrian and car friendly. Be aware that cars are very tricky to navigate in Monterosso, so I would recommend checking if your hotel has parking or coming in on the ferry sans car. Anyways, the historic part of this village is more touristy and close together. Cute cafés, restaurants, and bars dot the coastline and provide a welcome reprieve from the humid heat.
Our favorite restaurant was Cantina di Miky, which served an amazing spaghetti frutti di mare, which appeared to be the specialty of Cinque Terre. Thick spaghetti drizzled with tomato basil sauce and topped with calamari, mussels, clams, and one giant shrimp. It was heaven for a seafood lover. They also served our new favorite white wine: Vétua. Full bodied like a red wine, but still light enough for hot summer days.
Our favorite breakfast and lunch spot was the bar di il gigante, named for the giant statue of a man holding up the cliffside near the bar. They served a wonderful American breakfast of eggs and bacon, with a twist. They replaced the bacon with prosciutto, which was absolutely delicious. The yogurt with fruit salad was also amazing. Italian yogurt has a more liquid composition than most, similar to a smoothie, but it is so rich; prepared with fresh fruit, it was amazing. Espresso is also a very important part of our diet here, which is only about a euro per cup.
On the first morning we were here, our host Daniela took us on a walking tour of Monterosso. She is a lovely woman, originally from Chicago, who manages twelve properties in Monterosso. We climbed up the stairs behind Cantina di Miky and followed the brick road to the top of the hill. Along the way, Tate got distracted by a lemon tree. It’s owner came out to greet us and invited us in to try his wine, which we politely declined as it was still nine in the nothing. Daniela translated for us as he spoke Italian and described the winemaking process. His wife made apricot jam from the huge apricot tree outside. After bidding him farewell, we walked to the cemetery. It was one of the most beautiful places; it really was a celebration of life. The view down the coastline of the other towns was breathtaking.
We ambled down the other side of the hill, pausing at another lemon orchard. As we were admiring, a young woman offered to show us around, as it was her family’s orchard. Her name was Caroline. Originally from Nebraska, she spent her childhood summers in Monterosso. Now, she studies Italian Language in Florence in the winter and is a nanny to an Italian family in Monterosso in the summer.
Later that day, we decided it would be a good idea to hike from Monterosso to Vernazza, the next town over. Laughing off Rick Steve’s warning that it was a “grueling hike,” we started off with two water bottles and I wore my “hiking” flip-flops. Although the map may say that hike is 2km, I strongly disagree. It was what seemed like, in Mom’s words: “hiking five miles up Mount Everest in a sauna on a stopped escalator.” We stumbled across the Vétua vineyard, which was blessed with one of the prettiest views looking down over the ocean. It was all worth it in the end when we came upon a beautiful view of Vernazza. Even better when Dad and Tate and I jumped into the ocean off the pier. That was magnificent. Floating in the Mediterranean, buoyed up by the salt, watching the sun go down over the hills.
We had dinner in a restaurant bordering the beach; the one you’ll see in postcards with the multicolored umbrellas. Pizza and white wine; perfect post-hike food. We walked up to the train station only to discover the next train wasn’t for another hour and a half, at 11:30 pm. So, we struck up a conversation with the people next to us. They were from Wisconsin. Their grandparents had rewarded the older sister with a 12 day trip to Europe for graduation, and the younger sister was invited to tag along. Staying in Florence as their home base, they took a one night trip to Monterosso via train. They were very very nice, and the grandpa was way into photography. We parted ways, after sharing Instagram usernames, of course.
The next day was a lazy day. Villa Montale is about a two minute walk/thirty second jog from the beach, so we spend the day tanning and swimming.The Mediterranean Sea is the best swimming ocean I’ve ever visited. It’s warm and salty, a comfortable temperature to float in for hours. The water when we went was very calm, so we swam out to the buoy and to a huge jumping rock. Crystal clear water. And what an amazing view looking back at the coastline from the water! I got stung by a jellyfish, which was a little more excitement than I needed. Luckily the il gigante bar had some vinegar to put on it.
Mom went to take pictures for painting reference, so Dad and the boys and I headed to a new beach near the tunnel. It was a pay beach, but you don’t have to pay if you get there after seven(Keep in mind it’s light out until ten). We skipped rocks and laughed about our experiences so far. We finished off the day with spaghetti frutti di mare, of course. What a perfect end. It’s not a good bye to Cinque Terre, it’s a see you later. I know I’ll be back.
Always,
Paige Finn
