Cinque Terre, Italy

Vernazza,italy

Cinque Terre, five hillside villages that hug the Italian riviera, fitting tightly within the rocky coastline.

Colorful amongst the olive and lemon tree orchards,

Fragrantly enchanting,

Playful,

With each vista point claiming visitors to sigh, "This is the best."

 

Shutters italy

 

The streets are filled with people, people chattering as if they have known each other since they first were born. Walking down the street I could not help learning a new word with each step:

Prego (You are welcome, thank you, and a greeting when answering the phone.)

Ciao (Hello and Good bye.)

Bene (So-So / Fine.)

Grazie (Thank you.)

Buongiorno (Good Morning.)

Capisco (Understand?)

Si (Yes.)

 

Italian coastline

 Cinque Terre: A patchwork of five, colorful, centuries old villages. The only way between the five villages is either to float by boat, weave through by train, or walk along the coastline to each one of them. The trail is over five miles long, rugged in parts, smooth sailing in others, and always breathtaking.

 

Seaside italy

The Cinque Terre villages are:

Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

Though we stayed in a bordering village (which had a long inviting beach) called:

Sestri Levanto.

IMitaly cinque terre

Color.

Have I said that before?

Food… did I even mention that?

Unbelievable.

Have you ever had lemon pasta with walnuts?

 



Comments

42 responses to “Cinque Terre, Italy”

  1. I wish I was part of Star Trek crew and could teleport myself there, sigh!

  2. M’illumino d’immenso * – I fill myself with light which knows no bounds.
    Thank you for the magical glimpses of Italy!
    May I point out that the Italians answer the phone with a loud “Pronto”?
    * coined by Giuseppe Ungaretti,
    the very lose translation is mine

  3. You are so lucky to be visiting Italy. I did the walk along the coastline from Santa Margherita along to Cinque Terre, many, many years ago. Took a boat back, it was wonderful. Enjoy your visit to Bella Italia and look forward to more pictures of your visit. And yes, I have had lemon pasta with walnuts, I make it all the time, also pesto and walnuts is good too.

  4. The colors are breathtaking. How do you say fabulous in Italian? So this is more of what you have next door to you. You have Italy, I have Indiana. You have Cinque Terre, I have Terre Haute. It’s all very similar, I assure you.

  5. Corey, when you get home, could you search the Internet for a recipe for that yummy-sounding lemon pasta with walnuts that most closely approximates what you ate in Italy? I imagine a number of us followers of your blog would like to try it. Grazie!

  6. recipe please, sounds yummy.

  7. What lovely images of a beautiful part of the world. I think, as in Provence, people understand the meaning of quality of life here! Your trip sounds like such fun, and how smart you are to be doing it at this time of year, before the crowds and intense heat of summer. How I wish I could be there!

  8. PS: Corey, are you posting from FH’s laptop there? Is internet connection ever a problem, esp. with uploading photos? I’d love to know how you manage this (seemingly effortlessly!) on your travels.

  9. Lemon pasta with walnuts sounds yummy! The villages are beautiful with the colors.

  10. The colors in that last photo are so rich! I love the design on the facade of the second photo as well. The Italians understand detail on everything!

  11. P.S. Does “lemon pasta” mean there’s lemon flavoring actually IN the noodles themselves, or that the sauce contains lemon — or both?

  12. I walked the cinque terre a few years ago. It’s incredible

  13. The colors announce what part of the world you’re visiting, ladies, how beautiful. What wonderful road trip you’re having, hope you get to ride shotgun. I haven’t had lemon pasta with walnuts, but now I want some.

  14. Love the colors of the buildings and the shutters. Thank you for taking us along on yet another wonderful journey.

  15. Last September we rented an apartment in Monterosso for three days. It was wonderful! The food was fantastic . . . so fresh and flavorful.

  16. Hi Corey, I don’t usually post but seeing these pictures made me feel like I had been there. Oh, that’s right! I was just there!! Just two weeks ago. lol I still can’t get over the beauty. We saw the Cinque Terra from a boat; getting off from time to time to enjoy a stroll, lunch, or people watch. If you have time check out Lerici just south of La Spezia: it’s a beautiful little beach town. Ciao!

  17. Oh, it is simply heaven. Thanks so much for sharing!

  18. Lieselotte

    Beau-Ti-Ful, Corey

  19. Kathleen in Oregon

    Beautiful pictures, wish I was there!
    Yes, I have had lemon/walnut pasta. You posted the recipe a few years ago and I made it for my family, and they loved it.

  20. Brenda L. in TN.

    The buildings are beautiful…love all of the color..
    I’ve never had lemon pasta but would love to try it…how about the recipe? Fellow bolggers? Would someone share?
    So glad Corey is “taking us along” for another adventure!!

  21. Your pictures are beautiful… oh how I’m longing for Italy!

  22. OMG, stunning!
    I love lemon shrimp pasta, but lemon walnut sounds amazing!

  23. Thanks for the tip, which enabled me to find Corey’s recipe online:
    http://willows95988.typepad.com/photos/french_dressing_/lemons.html

  24. Franca Bollo

    As Yann would say, the pasta sounds “squi-zizi-to!”
    Merisi’s right about “Pronto” but maybe in the north it’s different? Once you hit Naples and below, the “o” is dropped.
    Bene = good
    Cosi cosi = so-so
    Francobollo = postage stamp
    Franca Bollo = Una donna molto gelosa a San Francisco.

  25. Birdbrain

    Si, mia sorella ha ragione; alla telefonata dici “pronto”. Cinque Terre is famous for their white wine, friends had a difficult time getting red wine with dinner. My favorite beach town is Viareggio, a cute Italian version of Capitola. Ciao, cugine!

  26. Such beautiful, rich colors. I’ll bet these villages were wonderful to explore on foot without all the tourist buses to deal with. Thanks for allowing us to walk along with you…

  27. Spent a week there many years ago hiking between towns to work off all the pasta and gelato! Amazing place.

  28. Franca Bollo

    La tua sorella ha ragione sempre.

  29. *smile*
    “Pronto!”, and then chatting until the operator jumps in with “chiamata interurbana urgente” (stern female voice, announcing an “urgent call from out of town” – at least in Rome, one call cost 100 Lire, no matter how long you were on the phone, therefore sometimes you had to use this rather unorthodox method to get a call through, it cost 50 Lire, if I remember correctly).

  30. Love this post! My daughter and her friend will be going there next week. They are planning to walk to each village. How did you get to them, by foot or boat? I will pass along your lemon pasta suggestion to them. I’m sure they’d love to hear about anything else not to miss when they are there.

  31. Marie-Noëlle

    All I can say in Italian is : “Que bella !”
    – can match the sea, the view, the colours, your pictures, … or the US ladies …!!!
    😉

  32. Actually, it’s Sestri LevantE (opposite to Sestri Ponente, on the other side of the riviera)…..

  33. Ah, Italy, you are living the life there!

  34. Corey: Lovely pictures, the shutters are so fine, there in the middle of your photo you have captured the focal point of fabulous flowers, loved the contrast of jeans hung out to dry right next to it! Have fun and soak it all in, thanks so much for pictures!
    Kathie: Thanks for posting that recipe, I am going to have that tonight! Have lemons, and will get black walnuts! Yum! I am thinking of doing shrimp next….

  35. Have never been to Italy. I am sure I would fall in love with it as I have with France. The lemon pasta with walnuts sounds delicious. I make a French recipe for lemon pasta with asparagus that’s wonderful.

  36. absolutely gorgeous photos.
    Remarkable.

  37. Salut15@ aol.com

    Oh Corey,you are in Cinque Terre,one of my favorite places on Earth!!Enjoy!

  38. This is one of my favorite places as well. My daughter did her sophmore year abroad in Italy, and I flew over to visit her for a few days, and we took the train from Milan to Cinque Terra, and spent several days there. It was so beautiful.

  39. Goodness Corey, you killing me here…and I mean that in the best way possible, knocking me out with the colors, making my eyes pop with the vistas, making me swoon with your desriptions. Thank you, yes, thank you very much for taking us along, once again.

  40. Our neighbor went to this area last summer, and look some beuatiful pictures. She just had them blown up and put on canvas, in this way that makes them look like paintings– have you done this? So cool.
    🙂

  41. I like it very much, thank you

  42. Cinque Terre is now on my short list of places I must see before moving on to the next life. What a dream.

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