Boat trip to Portovenere

There is nothing more blissful than a boat trip on the Mediterranean Sea enjoying the beautiful midsummer's blue sky and the gorgeous views of the Cinque Terre. The final destination of that boat trip was Portovenere, a town located south of the Cinque Terre. We disembarked at Portovenere for lunch and some sight-seeing before taking the return ferry and train back to Levanto where we were staying. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has beautiful ancient architecture, and there are plenty of opportunities for photography of both the natural and cultural landscapes.

Doria Castle and the Church of St Peter, as seen from the boat on the Mediterranean:

The Church of St Peter, seen from the boat:

The Doria Castle and the colourful narrow buildings in front:

At the grounds of the Church of St Peter:

Doria Castle as seen from the Church:

A panoramic view from the top of the stairs to the Church of St Peter (click image for larger view):

Hanging out in the streets of Portovenere:

And enjoying some delicious local gelato:

Corniglia from a different angle to the ones taken in the morning. This was the only Cinque Terre town we didn't set foot in because of its elevated location that required either hiking up or catching a bus. Also visible is the windy road up to the town from the train station near the sea level:

Approaching Monterosso, the northernmost Cinque Terre town. Visible in the shot is the start of the hiking trail we took on previous day:

We wandered a little through Monterosso, and briefly stepped inside the Church of San Giovanni Battista:

And then it was time to head back to Levanto for dinner and bedtime! Stay tuned for more!

The Cinque Terre coastline from the Mediterranean Sea

It's the first day of school after a 2-week term break, and I'm more excited than my son about going back to school! I love spending time with my son, but him going to school for six hours is a blessing for a mum with an infant at home. Hopefully I'll be able to post a bit more on the blog and catch up on that backlog of photos from three trips we took in the past few months!

Continuing on our European vacation last summer, the Cinque Terre is truly beautiful. Hiking between villages was no small feat, and visiting the towns allowed us to experience the uniqueness of each town. Viewing the five villages from the Mediterranean Sea is another way of appreciating the beauty of the Cinque Terre, and that was what we did on our third day in the region. We barely made it on the 10am ferry from Levanto to Portovenere (one of two services, the only one in the morning), and we must have been quite a sight: a 5-months pregnant woman running alongside a man carrying an almost 5-year-old boy to board an already crowded boat. The morning run was well worth the effort, and we could sit back and enjoy the boat ride which took 1 hour 45 minutes. The boat stops at each of the Cinque Terre villages, dropping off those who reached their destination and to pick up others who wished to continue on in their journey south. It was a lovely boat ride, and the Cinque Terre coastline was so pretty.

Approaching the northernmost village of the Cinque Terre, Monterosso al Mare:

The striking marks on the rockface of the promontory adjacent to the beaches at Monterosso:

The western section of Monterosso, where the train station and the beaches are:

The view north-westwards at the rocky part that separates the two main areas of Monterosso (click image for larger view):

The eastern section of Monterosso, where the clock tower, restaurants and shops are:

Vernazza, looking quite different when viewed from sea than when viewed from the hiking trail:

Corniglia, the village perched on top of a promontory:

A close-up view of Corniglia, taken with the afternoon sun during our return boat trip. This was the only village of the Cinque Terre that we didn't visit due to its higher altitude location:

Manarola and her colourful terraced houses on the rocks:

The famous Via dell'Amore (Lovers' Lane) hiking trail that joins Manarola with Riomaggiore:

The beauty of Riomaggiore is best viewed from the sea:

And then off we sped southwards towards the final destination of the boat ride - Portovenere. This is the view back towards the five villages of the Cinque Terre:

Ligurian specialties @ Antico Borgo, Levanto (Italy)

After a big day that involved a 2.5-hour hike between Monterosso and Vernazza, and then exploring the remaining Cinque Terre villages, we were happy to finally sit down to dinner at Antico Borgo in Levanto. I can't remember why we chose this restaurant, but I think it was one of the few that was opened for dinner service at 7pm (most others operated only from 8pm). And the menu looked pretty good to us. There were a few tables out the front for al fresco dining, which was the perfect option for that mid-summer's evening. Service was pleasant, friendly and helpful, and we got to sample quite a number of regional specialties that night.

The entrance to Antico Borgo:

At the doorway looking inside the restaurant:

Gattafin, indigenous to Levanto. Deep-fried savoury pastry stuffed with chard and cheese. Quite rustic, very delicious:

The gattafin filling:

Prosciutto and melon - always a good albeit safe combination:

Scampi penne. This was on the daily specials menu, made with scampi caught that day off the coast of Levanto. It was delicious, but fiddly with the shelling:

Deep-fried Ligurian anchovies, also freshly caught that day. Very moreish:

Salad, to offset all the two deep-fried items:

Lasagna al Forno - made with seafood, it was lighter and possibly more tasty than the traditional beef mince. A nice improvement to my favourite Italian dish:

Our meal at Antico Borgo was rustic and hearty, and we enjoyed everything we ordered. This is a good choice to try all the Ligurian and Levanto specialties.

Antico Borgo
Via Garibaldi 49
19015 Levanto
La Spezia, Italy
Tel. +39 0187 800159

Cinque Terre (Italy) Part 2: Manarola and Riomaggiore

This post follows on from Part 1, after our rather strenuous 2.5-hour hike between Monterosso and Vernazza. We took the train to the other Cinque Terre villages, skipping Corniglia because unlike the other four, this town was located high up on top of a promontory and we didn't have the energy to climb more stairs, nor the time to wait for the occasional bus that goes to town. I was so tired I could have skipped all three remaining villages south of Monterosso and Vernazza, but me and my 5-months pregnant belly soldiered on to make full use of our 1-day Cinque Terre Train Card which gave us entry to the hiking trails and unlimited travel on the regional train between the villages. Each town has its own unique personality and characteristics, not fully captured by photographs, but here are a few shots for your viewing pleasure.

Disembarking the train at Manarola station:

The colourful houses that are characteristic of the Cinque Terre region:

A lovely swimming hole in Manarola:

A wider panoramic view at the swimming spot in Manarola. Also visible is the hiking trail to/from Corniglia. Click image for larger view:

The colourful terraced houses on the rocks of Manarola (click image for larger view):

A street in Riomaggiore:

The famous Via dell'Amore (Lovers Lane) that links Riomaggiore and Manarola, which was unfortunately closed at the time of our visit due to landslides:

Riomaggiore train station by the sea:

The beauty of the Cinque Terre villages is best seen from the Mediterranean Sea, which we got to do the following day, and photos of these will follow.

Cinque Terre (Italy) Part I: Hiking from Monterosso to Vernazza

Well, I'm busy packing for yet another trip, this time to Japan! We are really excited about our first trip back since moving from Japan 3.5 years ago, but I really ought to try and get the photos from our Europe trip out of the way. The main purpose of our trip to Italy last summer was the five villages that makes up the Cinque Terre (translates to "The Five Lands"). When we were first told in 2012 by a couple of very well-travelled relatives that we ought to make Cinque Terre on our travel list, we knew it must be an outstanding destination. Then when we found out I was expecting our second baby at the beginning of 2013, we decided that we'd better make another trip to Europe before #2 was born which would make travelling a bit more difficult. And we did a lot on that trip, visiting both France and Italy, a bit exhausting while 5-months pregnant, but I have no regrets.

The Cinque Terre is part of a national park (Italy's first national park), and the natural beauty and coastal hiking trails are a draw for many international tourists into the area. Landslides is a continuing problem in the area, and most of the hiking trails between the villages were shut for public safety during our time there. Except for one trail, between Monterosso and Vernazza, touted to be the most difficult of the four coastal trails between the villages, but also the most rewarding with the best views. It was just as well, because we had already set our minds on that trail. To be honest, I was a bit worried about doing the strenous hike, whether the boy and a 5-month-old pregnant girl could handle it. But I'm glad we did it, and all the more when we made it all the way to Vernazza! If I would change anything, it would be to start much earlier in the morning, before it got too hot (but alas, travelling with kids does slow us down quite a bit). It was safe to say that I was the only visibly pregnant woman crazy enough to take on the tough 3km trail that day, and our boy (then 4-years-old) was perhaps the youngest hiker that day. It took us 2.5 hours to complete the hike between Monterosso and Vernazza (most would finish the trail in about 1-1.5 hours), but the boy amazingly still had energy to spare for more walking, running and jumping around for the rest of the day.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the views we enjoyed on our hike.

The beach at Monterosso, just after stepping out of the train station. Looking towards the other four villages of the Cinque Terre:

Panoramic shot of the beach at Monterosso (click image for larger view):

A clock tower in the main part of Monterosso town (which was a little walk from the train station through a tunnel under a large hill):

At the start of our hike, looking back on the little town of Monterosso:

The panoramic view from somewhere on the hiking trail, looking back on Monterosso while it was still visible. Click image for larger view:

A smoother part of the hiking trail. Hubby and I took turns between carrying the backpack and holding the boy's hand, though hubby was concerned about the boy tripping pregnant mummy, so he took on the holding hand duty a lot more. The terrain was quite rugged, and it was a steep fall a long way down in some parts:

This was our view for the better part of the hike - nothing but us and nature (click image for larger view):

A little bridge to pass over a downhill stream:

And after 2 hours of walking, BOOM! we were rewarded with this beautiful sight of Vernazza:

The view of Vernazza as we neared it:

So, so close! (Click image for larger view):

The first thing the boy did when we reached Vernazza:

Moving away from the touristy marina full of restaurants, the streets of Vernazza were also bustling with tourists (and I suppose a majority of them were hikers):

One of the many focacceria, where we bought our lunch, and carbed up after that huge hike:

No trip to Italy is complete without gelato! Here's a nut-free flavour for the boy:

I believe this flavour was named "Cinque Terre", and it was chocolatey and nutty with hazelnuts:

And thus ended our Cinque Terre hike. We reached the other towns by train, and photos of them will follow soon.