Apparently, "Cheen-ka-wha Te-Ra", it is.
Cinque Terre, The Italian Riviera.
At the wee age of 22, after college in '99, a friend and I travelled to a quaint, magnificent, if not slightly sleepy, group of five villages off the north west coast of Italy. In the Summer of 2009, a much older, wiser, hopefully more beautifully-aged if less fit me, and two equally blessedly well ladies, tracked it back to this now more boisterously fab locale.
If I ever had visions of the picture perfect European summer, with beaches, tans, gelato cones, cute boys and lazy summers, its interpretation in reality is Cinque Terre. Five gorgeous villages sit on the luscious and rugged mountainside with shopping, lunch and a bathe in the sea awaiting your arrival.
However, "arrival" to Cinque Terre is not as modern as our current times. Trains, boats and/or walking paths provide the only methods of approach as cars cannot reach the villages from the outside. But what fun limited transportation options bestow. We ladies chose to take the train in from La Spezia to the first town of Riomaggiore and hike the steep walking paths from town to town. The first stroll, lovingly nicknamed "Via Dell'Amore", proves wondrous as the breeze high up in the hills compliments the impressive overlooks to the sea.
But beware the boot camp, height phobic, nightmarish mountain climb from Vernazza to Monterosso. Oh, a mere 2.5! hours later from the start you feel like an Olympian after delicately navigating narrow, narrow paths, confronting stairs of nature that climb to the heavens, trekking through strangely comforting olive orchards and vineyards to eventually carry abundant cliff-hanger moments courtesy of this "hike" for superheroes. 
The few respites on this so-called "trail" seem almost like stupendous mirages: Mr. Limonata Man appears out of nowhere among the jungle-like greenery slapping at your forehead to provide ice-cold fresh lemonade for a truly hallelujah moment. That combined with the occasional awe-inspiring views that can only be seen from the edge of cliffs provide a truly memorable physical adventure.
Upon arrival at either town depending on which way you started you simply thank the lords you are still alive. And yet, as you step foot on solid, cement ground once again, a smile forms ear to ear as you realize that the beaches and sea lazily welcome you back and soak you in like a pat on the back for a trek well done.
Posts
