A heat wave has rolled into Europe, and we sure felt it here in Florence. On Sunday, we had a change of plans and headed out to the west coast of Italy. More specifically, Cinque Terre, which means the five lands. What’s interesting about these towns is that they are accessible mainly by train, and cars are not allowed in them. This adds a lot to the local atmosphere. The smallest one out of the five, Corniglia, where we spent most of our time, was quiet and serene.
Cinque Terre is also known for it’s hiking paths, which are nothing short of amazing. We went from Varnezza to Corniglia on an hour-long hike with some of the most amazing views I have seen.
The beaches, like the hike, were also beautiful and unique in many ways. The beach at Corniglia was down quite a ways, in a little cove. But there was neither sand nor pebbles. Instead, the beach consisted of long flat slabs of stone. These were cool to lie on and relax, and the rocks created a fun place to jump into the water!
We relaxed, we swam, we ate, and we explored. For the night, we headed to the largest town, Monterossso, for dinner. The town was mostly situated on a path right along the beach, where there were a lot of restaurants and gelaterias, providing a magnificent view of the sea.
I must say our time in Florence seems non-existent. It just flew right by. We spent our last day in Florence visiting the Medici chapel and palace, filled with brilliant Renaissance art pieces. After shopping in open-air markets, more sightseeing, a cook-off, and our last gelato outing, it is time to say arrivederci to Florence, Italy and Bonjour to Paris, France!