A Weekend in Cinque Terre

In which I describe four of the five towns of Cinque Terre and give a brief description of each: 

1. The grapes at Riomaggiore sit in crates along the street and I could not resist the temptation to buy a kilo. Laundry sways over the length of the alleyways and sheets wave like sails in the wind…
2. Boats line the streets of Manarola like lampposts and tarps covers each hull like a worn shadow. I ate squid ink spaghetti as black as night, tossed with shrimp and sweet peppers and parmesan cheese, as we sat at a table overlooking the Sea. In Manarola the wine is rich but the streets are wet and empty…
3. The narrow streets of Corniglia spanned and intersected with each other like a web of canals and the streets were filled with cats. We hiked up the steps that wound their way to the top of the highest church and sat against the base of the wall eating hot Panini and clementines as we stared out over the water…
4. We stayed in Vernazza and our room with a view overlooked the small town piazza and the jetty where the fishing boats docked. Sitting on benches eating breakfast of pears and cornettos, we watched them pull in each morning, boats full of purple squid and silver blue fish. 

The roughly five miles between the four towns above were lined with rugged paths and steep trails. We hiked from Vernazza to Riomaggiore and breathed deeply the clear air and smell of salt and olives. I question if I have ever been anywhere more beautiful.