Cinque Terre, (Island of Monterosso), Italy
Fun Fact #1: Along the
Northern coast of Italy rests the Cinque Terre, pronounced ‘chink-wa tare- ra’.
It consists of five islands; our hotel was located on Monterosso.
Not-So-Fun-Fact #1: Last
year, the islands were flooded. Most of our island had to be rebuilt, the flood
level destroying many first floors of buildings. Though much of the city has
been renovated, you can still see the remnants of destruction in various closed
buildings, battered front doors and broken steps.
We spent one night and one
day in Cinque Terre. So, I present to you…
Cinque Terre’s Top 3!
3. After a long, almost
seven hour drive, we finally made it to our beachy town. For dinner we walked
the main strip of the island, along a cliff overlooking the beach, to a small
seafood restaurant. I can’t remember the exact name of our dish, but it was
quite the experience. The ‘brave’ seafood eaters were seated at two long
tables. After appetizers and salad, the waiters brought out two monstrous-sized
bowls for each of our tables. They were massive pots filled to the brim with
mussels, clams, full-bodied shrimp (with eyes!), and a large, tentacled octopus. Though a little hesitant, we all manned
up to taste the tentacle strips floating in the reddish, garlic broth. It was delicious!
We all chowed down on that octopus like it was nobody’s business. Our table was
full of laughter and talking as we scarfed down one of the best group-meals I’ve
had so far. By the end of the evening, when most tables had dissipated for the
night, our table was still going strong with wine, seafood, and great stories.
Did I mention we were on a covered-patio that offered a stunning view of the
moon glistening on the sea?  |
| The aftermath |
2. It had been a busy week
for us, so the thought of hiking between all of the different islands didn’t
hold the same appeal as just relaxing on the beach two blocks from our hotel
all day. So that’s exactly what we did. Colette, David, Kiah (found out I’ve
been misspelling her name this whole time, oops!), Mark (who joined us later in
the day after sleeping in), and I spent a good 8 hours on that beach. We
chatted, floated in tubes we’d bought for 3 Euro, and laid out on the umbrella’ed
beach chairs we’d purchased. The water was cold. The water was greenish-blue.
The water was calm. To the right, we could see the rock cliff jutting out. To
the left water lapped against large, smooth rocks that ran into the pebbled
shore. We were warm under the sun but cool in the salt-water. Thanks to the
beach being completely pebbled, we didn’t have to worry about sandy suits. And
thanks to our avid reapplication of sunscreen, not one of us came out of there
burned! Chalk it all up to a beautiful way to spend a summer day in the Italian
sun.
1. 2012 Euro Cup. Spain
versus Italy. The main square in Monterosso was packed with face-painted, jersey-wearing,
hooting and hollering Italians. They crammed the bars, had additional patio
chairs put out, and a few big-screen TV’s set up. There was raucous cheering
and blow-horns, beer chugging and pizza eating. Now, unfortunately, timing
worked out that we were at dinner for the entirety of the game. (I always
forget how leisurely Europeans are with dinner…sitting down to dine at 8 when a
game starts at 8:45 was not the best timing.) However, because of our outdoor
seating, and only being a block away from the square, we got to hear
everything. Though even more unfortunately, Italy lost 4-0. However, unlike
Americans who either drink in celebration or in depression, Italians sulk in
silence. Game over; everybody goes home. We commiserated the loss over one last
scoop of Gelato (it being our last night in Italy on the tour). I had Crema de
Limone (Cream of Lemon), and it was like Lemon Cream cake. Ohhh, and it was
divine. [Now, I have sort of learned that I’m slightly lactose-intolerant on
this trip: any ice-cream, gelato, or heavy creamed food really upsets my
stomach. And even though I felt that gelato the next day, it was totally worth
it.] The evening was a perfect way to end our time in Italy. A BEAUTIFUL LIFE.
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| Relaxing on the beach |
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