Catching up….Part 2

As promised, I’m playing catch up from the last week of our Royal Clipper cruise. One week ago today, June 21, we anchored off the coast of Lerici, Italy. We caught an early morning ferry boat to the nearby town of Portovenere, and from there, we began our tour of Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre (The Five Lands) is a six mile area along the coast beginning near a rocky point in Riomggiore and extending to Monterosso. The area is dotted with small, isolated villages that date back several centuries. Some are accessible by car or passenger train; however, others remain isolated and can be reached only by jeep or on foot. One village is situated high above the coast, A stairway of 1,500 steps will take you to the top if you’re motivated. The area is well preserved and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We were able to visit four of the villages during our excursion. Our fist stop in Riomaggiore led us to a walkway high above the rock coast. The path, known as Via dell’Amore is dedicated to lovers. I would have felt more romantic had I not had to battle the oncoming traffic of the other tour groups walking down from the next village of Manarola. Nevertheless, the scenery was breathtaking, and in all honesty, the walk was my favorite part of the day. From Manarola, we caught another ferry that took us to the next hamlet, Vernazza. Vernazza was heavily damaged during a flood in October, so our visit there was brief as many of the shops and sites remain closed. Our last stop in Monterosso allowed us a couple of hours to wander about and enjoy lunch before heading back to Portovenere. There, we stumbled across the Lord Byron Bar where we enjoyed a cold beverage, and Charlie made a new friend…..and yes, she’s pretty.