Saturday 20 August 2011

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site along the rugged coastline of Italy's Liguria region. There's 5 villages in Cinque Terre that can be accessible either by hiking the trails or by Train.

Riomaggiore is the first of the 5 villages in Cinque Terre. 

Then it was Manarola and Corniglia (picture of the marina below)

Then Vernazza:

We climbed the highest hill to get a good picture of Vernazza and decided to stop for lunch there as well: 
Al Castello 
Al Castello's view of Vernazza


We ordered Pesto Lasagna (since the Liguria region is famous for their pesto sauce) and a Penne Rose
Amazing! The pesto lasagna was so aromatic and full of flavour. It was mostly a cheese lasagna, but it was delicous. The penne rose was al dente and the sauce had a rich bold flavour.
We also got the mussels which were really fresh. 

The next day, we hit the beach at Monterosso al Mare
The beach was super crowded with people and there were a gazillion umbrellas available for rent:
It really was amazing in Monterosso al Mare just soaking up the sun and swimming in the shallow waters.

We eventually went back to Riomaggiore for dinner at
Te la do io la Merenda
They only serve takeout - but the portions are quite large and really delicious:
Top: Spaghetti carbonara and Gnocchi al pesto (€8)
For a take out place, they were super busy (and with their delicious food, it's no wonder). The sauces was creamy and rich in flavour. It was authentic Italian food at its best and for such a great price - it's fantastic!  Te la do io la Merenda is a great place to grab and go when you're in Riomaggiore (you can fill up on carbs before your long hike to all the other towns)

Recommendation: Definitely allocate a few more days for travel when you're in Cinque Terre - not only is the scenery stunning, but the pesto sauce? OMG - there's a reason why it's world famous.

No comments:

Post a Comment