The Cinqueterre

We arrived in Monterosso al Mare in the Cinqueterre
Thursday afternoon along with Mark and MaryDell.
 It was thrilling driving over from Todi through the winding hills and extremely narrow roads.
 This quaint old town is perched on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

We took a hike on one of the few foot paths still open between the 5 towns.
 There have been many wash outs and landslides that have closed some of the trails.
We were amazed at the rows of grapes growing on the steep slopes. 

We could not believe how rocky and steep the trails were as we hiked.
 This spot was perfect for a picture but most of the trail
felt too precarious to take our eyes off our feet.
 It was an incredible experience but we did not expect such challenging conditions.
It had rained that morning which made it extra slippery too.  

The views were spectacular and more beautiful at every turn.
 It is easy to see the attraction of the area for so many hikers over the years.

We loved our little terrace for breakfast and drinks each day at our B & B

Monterosso al Mare faces the sea and has plenty of beaches to explore,

MaryDell was joined by a new friend at lunch.
 This little girl actually pulled her chair over to our table after we waved and smiled at her.

We rode the ferry boat from one end of the Cinqueterre to the other
just to get a feel for the whole scene. It was a great way to see all 5 villages.

We enjoyed more beautiful sunny weather yet again while we were in Monteroso al Mare. 

We spent much time walking, dining and exploring the seaside.
 The water was such a deep blue and we also loved the sound of the surf.

We just could not resist going for a late afternoon swim.

The water was quite warm and we bounced along in the waves.