Travel memories: Cinque Terre

For someone who loves peeling paintwork, steep narrow streets, colourful buildings, the paraphernalia of fishing, and a seaside location, the Cinque Terre towns were heaven.

We first visited Riomaggiore, and I think that this was my favourite of the the three towns we went to, although this may just be because it was the first and therefore the most surprising to me (it was also the only town where we didn't get rained on!). We emerged from the mosaic tiled tunnel from the station, passed a pretty shopping street, and arrived in a little harbour which reminded me of the East Neuk villages here in Fife, but the buildings were clinging to vertical rocks! It's the sort of place you think could only exist in the imagination of an artist such as Escher.

After this we went to Vernazza, which was also very pretty, with its ice-cream coloured buildings, but a bit more touristy. I climbed many stairs up through the winding narrow streets to the tower where there were some great views. The rain had come on quite heavily so I spent a bit of time in the church.

Finally we went to Monterosso. I explored the seafront area, but apparently I missed out on the old town which was through a tunnel. What I did see was lovely, though.

The rain became torrential while we were in Monterosso. I've never seen rain so heavy! When we returned to Sestri Levante the rain was still just as heavy. We were all wet through already, so we decided, rather than wait for taxis, to make a dash for the hotel. The rain was so heavy that my umbrella began to fall apart at the seams, leaving me with water running down my arm. And my shoes took two days to dry out! But it was an unforgettable day and the Cinque Terre towns were beautiful despite the weather.