The city of 5 lands

Well, friends! It's been a busy spring break to say the least. We had some good friends visit, I celebrated my birthday {I feel 32 is going to be the best one yet!}, I launched a small business {#shamelessplug}, and we traveled to the city of 5 lands, Cinque Terre. And like most Italian cities, I'm utterly + deeply in love. 

Let's rewind 11-12 years ago when I studied in Florence. I was presented with the option of going to Rome or Cinque Terre for the weekend {I know, I know, it could be worse}. I chose Rome, because why not?! I had heard of it, it was another big, Italian city that was on my list, and Cinque Terre was a bit more complicated to get to. Well... I've regretted it ever since. Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy I had the opportunity to go to Rome, but I also felt I missed out on Cinque Terre.

SO! When our friends wanted to go to Cinque Terre over my spring break this year, I immediately jumped at the chance to go! And it is ev-er-y-thing you see on the postcards + in pictures. Even when we took pictures, the background looked fake. And the only way to show you is through our photos rather than my long-winded words ;). So below is our 3-day adventure in Cinque Terre.

I will admit that Cinque Terre isn't the easiest to get to because most of the little villages are pedestrian only, so you can only get to it by train. From Milan, it was almost a 3.5 hour train ride, so it was a long day of travel. However, totally. Incredibly. Without-a-doubt. Worth it. 

We stayed in Riomaggiore, which is the most southern of the villages. Our little Airbnb overlooked the peaceful water and it appeared this was the spot to watch the sunset. Like most of the other villages, Riomaggiore, though picturesque, is dated if you look closely. However, I think it adds to the charm + quaint vibe.

I mean...can you even, with this view?!?

As you'll see from our hike below, walking through the towns and between towns is not the easiest. Paths are narrow or rocky or not real paths at all. 

But this babe makes it look easy ;).

We started Day 1 just walking around Riomaggiore, enjoying the views + culture, especially the wine + appetizers ;). 

How cute is this one street? This is the only road into ​Riomaggiore.

Though I can't imagine living without a washer + dryer, I loved taking pictures of the cute shutters with clothes lines.

Once we took in the sites, we settled down to catch up and watch the sunset. Happiness truly is wine, good friends, sunsets, and delicious Italian food. 

Every time we sat down for drinks, we were immediately served free nibbles. THIS.is.the.life! ;) 

Once we explored our little town, it was time to journey over to the other towns. This can be done in one of three ways: hiking, training from town to town, or boating. We managed to do all three! 

Hiking

We could only hike to three of the other villages, as one path was closed due to a landslide and isn't slated to reopen until 2019. From Riomaggiore, we took a train to Corniglia on Day 2 of our trip. From there, we hiked for about an hour and a half to Vernazza. 

Just a brief glimpse of Corniglia above. Compared to the other seaside villages, this is not built right on the cliff and therefore, from what I heard, is less touristy. 

I think it may be time I invest in a real camera. These pictures don't truly show the bright blue water. 

Along the trail are pitstops, either little shops with water or individuals selling orange juice on the paths. Word to the wise: hike early as the path gets super crowded and hot later in the day. We started around 8AM and conquered the first half faster than the second part.

This, my beautiful friends, is Vernazza. I want to say this is my fave village but I can't pick one! Isn't it just breathtaking?!

From here, if you squint hard enough, you can see the final stop on our hike. We knew it would be a trek, so we stopped for pictures, refreshing beers, and lunch in Vernazza.

Vernazza waterfront, where you can catch a boat to the other towns {more on that later...}. 

Focaccia all day. Every day. Focaccia breakfast sammies. Focaccia pizza. Focaccia everything!

View of Vernazza on our way to Moterosso, which was another 1.5-2 hour hike. 

I wish I had taken more pics of the paths. Above is just an example of our second part of the hike: rocky paths and steep trails that were at times, too narrow for two people to pass through. A little terrifying, as you're on the side of a cliff, but hey, we made it! 

Monterosso is the most touristy of all the villages. It has a beautiful beachfront to soak in some sun, resort-like hotels, amazing shopping, and a beautiful vineyard. 

After a long + difficult 10-mile hike, we needed to relax. And there was no better way to relax than with some Aperol Spritzes {above}, wine + shopping in Monterosso {below}.

We happened to find this winery last minute, which is off the beaten {and very steep} path. However, worth visiting and enjoying, as it's a quiet retreat from the busy Monterosso. Bonus: not only is Buranco a vineyard, but it's a small B&B, as well!

We tasted some local wines, including their famous sweet, dessert wine, focaccia {again!}, pesto, and sweet treats. Such a fun experience!

And that's when our "engagement" shoot began ;)

Training

We couldn't leave Cinque Terre without seeing the last town, Manarola. Though the path was closed, it's easy to buy a day pass for the train and take it from town to town. So on Day 3, we took the train to Manarola. And the views were just as spectacular as the other villages. 

Day 3, because it was a holiday, was a lot more busy + touristy. 

While Monterosso had a sandy beachfront, Manarola had a sectioned-off "pool" area.

Boating

If you are not a hiker or one for public transportation, boating may be the best way to see all the towns. We started in Vernazza on our third evening in Cinque Terra. Below is a sneaky peek, so stay tuned for the full post on our sunset boat ride!