Cinque Terre, here we come!

This is a great view of Riomaggiore, one of the 5 towns that make up the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. UNESCO has proclaimed the area a Natural World Heritage Park.

These 5 towns (Monterosso al Mare {the largest}, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) cling to the cliffs above the Mediterranean, and boast quiet streets (no cars, no traffic), lots of shopping, and great pesto and seafood. We'll visit the Cinque Terre and see how many different pestos we can find, and who can find the best Cinque Terre wine! There are also lots of shops in Riomaggiore that sell olive oil and locally made handicrafts, and the famous "Via dell'Amore," or "Path of Love," is a short hiking trail joining Riomaggiore to the next village to the north, Manarola. You are sure to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of this excursion.

Here is a view of Vernazza taken from the hillside above, at dusk. Each village is unique, yet they are all rugged, coastal, and quite isolated.





Pesto Ingredients:
Send your favorite pesto recipes to us at lacontadina@yahoo.com !