Next up, I visited Cinque Terre. But first a quick stop in Porto Venere. I saw the beautiful gothic church of St. Peter. Stunning views and quite pretty inside, with its candles and high ceilings, the church was awesome to visit. Along the way was Byrons Grotto. The poet Lord Byron used to swim that very sea hundreds of years ago and this grotto was dedicated to him. After a delicious cappuccino in a quaint cafe overlooking the majestic mountains and seemingly endless sea, it was time to hop on a boat to visit the picturesque Cinque Terre. 

The boat chugged along as it presented to us the colorful pastel houses that painted the hills. I couldn’t help but wonder, “How the heck do people get up there?” Due to mudslides, I weren’t able to visit Riomaggiore, Manarola, or Corniglio. I did stop in Vernazza though. It was there that I had the most delicious pizza I have ever had before (I’m salivating now just thinking about it). I ate it as I strolled along the shop filled streets. I even went back for a second piece!

Back on the boat, we next sailed to Monterosso. After exploring for awhile, I was parched. One of my goals for the trip was to have Limoncello. I had had it once before in life and hated it. I figured that since I am so cultured now and super sophisticated (I am, right?) then I’d be sure to like it. Right? I was wrong. So very wrong. I hated it. So much, in fact, that I didn’t even finish it. So. Gross.