On our way from Rome to the Cinque Terre, we had a mid-day stop for a couple of hours in Orvieto, one of the many hill towns in central Italy, and it was just incredibly lovely and beautiful. It is definitely going on the list to visit again when I have more time. Cobblestone roads, where every side alley is an awaiting photo, the quintessential Italian image of my mind’s eye. To add to the charm, the town had various four-legged residents, all too happy to make your acquaintance in any language. I fell in love with two labs in a yard on one of the back streets during my wandering, one black and one yellow, as well as an Italian cat that greeted me with many hellos.
The drive through Umbria and Tuscany was beautiful, the hills covered in vineyards and olive trees, with little towns dotted on the hill sides along the way. Winding our way down into the Cinque Terre on the Ligurian Sea was a site to behold. We arrived in the late afternoon, and had time to walk along the waterfront before dinner, which was a feast of caprese salad, pesto pasta, and a huge bowl of various shellfish and seafood to share. Fresh pasta and seafood on the Italian Riviera is food heaven.
Thursday was on our own, to spend however we’d like, and after a late breakfast and wandering the old town part of Monterosso, I decided to take a boat that gave me a view of all five of the sea side towns from the water, stopping in Riomaggiore for a while, and Vernazza on the way back. The weather was rainy and blustery, but I still enjoyed seeing this little slice of paradise on the Mediterranean, and would like to come back to see it in nicer weather. After some happy hour snacks with the group, I had dinner on the water with a fun couple, which was a nice way to wrap up this part of our trip.
We’re headed north, enroute to Switzerland!
spacyshorts 
The Cinque Terre was one of our favorites and your description was as if we were there yesterday……although it was 4 years ago. We really appreciate your colorful descriptions. Keep them coming.
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