Day 2--Cinque Terre

After arriving in Portofino along La Cinque Terre (literally “five lands” but more accurately, “five towns,” we took a short but harrowing bus ride (extremely narrow streets with many switchbacks—and a stoppage as the bus maneuvered along the road with an RV from the opposite direction coming within inches of each other's side mirrors) to the train station. There we headed to the second of the five towns, Vernazza, tucked into a bay on the Mediterrean Sea. Cliffs jutted high into the sky from the sea below. Castles, churches, houses, and farms sprinkled the hillsides, clinging to solid rock. Shades of orange, yellow, green, and brown stucco against the gray/black volcanic rock contrasted against the deep blue of the sea, where boats of every size and shape and kind bounced in the waves.

The train made its way along the rocky cliffs through village after village, perched upon rocky cliffs above steep crevices. Vernazza is the second of the five towns of the Cinque Terre. With only 600 residents, Vernazza now depends on tourists as fishing no longer produces a living for the residents of the town. The Doria Castle rises prominently on the highest point of land. The climb to the top was steep and narrow, up steps worn smooth through the hundreds of years of use. We were rewarded at the top with lunch and a view that defies description. The restaurant, Il Castillo, was a great find—not advertized in any of the typical tourist guidebooks, but described in detail by Rick Steves in Postcards from Europe: Travel Tales from America's Favorite Guidebook Writer. Perfectly ripe melon and prosciutto and an assortment of civeche, mussels, clams, shrimp, and other seafood were starters for a lunch of delicately prepared lightly pan-fried fish, and baskets heaping with fresh-baked bread to be dipped into green olive oil.

The Church of Santa Margherita, constructed in the 14th century, guards the tiny beach as swimmers sunbathe on the rocks at the foot of the church. This small gothic church was a cool and inviting respite from the sun and people in the square. A strong coffee, "Americano" style (a shot of espresso, a shot of hot water and hot milk) revived energy for more walking, exploring, and the return to the train and the ride back to Portofino—surely a picture postcard day.