October 30, 2025

Cinque Terra is the gateway to Florence and Pisa. The Italians of this region of the Eastern Italian Riviera are known for their taste for good living. Cinque Terre consists of 5 miles of rocky coastline quite similar in appearance. It is named for the five small towns: Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso. We visited Vernazza and Monterosso.

This is the area of Italy most known for Tuscan specialties: Fazzoletti, pasta filled with ricotta cheese and spinach, Stracotto, a beef stew with beans; and Bistecca a la Fiorentina, a charcoal grilled T-Bone steak marinated in olive oil and black pepper. With so many choices the difficult decision was not what to eat but where to eat.

We narrowed our selections down to two choices. The restaurant nestled up to the town’s castle. The exact date of construction of the castle is uncertain, but it likely dates back to Byzantine times – around the 10th century. Or the restaurant next to the town church built in the 13th Century with solid stone walls, medieval battlements, and centuries of art inside.

Yet, Chongae was still uncertain and was looking for some type of sign. We did not have to wait long. As we continued down the Corso Umberto (main street) we were greeted with a fresh display of one of Chongae’s favorite fruits-Pomegranates. Also, a clear display that the bright, sweet, tangy, and very lemony — refreshing and aromatic beverage that is popular all over Italy — especially in Sicily was available: Limoncello. We settled on a restaurant right in the middle of the town square. It was time to order!

We had a wonderful day in Cinque Terre and after a walk back to the pier we were ready to start our next adventure tomorrow in Naples, Italy.

Thanks for travelling with us.