Day at the Beach

Next day, drove down to Riomaggiore and took the train to Monterossa. Tourists appeared from all directions in all languages. The appeal of this town was mainly the shoreline and the views, we strolled along the boardwalk and through some of the town’s twisting streets. We had hoped to hike some of the trails that connect each village but ran short on time. In Monterossa we had our first panini of the trip (not a great example) and our first gelato (creamy and yummy), along with our first and hopefully only parking ticket. The no parking signs are a challenge to decipher, apparently it only looks like you can park in any space you can squeeze the car into.

We were sorry to leave Cinque Terre so soon, but we knew all along that would be the case. I’m glad we made a special trip to see this area even for just a day. Driving to San Gimignano was a bit stressful as the jet lag and the effects of our first night in Italy caught up with us. You have to admire Italian drivers – they know exactly how small a space they can squeeze their cars into and exactly how much room they need to pass. The basic idea seems to be to avoid stopping or even slowing down if at all possible. It all seems very chaotic to our American sensibilities but actually is quite efficient.