Our next stop in Italy was Cinque Terre, which is part of the coast of the Italian Riveria. It is made up of 5 villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore). Over centuries, people have built terraces on the steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. There are paths connecting the villages, but you can also take trains and boats to each one.
We stayed in Corniglia, which is the only village that is not directly adjacent to the sea (however, the picture below was a view from our balcony!).
Staying in Corniglia takes some planning. Since it is not located next to the sea, there are 33 flights of stairs one must climb to get to the village. I don't know about you, but that does not sound like a fun way to get home after a day of exploring the other villages. There is a bus that runs, but it is important to try to coordinate times coming in from the train to make sure you catch it. Otherwise, you might be up all night rubbing IcyHot on your calves.
The real reason we went to Cinque Terre was because Julene (my SIL) was getting married! It was the perfect location....quaint, beautiful, amazing food. Julene and Raymond looked so happy. They hosted many events that weekend (one of which included Lucas puking over the side of a boat). I was finally able to meet Emet's cousin, Tim, who lives in Italy. We also met some of Raymond's family and Aidan and Lucas got to spend time with their cousin, Kara! It was too short and we didn't want to leave. Below are some pictures of the wedding weekend.
Taking vows while overlooking the sea. Most of the villagers came to the wedding and surprised us by throwing rice at the end!
They promised not to shove the cake into each other's faces. No fun.
Once in the village, these narrow corridors are lined with houses, shops, and cafes.
Waiting for the train....AL, Kara, Emet, Raymond's sister's family, cousin Tim and his girlfriend.
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