The next stop in our Italian getaway was Cinque Terre, an area along the Ligurian coasts of Italy where five small sun-drenched towns are linked together only by boat, train, or hiking trails through the Cinque Terre National Park.
We drove to Riomaggiore, the western-most town, and decided to walk the only stretch of the hike that is stroller-friendly to the neighboring town of Manarolo.
The path between Riomaggiore and Manorola is cut into the side of the cliff and provided some really dramatic blue-water sea views:
Although filled with plenty of tourists, the towns themselves are quaint, colorful, and memorable.
The stretch of hike between Riomaggiore and Manorolo is aptly named the Via dell' Amore (Pathway of Love). It is littered with padlocks clasped to fences, wires and anywhere else space can be found. It is tradition for two lovers to close a padlock together somewhere along this romantic stroll as a symbol of their love, and so the path is decorated by thousands of them.
The kissing bench.
If a way down to the water can be found, sunbathers seem to find a perch on a rocky outcropping to soak in the sun or do a little cliff diving.
There is something about the towns themselves, with their harbors, colors, laid-back Italy attitude, and sea-side culture that make them very attractive places to be. It is easy to see why people fall in love with the area.
It was a really memorable experience for the whole Senneff Sieben:
