Cinque Terre

We only made it to two out of the five towns in Cinque Terre, largely due to the fact that many of the hiking trails had been wiped out during a torrential rain which caused a series of mudslides back in 2011. But two out of five aint bad.

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We spent three days climbing the Labyrinth of staircases and cobblestone walkways that make up the streets of the towns. We spent a lot of time just sitting, watching the wild waves crashing against the ragged cliffside. We tasted some really delicious wines at a restaurant perched on the side of one of those cliffs. And despite being two out of the many tourists (mostly backpackers) doing just the same, the authentic charm of the towns won us over. The bright colors of the houses and buildings, the friendly townspeople, the sea smells, and the lack of cars (!) boosted our travel-weary souls.