Sunny, Seaside Cinque Terre

The pretty harbor of La Spezia, from where we set out on our day trip to Cinque Terre

When I set up the tour itinerary, I had made Pompeii a mandatory excursion. Pisa I kept as optional, though. About 2/3's of the travelers signed up for it. The other teacher would lead that group, while I took responsibility of the rest. The Pisa group said they had a great time and enjoyed it a lot. For the rest of us, we had discussed what we would do on this free day. One proposal I made early on was to take a day trip to Cinque Terre -- a scenic collection of coastal villages. Hiking paths run along the hills above the villages, and boats cruise the coast. A couple of the adults were leery of the hiking, so we settled on a boat ride which stopped in all the villages. It was a hop on, hop off, ferry schedule. So, we could get off for awhile, check out the village, and then board the next one going up the coast. When we reached Monterosso, we could take the local train back to, where we began in La Spezia. I bought the train tickets the night before, and looked up the ferry schedule online to get an idea of what we were in for.

Cruising along the Italian seacoast

Everything worked like a charm. We caught our first train, and after an hour changed trains in Viareggio. The next one was shorter, and we were soon in La Spezia, the pretty port town where the ferry route began. The tourist information office gave us an updated schedule and map to find the docks. We bought our tickets, and after a short wait, boarded the ferry, the kids selecting the upper deck for the open views on all sides. The day was a beautiful, sunny one. The sea breeze cooled the warm day -- perfect weather for a boat ride!

Churchs and Castles -- or buildings that were a little of both, commanded the coastal hillsides

The cruise along the Italian coast was gorgeous, with steep, green cliffs diving abruptly down to translucent blue waters. Castles and towers staked out commanding views, as did churches. The villages were often hidden in the folds of the hills. As we rounded a corner, they would unfold colorfully in slow motion. Bright yellows, pastel reds and tans, and gleaming white buildings gave each village or town a unique, but related face. It was as if each were a cousin to the other, showing a clear family bloodline in its features, but recognizably different.

Portovenere, named after the Roman goddess of beauty and love, Venus

Our first stop was at Portovenere, a lovely village named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love. We disembarked and walked along the waterfront, looking for a quaint cafe with a breezy view to have lunch. We watched the locals and tourists amble along the walkway, the kids being scandalized by the skimpiness of fashionable Italian swimwear. The yachts of the wealthy caught our eyes, and we settled into our seats enjoying the relaxed pace of Cinque Terre.

Beautiful, Cinque Terre scenery on a sunny day

At the next stop, Riomaggiore, we decided to let the kids wade in the Mediterranean Sea. We followed the rocky path to the rocky beach, and the kids gingerly took off their shoes or sandals to wade in up to their calves. We took some pictures, wondered at how the sunbathers could lay out on rocks and boulders, and then packed up to catch the next ferry. The next village in line, Corniglia, has too steep and rocky of an inlet for the ferry, so we just took pictures as we sailed by. We also did not get off at Manarola, but decided to make a gelato stop at Vernazza.

Wading in the historic Mediterranean Sea

Vernazza was one of my favorites, but honestly, all Cinque Terre are quaint gems of towns. There is a tiny arc of muddy beach, protected by a rocky spit of land. Kids dive from cliffs into the deeper pools, while buildings cling precariously to every level space available. Towers sprout up here and there in town, and the buildings are bedecked in beautiful colors that vibrantly throw back the sunlight. All of the kids loved Italian ice cream, or gelato, and some set out to try every flavor, which necessitated multiple indulgences over the course of one day.

A stop for gelato in beautiful Vernazza

Our time in Vernazza ended too soon, and we sailed off to our final stop, the largest of the Cinque Terre, Monterosso. Since we'd been pushed along by the ferry schedule (always wanting to catch the next ferry after disembarking) we promised ourselves to take our time and linger in our final stop. We walked through the town, poking into black and white striped Genovese churches, checking out souvenirs, and buying refreshments. We saw frequent trains whizzed by on the hillside overhead, so we were in no hurry. It was a fitting end to a relaxing, beautiful day on Italy's sea coast. The sun shined brightly throughout, the breezes kept it from getting too hot, and the kids were wonderfully behaved. Their excitement at the sights amplified the pleasure the adults were feeling, too. After a steady diet of history on the tour, Cinque Terre was a tasty dessert for the eyes -- a whole new flavor of Italy for my travelers to sample.

Beautiful Monterosso is a lovely place to stroll around