For those of you who haven't been following my blog, we recently vacationed for two and a half weeks in Italy - five days of which were spent in the breathtakingly beautiful Cinque Terre {meaning "Five Towns" in Italian}. One aspect of the area that makes it so special {besides the fact that it is absolutely stunning} is that there are hiking trails that connect the five little towns to one another. The trails get progressively more difficult as you go north, with the route from Vernazza to Monterosso being the most challenging.
A few of the trails were closed this year, so we weren't able to do as much hiking as we would like. However, we did spend the afternoon treking the Monterosso - Vernazza path. The first part of the hike was really, really hard, as you essentially climb straight to the top of the mountain. That, coupled with the fact that the trail was absolutely packed with tourists, made it exhausting and a little terrifying. But we were rewarded for our efforts with the most gorgeous views of the sea, hills, cliffs, and towns. Plus it always feels like such a great accomplishment knowing that you perseverance won out against that little voice in your head telling you to give up.
The trail concluded with postcard-perfect views of Vernazza, where we stopped to rest our legs and have some much deserved pasta and wine. All in all it was a day I will remember for the rest of my life, and just one more experience to cross off the bucket list.
