Cinque Terre... What can I say? It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. Somehow I was lucky enough to visit such an amazing place with an amazing woman who I was lucky enough to marry. I am very grateful.
Most of our time there was spent simply soaking up as much of the natural beauty around us as possible. We went on a lot of great hikes and ate a lot of great meals. First, the food... There was so much good food to choose from, though our favorites were definitely the local seafood and pasta specialties of the region. As I posted on Instagram, one of my favorite memories (and prouder -- or, more embarrassing -- moments of gluttony) was our meal on our first night: When I couldn't bear to accept that dinner was coming to an end, I convinced myself that spaghetti for dessert was a great idea. Alexandra couldn't believe it, but I insisted. "Who knows when we'll ever be back in Italy? Spaghetti Bolognese in my mouf!" She reluctantly agreed. In her best Italian, she apologetically explained to the waitress that I have a big appetite and ordered the spaghetti. The waitress looked at me, dumbfounded, then granted us an unforgettable expression of "AIYA MAMA MIA!" before heading to the kitchen.
Some pictures from that memorable meal (there isn't much outside of Alexandra's eating repertoire, but apparently raw prawn heads are not one of her favorites):
Our hike on our first day from Monterrosso al Mare to Corniglia was a lot of fun. Though about an hour in, I stupidly slammed my knee on a rocky ledge that I had jumped on to snap some pictures. I think I was feeling extra courageous or something as a result of being so happy about where I was and what I was doing... Life has a funny (and sometimes painful) way of bringing everything back into balance.
Later on that hike, we met a really nice couple from Napa. We briefly chatted for a few minutes, working through the protocol of taking each other's pictures (they took the one below of us and our shiny faces). It turned out we had some things in common in terms of career changes and hitting the 'reset' button, but it was such a quick exchange that we went on with our day not thinking much of it. Coincidentally, that evening at dinner, we were seated right next to them. I wasn't sure how to feel about it, not wanting to impose on their time together and make them feel obligated to chat with us, but almost immediately, they bought us a bottle of wine! They said that we reminded them of themselves when they were younger, and were really happy to do so... I was blown away by their generosity, and will definitely pay it forward someday... We all shared a lot of laughs, and Alexandra and I will always value their advice on raising kids. It was a great night that we'll always remember.
Another great hike was the one we did on our last full day in Manarola (pictured at the very top), which cuts right through the town's hilly vineyards. From the hillsides, the views of the water and town are amazing. It was so nice, we hiked it twice!
We stayed a total of four nights, three in Monterosso al Mare and one in Manarola (it was supposed to be two and two, but the trains stopped running for several hours on our transition day, and we were getting more and more hangry as the sun was going down). Delicious wines (from some of the steepest vineyards I've ever seen)... Fresh and perfectly-prepared seafood and pasta... Breathtaking scenery and gorgeous sunsets over the bluest of blue seas... Cinque Terre is one of the most unforgettable places I'll ever visit in my life.
