Livorno, Italy

The port of call today was Livorno. This port provides travel plans to Pisa, Florence, Cinque Terre, and other parts of Tuscany. Todd and I had visited Pisa and Florence when we were in Italy for our honeymoon…so this trip, we decided to go to Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre is an hour and a half drive north of Livorno. It is a National Park and territory protected by UNESCO. Cinque Terre is comprised of 5 villages along the Italian Riviera coastline. The homes and buildings in the villages are built into steep slopes and cliffs. The waves crashing on the rocks between the villages and on the beaches are beautiful. The hillsides and slopes in the villages are lined with dry stacked walls with acres and acres of vineyards. The vines are planted above the houses, or across from the houses on the slopes that receive the most sun; the houses are built on the shady sides.

We enjoyed walking along the “Street of Love” which is a spectacular path along the seaside from Manarola to Rio Maggiore. The Sea is aqua blue and you forget that you are looking at the Mediterranean Sea and not a tropical ocean…it’s an amazing site.

We spent a good portion of the day in the villages. We traveled from village to village on the local train. In the last village, we had some lunch and wandered the streets. Unfortunately (for us), it was siesta time…so most shops were closed. We enjoyed the sites and the beautiful beach. And we did find a gelateria, for an afternoon gelato…something not to miss while in Italy.