We had a relaxing morning for our first full day in Italy. We slept in and then had a leisurely breakfast of fresh croissants and espresso on our balcony while taking in the view of the sea and town. This was what I dreamed of before coming here. The cool fresh breeze. The gentle ocean waves.  The old lady feeding her chickens across the town while countless vineyards looming above her. I was in pure heaven. 

Although we would have been content to sit on our sweet balcony all day, we decided we should get out and explore. Monterosso al Mare was on today’s agenda. It is the largest and farthest north town in the Cinque Terre. It is also where a bunch of the tourist stay since they have bigger hotels, more restaurant selections, and flatter roads.

But, first, a quick selfie in the alleyway outside our  apartment! 

We hopped on a quick 5 minute train ride from Manarola to Monterosso. As soon as you exit the train station, you can immediately feel the difference between the two towns. Monterosso has a beachy resort town vibe to it. Brightly colored umbrellas line the rocky beach, and throngs of tourists walk along the sidewalk stopping to admire stalls of paintings, order a gelato, or sip on an espresso. It is different but amazing all the same.

We skipped on sitting on the beach since we had our own beautiful blue water to swim in back in Manarola, and instead we set out to explore the town. We started out by walking along the shore and just taking in all the sights and sounds. It was a gloriously sunny day!

Past all the umbrellas and beach goers, the path suddenly takes a turn up the mountain side. It doesn’t look like it goes anywhere in particular, but I knew there were some stunning views from the top, so that’s where we headed. We were not disappointed. The view was absolutely amazing with the coast stretching out before us and rocky cliffs meeting the blue water. 

After taking in the sights, probably 90% of the people turned around and went back down to the beach. But we continued onwards. At the top, we found an adorable little monastery surrounded by a cemetery. We wandered into a little chapel and listened to the monks singing (probably a recordings, but I don’t care), and then we slowly made our way through the cemetery trying to pick out the oldest gravestones. The cemetery meandered around and offered views of the town, hillsides, and sea. So peaceful. So relaxing. And Oh So Italian.

After coming down from the cemetery, we then found the cutest little restaurant perched on an outcropping overlooking the coastline and sea. We ordered a couple of Aperol Spritzes and enjoyed the view while nibbling on olives and prosciutto. Could it get more romantic than that?

Next up, we ventured into the historic part of the town and wandered into all the quaint little shops. One of our favorites was a pottery shop where we ended up getting a little olive bowl just like the one we just had at the restaurant. 

And, of course, you can’t go anywhere in Italy without stopping for a mid-afternoon gelato snack. On the menu for today was dark chocolate, tiramisu, and pistachio.

We wrapped up our day trip to Monterosso al Mare with a quick visit to the harbor. We got a bottle of local wine and fried calamari and then enjoyed watching the locals take their wooden boats out for a ride. 

After our adventure in Monterosso al Mare, we headed back to our apartment to catch sunset from our balcony. It was adorably romantic. We nibbled on focaccia  and fruit, sipped Aperol Spritzes, listened to the chatter and clinking of families having dinner al fresco, and watched the sun fade into the sea. Magical!

Then it was time for dinner. Our apartment host made reservations for us at Trattoria dal Billy, and we were super excited. It is one of the best places to eat in the Cinque Terre! We each quickly picked out what we wanted for entrees, but we had a little trouble deciding on an appetizer. Our waiter recommended an octopus and potato salad, and it did not disappoint! The octopus was so tender and flavorful and not the least bit fishy, and the potatoes had soaked up all the yummy juices. Paired with the excellent house red wine…molto bella! For our entrees, Nisheet had freshly cut pasta with locally caught mussels and topped red pepper oil. I had homemade Trofie pasta with pesto . Both were seemingly simple dishes, but they were extraordinary. The flavors were bright, fresh, and delicious. Mmmm mmmm.