This is it folks! The moment none of you have been waiting for you. Fresh, off the boat, Cinque Terre pictures that look the same or worse than the millions of CT pictures out there. It took me 8 trips or so to finally see the famous five villages – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Rick Steves, Monterosso. Its not official yet, but as you can see, there’s a strong push to rename one, so I’m just one step ahead.
But in order to combat the Rick Steves fan club, and fully appreciate the villages, one needs to stay here for at least a few nights. And since driving inside the National Park is extremely limited, its better to stay outside, in places like Levanto or Porto Venere. Consider Hotel Abetaia, near Levanto. Comfortable, quiet (in the middle of the woods, but modern), good food. And they set you up with a parking permit in Levanto. Consider staying at least 2 nights in order to have a full day at the villages. Here’s a full day sample itinerary:
Park in Levanto by the train station
Take train to Monterosso al Mare
Hike to Vernazza (Moderate. Wear appropriate shoes, otherwise they will stop you and turn you around. We witnessed it)
Have lunch at Il Pirata delle 5 Terre. Sicilian brothers making all sorts of seafood magic. Try the tuna. You may experience heaviest crowds at this village
Take a boat to Riomaggiore to see the village from the water. Explore Riomaggiore – walk up to the church and Castello.
Take train to Manarola. Make sure to take the correct scheduled train that will stop at Manarola. Not every passing train does. We initially got on the wrong train and quickly came out,
Have an early dinner at the awesome Cappun Magru and have the namesake dish. Its the perfect place with the perfect opening hours for this itinerary.
Explore Manarola including a walk on top by the vineyards to see Manarola from above. Then see the Sunset from the Manarola Scenic Viewpoint (see Google Maps). This is why you are here.
Take train to Levanto
Write thank you note, or name first born, Ziggy
Ahhh, Genoa! The name that triggers no emotion, confusion, and even anger sometimes. Why is this guy writing about Genoa now. What happened to Venice, Rome, and that Cinqua Terras place that he supposedly visited and only wrote about 
To say that Cappun Magru offers the best Cappun Magru in Cinque Terre is a fair assessment. Its the only one making it. This old Ligurian specialty is slowly disappearing from Ligurian menus, even in Genoa where its most associated. Cappun Magru is an elaborate seafood and veggie salad to put in the simplest of forms. Its most common spelling is Cappon Magro, but here at the headquarters of EWZ, with the tagline “Eating Well, Spelling Pourly” we dont care about spelling all that much. My guess is that Cappun Magru is the more ancient spelling. Sort of like Giovanni da Verrazzano ancient spelling had only one Z. If only NYC would have known about it before spending millions to change the name.
There’s a common belief in the travel community that vacations should be all about you, and what you like to do. Stay in the type of accommodations you like. Do the things that interest you. Eat the things you enjoy the most in the setting you feel most comfortable in. “What type of food do you like?” is a common response to someone seeking dining advice on the travel boards. It rarely makes sense to me. But knowing exactly what you want and getting it when you want it, doesnt sound so wrong. Some may argue its living life to the fullest. In fact I’m often jealous of people who travel with their favorite cigars, coffee, rum, prunes. Yes, prunes. Prunes give people comfort.
You start this adventure before you even enter the place. About 15-30 minutes before in fact. To ensure a table its recommended to come before they open, otherwise you get an approx time slot, or risk missing out. If its lunch time, and they run out of space and time, they can put you on a list for dinner. Once they open (may not be on time), everyone surrounds the list reader like he is about to read the chosen names in a high school play, and about to give them free Focaccia. Then he goes “Prego” and bam, a mad rush inside. You are shown to your table or table that you’ll share with others.
Caterina Campodonico was a peasant that worked hard selling necklaces made of nuts and loafs of breads. Before she died in 1882, she was determined to show her legacy by hiring the most expensive sculptor around, Lorenzo Orengo, and a poet to build her monument. In order to do that she had to sell a lot of nut necklaces and save all her profits. So its easy to see why the “Peanut Seller” in the magnificent Staglieno cemetery in Genoa, became a symbol for the hard working people of Genoa. In the pictures below you can see her proudly wearing one of her necklaces.
Eating With Ziggy 