Arriving in Monterosso al Mare

We leave Sanremo, Italy, on our journey through Paris and Nice and into Italy, arriving in Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy, one of our most favorite places on the earth.  We emerge from the train station to view the beaches on a beautiful spring day.

Beaches in the spring

We check into Hotel Villa Steno and enjoy the view of the Ligurian Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean stretching from the French border to the Italian Riviera and down to the islands of Corsica and Elba) across the rooftops of the town.

View from Hotel Villa Steno

We drop our luggage at the hotel and wander down to Piazza Giuseppe Garabaldi, the main square in Monterosso's old town, to stop at the Midi Bar for an aperitivo.

Midi bar

Monterosso in the spring is incredible, with flowers freshly blooming and citrus trees bringing new lemons and oranges out for all to enjoy.  We wander back to Hotel Villa Steno and stroll through the gardens to enjoy the new fruit and flowers.

Gardens at Hotel Villa Steno

Inside the hotel, lemons that have already ripened decorate the lobby, near the mortar and pestle collection for classes in making traditional Genoese pesto from scratch (a fabulous, educational, fun, and tasty experience).

Lemons and pesto-making tools

We share sandwiches (and a bottle of wine) for dinner at Pan e Vino Stuzzicheria (mortadella and stracciatella, salami and gorgonzola, and the anchovy special), then retire for the night, rising the next morning to find that the weekly market is just down the street.

Dinner at Pan e Vino

Nighttime view

Thursday is market day in Monterosso and Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, in the old town, is filled with a bustling open-air market featuring fresh produce, local and specialty foods, and general clothing, kitchen, and household goods.  We wander down to the piazza, explore the market, and purchase a shirt and a few kitchen utensils to take home with us.

Market day in Monterosso

We're back in Monterosso al Mare for a week and are looking forward to enjoying old favorites and finding new adventures in Cinque Terre.