Italy Has More to Offer than Hilltop Towns and Great Cities

Posted on by Esterina Anderson

By Daren & Esterina Anderson.

This week Daren and I are both contributing a little something to the Travelouge.

Pinch Me

by Esterina

Yesterday morning was Saturday. Even though we’re no longer working a traditional schedule, we’re still living by—and honoring (and honestly loving)—the rhythm of weekdays and weekends. Daren was making breakfast while I was cutting up fruit when I noticed we had quite a few oranges. On a whim, I squeezed a few and made fresh orange juice. Back home, we’d occasionally have extra oranges, and I’d always think about doing something like that, but it somehow felt like there was never enough time.

It took all of a few minutes. Standing there, I found myself wondering why we hadn’t lived like this before. And then I had one of those “pinch me” moments—realizing once again that I’m living a life I always wanted to live.

This week was full of those moments! We took a short midweek trip to see the lentil flower fields in bloom. Daren will share more about that below, but I want to say how deeply lucky and grateful I felt.

First, because there are so many fewer crowds during the week, and our schedules now allow us to take advantage of that. Second, because we live close enough to experience places like this without needing a major trip. But most importantly, because our lives are so much less hectic now, I am far more present and aware while we’re actually living these moments.

The places we saw this week were breathtaking—fields of flowers stretching beneath mountains that made me feel small and humble in the most beautiful way. Simple lunches. Healthy breakfasts. Enough sleep every night. I’ve never felt healthier or more blessed.

As we navigate this year, we’ve been doing a lot of spiritual reading and having long conversations about how we want to spend the next phase of our lives. I think we both sensed that we needed to step away from our old lives for a while in order to better understand how to become the best versions of ourselves—and how to leave the world a little better than we found it.

Our conversations can range from grand ideas—like giving up every worldly possession and embracing a Francis of Assisi path—to quieter ones, like the life of Dorothea in Middlemarch, where unsung goodness, ordinary kindness, and simple acts of love become their own meaningful legacy.

What I know for certain is this: I want to hold onto beauty, presence, and these little “pinch me” moments. They remind me that I’m living a purposeful life—one where even something as simple as an extra orange doesn’t go to waste, but instead becomes part of the beauty of an ordinary morning.

Take my breath away:

by Daren

I think we both needed to be pinched as we beheld for the first time the Piana di Castelluccio (Plain of Castelluccio). We stood in silence for a moment, staring out over stunning landscape unlike anything we had seen before in Italy. This Italian adventure has been filled with so many stunning and memorable sights, but our trip to the Piana was something different. Much of the grandeur of Italy comes from a blending of natural and human achievement: a walled city perched high above a green valley dotted with cypress trees, or a small town clinging to a ledge overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The Altopiano was all about nature—a place high above the tree line in the central mountains of the Apennines, where rugged rocky outcroppings and miles of flat green plains meet an endless blue sky.

Yet even here, people have left their mark on the landscape. As we descended from the mountain pass onto the plain, we first noticed a distant sheen of yellow, followed by patches of blue and red. As we got closer, we could see clearly demarcated fields forming a patchwork of colors, almost like a quilt. These were the famed lentil fields of the high plain, and we had arrived just as the flowers were beginning to bloom.

Before this trip, I knew very little about where lentils come from and had no idea the plants produced such delicate flowers. These tiny blooms, spread across thousands of acres of the Piana, create a natural spectacle that relatively few people outside Italy know about. I learned of them through my Coffee Break Italian podcast. One of the early lessons featured an Italian teacher describing the lentil blooms of this little-known region, and I added it to my mental list of places to visit. Since the blooms are at their peak in June and early July, we decided this was the perfect time to see them for ourselves.

We learned that the nearby town of Norcia would make a good base and set out for a two-day visit. Norcia is only about three and a half hours from our home in Gaville, and we stopped in Spoleto along the way after hearing it was worth a visit. We had a sandwich in the piazza overlooking the cathedral and wandered the old streets for a while, but the town felt dreary and dead. Perhaps we caught it on an off day, but it felt tired. The truly terrible sandwiches didn’t help. We moved on.

Norcia, where we stayed for two nights, was a different story entirely. It sits near the geographic center of Italy, where Umbria, Abruzzo, and Le Marche come together. Many Italian towns are famous for a particular product: Modena for balsamic vinegar, Genoa for pesto, Parma for Parmesan cheese, and Norcia, as we soon learned, for norcineria—the art of producing cured meats. Prosciutto di Norcia and a host of other types of cured meat, are considered among the finest in Italy.

We also learned that Norcia was devastated by a major earthquake in 2016, and nearly ten years later the city remains an enormous construction site. Much of it has been lovingly restored, including the cathedral, city walls, gates, and main street. Yet many buildings remain wrapped in scaffolding, and piles of rubble and vacant lots still mark places where structures once stood, a reminder of the destruction that transformed this beautiful town.

Despite the construction, Norcia felt vibrant and welcoming. Perhaps it was the reconstruction effort itself, but the town seemed full of energy and optimism. The main piazza shone brightly with white stone buildings, and there were very few tourists. Every other storefront seemed to be a norcineria, selling cured meats, truffle products, and local pecorino cheese. Beyond a handful of restaurants and cafés there wasn’t much else, but it proved to be the perfect base for exploring the region.

We stayed in a lovely hotel right in the center of town, home to the Michelin-starred restaurant Vespasia, where we enjoyed—one of us more than the other—a multi-course tasting menu. These dinners are designed to unfold slowly, with each course presenting a creative combination of flavors, textures, and colors. Since dinner starts late in Italy, we ate well into the evening and bumped against our usual bedtime, leaving us tired and stuffed—a poor combination for a good night’s sleep. The bill took our breath away, and by the end of the evening I think we both concluded that Michelin-starred dining is not for us, especially if dinner begins at eight o’clock at night.

The next morning we packed a picnic of fruit, cheese, bread, olives, yogurt, and local cured meats and headed for the Piana di Castelluccio. The road wound back and forth into the mountains outside Norcia. It felt as though we were ascending into the sky. Then, as the road bent sharply north, the entire Piana suddenly unfolded before us. The landscape seemed impossibly vast: green plains stretching to the horizon, framed by steep mountain walls and an endless blue sky. We were above the tree line, and all we could see were green fields extending for miles in every direction.

As we descended onto the plain, we began noticing well-marked walking trails inviting visitors out into the fields. Koji was extremely enthusiastic about this idea, so we parked the car and started walking. Over the course of the morning, we stopped in several locations to explore the fields and admire the wildflowers in full bloom. At one point, I experienced a moment of genuine, spiritual awe. Standing alone in a field of blue, red, purple, and yellow flowers, I suddenly found myself surrounded by pale blue moths with spotted wings fluttering around me. Several landed gently on my shoes and pant legs. The soft colors of the flowers and the moths added flashes of color to the green canvas of the plain, creating an impression I will not soon forget.

Far in the distance we could see a town perched on a hill overlooking the plain. This was Castelluccio, the center of lentil farming in the area. As we approached, it became apparent that much of the town remained in ruins. Castelluccio had been devastated by the same earthquake that struck Norcia, and reconstruction here appears to be progressing much more slowly. The residents have created a temporary village just outside the historic town consisting of cafés, norcineria, and small farm stands selling lentils and other local products, including one of the best pecorino cheeses I have tasted in Italy. We stopped for coffee and a snack before taking one final walk onto the plain.

From a distance, the landscape around the town appears as a patchwork of colored fields. Some are pale yellow, while others appear purple, white, blue, or red. As we got closer, we could see the flowers responsible for these different palettes. Some fields were planted with lentils, while others were filled with wildflowers in bloom. The lentil flowers created subtle washes of yellow when viewed across great distances. Other fields were dominated by brilliant blue cornflowers mixed with red poppies. Some parcels were left fallow. Viewed from afar, the entire plain resembled a giant quilt stitched together from green, yellow, blue, and red fabric.

We enjoyed our picnic just off the road overlooking the fields before continuing to Forca di Presta, a high mountain pass just across the border in the region of Le Marche. Beyond the pass, the landscape changed again. High craggy peaks gave way to steep valleys, and the region of Le Marche stretched before us toward the Adriatic Sea in the east.

There was also a street food vendor selling stuffed olives, a specialty of Le Marche that we had first learned about from Stanley Tucci’s television series on Italian food and regional culture—a show I highly recommend. Naturally, we had to try them. They did not disappoint.

As we were enjoying the olives, a large flock of sheep passed by under the supervision of a shepherd and three sheepdogs, their bells clanging softly in the mountain air. Koji got to discuss work with one of the dogs and learn about life as an Italian working dog. Actually, they mostly sniffed each other for a few seconds and then moved on.

We spent nearly the entire day walking through fields, with Koji running happily ahead and the two of us simply enjoying the colors, the vistas, and the pure mountain air. Our eyes constantly shifted between distant beauty and close-up beauty: towering mountains, blue skies, and endless plains on one hand; delicate wildflowers and colorful moths on the other.

Back in Norcia, we enjoyed a light dinner and a good night’s sleep before heading home the next morning. This journey felt different from many of our previous Italian adventures. There were no great museums, famous churches, or remarkable works of architecture. Instead, the memories we carried home were of open space, wildflowers, mountain air, and a landscape that seemed almost impossibly vast. As we plan our upcoming trip to the Italian Alps, we are hoping for more moments like this—places that remind us how much beauty exists beyond Italy’s celebrated cities and towns.

Spoleto & Town of Norcia

Scenic view of a picturesque Italian village featuring stone houses with tiled roofs, surrounded by lush greenery and rolling hills under a clear blue sky.
An ancient amphitheater surrounded by greenery, with modern scaffolding for renovations, under a clear blue sky.
A shop display featuring taxidermy boar heads mounted on wooden plaques, with multiple wooden signs advertising various types of salami and cured meats, including prices in euros. Baskets of products are also visible in the foreground.
A man with glasses is interacting with a shopkeeper in a rustic store filled with various food products. A black dog is standing next to the man, observing the scene. The store features wooden shelves, trophies, and decorative items.
Front view of the Teatro Civico building featuring a pink facade, decorative elements, and a blue sky.
A monument featuring a soldier statue stands in a town square surrounded by buildings and greenery, with mountains in the background and a construction crane in the distance.
A man walking down a picturesque street lined with shops and cafes, with a historic archway and green hills in the background under a clear blue sky.
Historic buildings in a town square, featuring a bell tower and a church with a large rose window under a blue sky.
A man in a gray polo shirt stands next to a black dog on a stone pathway, with an ancient stone wall in the background.
Exterior view of a norcineria shop with a boar's head mounted above the entrance, featuring colorful chairs outside and a customer browsing inside.
A man standing outside a butcher shop named 'Norcinera Ansisini Maistro Peppe' with a black dog at his feet, next to a decorative boar statue surrounded by greenery.
Narrow cobblestone street lined with a beige building, featuring bicycles parked against the wall and flower pots hanging from windows.
Historic archway with a clock, leading to a tree-lined path, flanked by buildings on either side.
Archway entrance with the inscription 'VETVSTA NVRIA' surrounded by beige stone walls and decorative elements, leading into a street with various traffic signs.
An artistic presentation of gourmet breads and snacks, including green tea cakes, soft buns, and decorative rice crackers arranged on wooden serving trays.

Castelluccio di Norcia and Surrounding Area

A man stands on a grassy hillside with a black dog beside him, under a clear blue sky.
A scenic view of a winding road leading down a hillside, surrounded by lush green grass and mountains under a blue sky with clouds.
A smiling woman with long brown hair wearing sunglasses and a blue scarf, standing in a grassy field under a clear blue sky.
A black dog walking on a grassy path in an open field with rolling green hills and blue sky.
Wooden directional sign pointing towards Inghiotitito (Plan Grande) and Castelluccio, with distances indicated in kilometers, set against a scenic backdrop of mountains and a blue sky.
A vibrant meadow filled with various wildflowers, including daisies and purple blooms, with lush green grass and rolling mountains in the background under a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
A picturesque landscape featuring rolling green hills and a distant village nestled among mountains, with a vibrant field of red and yellow flowers in the foreground under a blue sky with fluffy clouds.
A scenic landscape featuring a vibrant field of wildflowers in red, yellow, and blue, set against lush green hills and a distant village perched atop a hill under a partly cloudy sky.
A black dog walking down a grassy path surrounded by rolling green hills under a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
A scenic landscape featuring a variety of wildflowers, including red and yellow, with a barn in the foreground and rolling green hills in the background.
A scenic landscape featuring rolling hills with lush green grass, patterned fields in various shades of green and brown, and a bright blue sky adorned with fluffy white clouds.
A vibrant field of red poppies with scattered wildflowers and green grass under bright sunlight.
A construction site featuring a tall crane under a bright sun and blue sky, with white clouds. In the foreground, there are market stalls with canopies and chairs, set against a backdrop of mountainous terrain and newly built structures.
A rustic stone building with a wooden sign and decorative elements, featuring an entrance with a menu board and potted flowers in front.
A rustic building with a colorful mural featuring flowers and the text 'Benvenuti' on its wall. The entrance has a wooden door labeled 'Proloco Castelluccio.' Nearby equipment and parking vehicles are visible under a partly cloudy sky.
A picturesque view of a stone building with decorative windows and a small outdoor seating area, surrounded by greenery and a cloudy blue sky.
A scenic view of a small village nestled in a green valley, surrounded by hills and trees under a partly cloudy sky.
A busy outdoor area with tents and vendors, featuring two people conversing in the foreground, motorcycles parked nearby, and a construction site with a crane and buildings under development in the background, set against a mountainous landscape with blue skies.
A wooden signpost with directional arrows in a green meadow, surrounded by rolling hills and a bright blue sky with fluffy clouds.
A woman wearing sunglasses smiling for a selfie in a colorful flower field with a black dog beside her, under a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
A vibrant wildflower meadow featuring bright red poppies, blue cornflowers, and white daisies among lush green grass.
A scenic view of rolling hills with a small village on top, surrounded by green fields and a colorful wildflower meadow in the foreground.
A vibrant landscape featuring rolling green hills under a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds, adorned with colorful fields of wildflowers in yellow and purple. A distant farm and a few vehicles are visible in the foreground.
A lush green landscape featuring vibrant red flowers in the foreground, with a large, grassy mountain in the background under a partly cloudy blue sky.
A scenic view of a small village on a hilltop surrounded by green mountains, with a vibrant field of red poppies in the foreground under a partly cloudy sky.
A couple sitting in a colorful wildflower field alongside their black dog, with mountains and blue sky in the background.
A woman sitting on a colorful picnic blanket next to a black dog, with a cooler nearby. A road with grass and roadside signs is visible in the background.
A panoramic view of rolling green hills and mountains under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Panoramic view of green mountains under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
A scenic view of a winding road leading towards a lush green mountain under a partly cloudy sky.
Wooden sign showing 'Forca di Presta 1542 m' at a scenic location, with parked cars and grassy area in the background.
A hand holding a bitten piece of fried food with a mountainous landscape in the background.
A flock of sheep grazing on a grassy hillside under a partly cloudy sky.

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To see a short video of this trip, check it out on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/HPgJvQzDDU4?feature=shared

Reflections on Cinque Terre and an Unexpected Find

Posted on by Esterina Anderson

by Daren Anderson

There is a place in Italy where mountains plunge straight into the sea and colorful villages cling to cliffs and tiny coves along the shoreline. Houses painted in shades of yellow, orange, and ochre cling to cliffs over the water. Above them, terraced vineyards and olive groves produce crisp local white wines and flavorful olive oil. There are five towns in all—Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. Together they comprise Cinque Terre (Five Lands), one of the most stunning and scenic places in Italy. If you’ve ever seen a screensaver or postcard featuring a picturesque Italian seaside village, chances are it was depicting one of these five special towns.

Hoping to see Cinque Terre before summer tourist season was in full swing, we headed to Liguria, the coastal region we have come to love. Here you’ll find the fabled Italian Riviera, the great port city of Genoa (the birthplace of Christopher Columbus) and, of course, Cinque Terre.

The towns of Cinque Terre were, in days past, reachable only by water, leaving them isolated and heavily dependent on the sea for food and transportation. Today, a train line runs straight through the mountains and emerges at a station in each of the five towns, making a visit remarkably convenient. Travelers can easily move from town to town by train or arrive from one of the many nearby cities and villages outside the region.

In addition, a well-maintained network of hiking trails connects the towns and provides an opportunity to walk along the cliffs, through terraced vineyards and olive groves, and enjoy spectacular views of the Mediterranean. These trails are not for the faint of heart or the out of shape. The climbs can be strenuous, although the paths are in excellent condition and exceptionally well-marked.

While we failed spectacularly in our effort to avoid tourists, we were nonetheless completely enchanted by the beauty of the towns and the magic of this special part of Italy. In a year filled with superlatives, Cinque Terre stands out as one of the very best places we have visited, and perhaps our favorite so far.

To experience Cinque Terre, we chose to stay a few miles north of the region in the seaside town of Chiavari. The five towns themselves offer limited and often expensive hotel options. In retrospect, I think we would enjoy staying in one of the villages for a few nights, allowing us to experience the early mornings and evenings before and after the day-tripper crowds descend.

On our first day, we took the train from Chiavari to the southernmost town, Riomaggiore. Koji joined us, and we planned to walk from there to Manarola, having learned that this route was the shortest and easiest. Koji is feeling his years and is probably no longer up for a difficult hike involving steep climbs in the hot sun.

Fortunately for all of us, the path connecting these two towns, known as the Via dell’Amore (Way of Love), was not really a hike at all but rather a beautifully paved walkway high above the sea, offering incredible views without any significant climbing. The sea was rough, and waves exploded against the rocks below us, sending plumes of spray into the air. The constant roar of the surf added to the unforgettable vista and provided some of the best photographs of the trip.

We enjoyed a light lunch in Manarola and spent some time wandering through the town. These villages are difficult to describe. You have to see them. Even photographs struggle to capture their charm and scale. After some gelato and a bit more exploring, we returned to Chiavari to enjoy the hotel pool and a great dinner at the hotel restaurant.

A woman standing near a railing with a scenic view of colorful buildings along a coastal cliff and a bright blue sea.
A black dog sitting on a train, looking out the window, with a colorful collar, next to a blue seat.
A coastal train station with a view of the ocean, featuring a bench on a platform with yellow markings and a small shelter. Lush greenery and a rocky cliff are visible in the background under a blue sky.
Entrance of the Cinque Terre National Park visitor center, featuring a colorful facade and information signs.
Colorful ceramic tiles arranged on a wall, featuring various intricate designs, with a sign reading 'Via dell'Amore' in the center. The wall is made of light-colored stone with a gray floor beneath.
A bustling market street in an Italian seaside town, featuring colorful buildings, pedestrians, and a fruit stand.
Narrow pathway lined with colorful boats, leading to a rocky shore by the sea, under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
A small grocery store entrance with a striped awning, featuring the sign 'coop 5 TERRE.' There is a display of fresh fruits and vegetables on a metal stand outside.
A black dog standing on a cobblestone path near a flowering tree, with red blossoms in a sunny outdoor setting.
A picturesque coastal view overlooking colorful buildings and lush greenery, with the ocean in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
A scenic view of colorful houses on a hillside against a backdrop of lush green mountains and a blue sky with clouds.
A coastal view featuring a rocky shoreline, lush green hills, and a small town with colorful buildings near the water under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
A person walking a black dog on a paved path near the coast, surrounded by greenery and a blue sky.
A vibrant narrow street scene in a coastal town with colorful buildings and balconies. Many people are walking along the street, some stopping to explore shops. White boats are visible along the sides, and the sky is bright blue with some clouds.
A metal container with the words '5 Terre Gelateria' and 'Sorbetteria' painted on it, topped with a lush green plant. In the background, there are signs advertising gluten-free and vegan crepes.
Colorful buildings on a hillside with a blue sky and boats in the foreground by a marina.
A scenic coastal view featuring colorful buildings on cliffs above rocky shoreline with waves crashing against the rocks.

We had planned this trip around the travel schedule of our good friends Cheryl and Mike, who were spending a week exploring Provence. We arranged to meet them, along with their traveling companions Greg and Suzanne, in Ventimiglia, a Riviera town located right on the French border.

We drove north that morning, passing through Genoa before arriving in Ventimiglia for a leisurely seaside lunch and an enjoyable afternoon with friends from home. The road along the Ligurian coast is a remarkable feat of engineering. At times it felt as though we spent more time in tunnels than out of them. Italy has built an extraordinary network of highways through some very challenging terrain. The drive provided a good demonstrated how dramatically geography has shaped Italy’s history. Mountains separated regions for centuries, helping create the strong regional identities, dialects, and traditions that still define the country today. The vast network of tunnels, highways, and rail lines have been revolutionary in connecting, for the first time in history, these disparate regions and fostering a deeper unity that existed before.

Group of six people smiling together outdoors by the seaside on a sunny day.

Back in Chiavari, we decided to return to Cinque Terre to see a few more of the towns and tackle a more ambitious hike. This time Koji remained at the hotel, and he did not seem particularly disappointed when he learned how strenuous the route would be. He held down the fort and guarded the room from his travel bed while we headed out to the train station.

We began in Monterosso al Mare, the northernmost of the five towns and the only one with a true beach. Our first glimpse featured the classic Italian seaside scene: perfectly arranged rows of colorful umbrellas and hundreds of people enjoying the warm weather from lounge chairs or the water itself.

While it is technically not yet summer, Italy is already warm. Days have been sunny, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s—perfect beach weather.

Monterosso quickly became our favorite of the towns we visited. It featured a beautiful church, narrow winding streets, colorful flowers, and a relaxed atmosphere that encouraged lingering. We spent quite a while exploring before beginning our hike.

The trail out of Monterosso wastes no and immediately starts climbing straight into the hills above town. We ascended for at least an hour, passing through terraced vineyards while taking in views of the Mediterranean far below. There were plenty of fellow hikers on the trail, ample shady spots for rest breaks, and clear signs directing us toward Vernazza, the next town along the coast.

The highlight of the hike comes when Vernazza suddenly appears below you. Hundreds of feet beneath the trail, the village is tucked into a narrow opening between the mountains and the sea, its colorful buildings clustered around a small harbor. A medieval tower overlooks the town, and later in the day we climbed it to enjoy yet another remarkable perspective on the coastline.

We had a mediocre pizza for lunch—proof that there is bad food everywhere, even in Italy. Food was not the highlight of our visit. In heavily touristed destinations like these, finding an exceptional meal can sometimes be difficult. Restaurants catering primarily to tourists do not always meet our increasingly finicky standards.

Even so, despite the crowds and the dozens of languages we heard around us, including plenty of American English, we thoroughly enjoyed both the towns and the region. We will undoubtedly return, perhaps a little farther outside the high season next time.

A sign requesting people to feed homeless and unloved cats using food from a nearby container. The sign is written in both Italian and English.
A scenic view of a colorful coastal village surrounded by hills and trees, with a small beach area and boats in the turquoise water below.
A stone pathway leading down to a blue sea dotted with boats, surrounded by lush greenery and flowers.
Panoramic view of a coastal village with colorful buildings by the water, featuring a sandy beach, boats in the turquoise sea, and a clear blue sky.
Narrow street lined with colorful buildings in a quaint village, featuring plants and tourists walking.
A historic clock tower with a dome and decorative tiles, surrounded by greenery and mountains under a clear blue sky.
A stone tower surrounded by greenery, with steps leading up to it and a clear blue sky in the background.
View looking up a spiral staircase inside a stone tower, featuring metal steps and a central support pole.
A panoramic view of a coastal town with colorful buildings nestled along the shore, surrounded by lush green hills and a clear blue sky.
Narrow alleyway between colorful buildings with laundry hanging between them and a clear blue sky above.
A narrow cobblestone street lined with colorful buildings and vibrant flowers, featuring a woman in casual attire posing confidently in the foreground, while tourists stroll in the background.
A vibrant street scene lined with colorful flowers and plants, featuring pink and orange blooms, rustic pots, and a sunny atmosphere. Shoppers can be seen browsing clothing stalls along the pathway.
A man and a woman taking a selfie on a hiking trail with a scenic ocean view in the background. The woman has curly hair and is wearing sunglasses, while the man is wearing a cap and sunglasses.
A wooden sign for a restaurant named 'Lapo S' located in Monterosso, Cinque Terre, displaying rustic design and wheels.
A scenic beach view featuring two large rock formations, with people swimming in the turquoise water, colorful umbrellas lined on the shore, and boats in the background against a partly cloudy sky.
A charming outdoor setting featuring a wooden bench in front of a flower display with colorful blooms on shelves, and a pizzeria sign above, creating an inviting atmosphere.
A narrow cobblestone alleyway lined with vibrant flowers and greenery, featuring a decorative white chair with a red and white striped pattern.
A view of two striped buildings in a narrow alley, with a group of people gathered in front. One building features ornate architectural details, while the other has a simpler design. The sky is clear and blue.
A person stands on a path with a railing, overlooking a scenic coastal view featuring a beach, colorful buildings, and lush hills in the background.
Wooden directional signs on a stone wall indicating the distance to Vernazza and Monterosso.

I cannot end this blog without talking about Chiavari, which somewhat unexpectedly has earned a place on our short list of favorite towns in Italy.

We selected Chiavari simply because of its proximity to Cinque Terre and because we found an attractive hotel at a reasonable price. What we discovered was a gorgeous and authentic town featuring a seaside promenade, fountains, parks, a beautiful piazza, rocky beaches, a marina, and miles of elegant porticos.

We knew almost nothing about the town before arriving and spent many hours wandering its streets and stumbling upon beautiful surprises. The town was clean, well maintained, and refreshingly authentic. There were relatively few foreign tourists. Instead, the streets and promenades were filled with Italian families, babies, teenagers, parents, grandparents, and people with disabilities, all sharing public spaces together. We saw circles of teenagers chatting on the beach. Groups of elderly gathered on park benches together, families with strollers, and dogs everywhere. There were small dogs, large dogs, elderly dogs, puppies, all walking, running, sniffing, tugging, and occasionally barking. Hands down this was the most dog-friendly town we’ve seen in a country that is renowned for its dog-friendliness.

The combination of such a rich mix of people, a lovely and well-kept city, and a relaxed seaside atmosphere created a great sense of energy and vibrancy. Chiavari felt alive in the best possible way.

A scenic view of a marina filled with sailboats and yachts, surrounded by buildings and mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
View of a marina at sunset with numerous boats and yachts, a person leaning on a railing, and mountains in the background.
A couple stands on a seaside promenade, smiling for a selfie. The woman has long hair and sunglasses, while the man wears a t-shirt and glasses. Behind them is a pebbly beach with people and buildings along the coastline under a partly cloudy sky.
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View of a beach with blue umbrellas and lounge chairs set up on pebbly shore, with a calm sea and cloudy sky in the background.
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A beach scene with colorful red and yellow umbrellas set up over lounge chairs, along a pebbled shore with gentle waves lapping at the waterline and yachts visible in the distance.
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A dock with striped blue and white boats, featuring a visible Italian flag, and a scenic view of the water and harbor in the background.
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A person walking a black dog along a waterfront promenade with cloudy skies in the background.
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Evening view of a coastal promenade with striped beach umbrellas and a Mexican flag, under a cloudy sky.
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A circular window frame embellished with vibrant purple bougainvillea flowers against a textured white wall.
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A picturesque street view featuring colorful buildings, with a focus on a pink church dome in the background. Motorcycles are parked along the cobblestone street, and outdoor cafes with red umbrellas line the area.
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A scenic square in Chiavari, Italy, featuring a decorative fountain, a statue, and colorful historic buildings. People are gathered around, and there are flowers and greenery in the foreground.
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A winding pathway bordered by a wrought iron fence, leading towards a terraced garden with lush greenery and tall palm trees in the background, showcasing a scenic architectural structure.
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A street view of a charming Italian square lined with colorful buildings, outdoor cafes, and trees, with a glimpse of the sea in the background under a pastel sunset sky.
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A serene pathway lined with flowering plants and a green fence, under a clear blue sky adorned with distant purple blooms from trees.
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A bowl of mixed fruit including melon, kiwi, and cantaloupe on a table, with a view of the sea and cloudy sky in the background.
A beachside view at sunset, featuring lounge chairs with blue umbrellas lined up on the pebble shore, a calm sea, and distant mountains under a pastel sky.

As always seems to happen with places we love, our days in Liguria passed far too quickly. We returned home with sore feet, hundreds of photographs, and a growing conviction that Liguria may be our favorite region of Italy. We came for Cinque Terre, but in some ways it was Chiavari, the unexpected discovery, that lingered most in our minds.

Either way, we’ll be back!

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