Vacations Blog

Manarola from the hiking trail

The Cinque Terre region of Italy is one of the most beautiful spots in the country. Cinque Terre means “Five Lands” in Italian and is a collection of five small villages nestled into the cliffs on the Ligurian Sea. The villages were founded on agriculture and fishing, but now survive with the help of tourists dollars.

Cinque Terre is an easy day trip from Florence, Pisa or Milan (Pisa is the closest airport), but you should plan at least two days on the shortest trip, and more like 4-5 if you really want to relax. There’s not a whole lot to do in Cinque Terre really, but that is its charm.

Each of the five villages has its own distinct personality. Monterosso is the most resorty of the towns. It is the only one with full-service hotels and a true beach – though it is a rocky one. Just south of the town is Vernazza, another village popular with tourists and known for its picturesque harbor (it also has a very small beach).

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Lake Como, Switzerland

I was 16 years old when I visited Lake Como, Switzerland.

That was over *cough, cough* a lot of years ago, but it’s a place that instantly carved itself into my heart and I vowed before leaving to return someday.  I have traveled to many places since then, and Lake Como remains one of my favorite locations on Earth.

Lake Como is located between Milan and Switzerland and my visit there was a short day trip in the middle of an Italian vacation.  We made our way to the town of Como from Milan and spent time shopping in the village before touring the lake itself. Read More »