Portovenere

Since we weren't going to make the mile hike into one of Cinque Terre's coastal towns we drove into Portovenere, which is at the Southern tip of them. As we got out of the car and walked along the water we realized how much we missed the Mediterranean while away. We missed the light on the rocky cliffs, the clanking of fishing boats, the fresh air, and the sounds of waves lapping. This little town with its tall pastel buildings also reminded us of home. We were excited to get back. We hiked up to the promontory where there is a little black and white, 16th-century church with spectacular views of the coast to the north. Italy's coast is more wild and less developed than France's. It was nice to see what it all probably looked like before it was "discovered".

An old castle up above

I tried to capture how beautiful it was...unsuccessfully

When we finally pulled into Menton there was a huge fireworks show going on in Old Town for the annual citrus festival.

Does it seem like this trip went on forever? It did to us! It was so good to climb into our own beds.