Cinque Terre: The First Time My Mom Came to Italy Part 2

I’ve never been prouder of my mom than I was when she came to visit me for the first time in Italy. The way she adapted to the culture so quickly, rolled with the punches and traveled at 100 miles an hour by my side made me want to keep her here forever. We had the greatest times and made some of the best memories of my entire life. And Cinque Terre will forever be one of those places engraved in my memory from that time together.

The first time I visited Cinque Terre was a solo trip (my first one in Europe actually), while Stephen was away doing Army stuff. I instantly fell in love with the little seaside towns and I have since returned time and time again. I knew as soon as my mom booked her flight to Italy that this would be the perfect place to take her – to show her what Italy is really like (besides Venice, Florence & Rome ).

Related Post: Florence, Italy: All the Must See’s from The Duomo to the Statue of David

If you haven’t read about our first day together, go back and read that post here and then return to read about our trip to Cinque Terre!

Road Trip

We hit the road bright and early on Sunday, Mother’s Day, for Monterosso al Mare – my favorite of the five towns (although often overlooked). It took us about 3.5 hours driving time from Vicenza to arrive right outside the town at my go-to parking garage. Most of the drive is via the autostrada, but the last 30 minutes or so are nothing but winding roads with glimpses of the Ligurian Sea below. I booked a room with a patio/terrace at my favorite hotel in Monterosso, Hotel Souvenir. The view from the balcony was stunning. As far as the eye could see was lush green and lemon trees, colorful homes, and the quiet hum from the streets below.

Exploring Monterosso

It was a beautiful and sunny day in Cinque Terre. After freshening up, we ventured out on foot with Presley (his first time outside of Vicenza!) and explored the town of Monterosso. The town is split into two parts via a tunnel. On the other side of Monterosso are the large beach area, the train station, restaurants, and shops. We picked a place for lunch that overlooked the beach and the seaside. Our little table in the corner of Ristorante Nuovo Eden was perfect for people watching and enjoying the warm sunshine in mid-May. Mom tried her first Spritz and a focaccia sandwich, while I downed stuffed ravioli.

Post lunch, we walked along the shore, letting little P run and expend some of his built-up energy from the long car ride. It felt wonderful to have the sand between my toes and to be at the beach with my favorite person in the world. Before heading back to the hotel for a nap, we just had to stop for some gelato – checking it off Mom’s bucket list! It was divine, as always. It wouldn’t be our last stop for gelato, either.

Our short nap back at the hotel turned into a long 3-hour nap thanks to the sound of rain bouncing off the shutters mixed with the slightly cool breeze blowing into our room and creating a dreary atmosphere. Perfect napping weather. Before the rain came, Mom and little P snuggled up together on the terrace outside – looking out over the mountains and the surrounding lemons trees.

Dinnertime in Monterosso

The temperature grew cold quickly after the sun went down. We had originally planned to find a place with a view but changed our minds after the rain came and opted for a place inside. What we found went above and beyond our expectations. We discovered the friendliest and least crowded restaurant. They had room inside to escape the rain and when we inquired about letting dogs enter, they responded with “dogs first, then people”. They immediately brought Presley dog treats and a bowl of water and I knew Moretto Lady was a place we would come to love!

The food and experience were fantastic. I had gnocchi with shrimp and stuffed mussels while Mom tried a spaghetti dish and then a steak plate. The waitress and the bartender chatted with us most of our meal, practicing their English, unusual for an Italian dinner. We had cappuccinos made for us for our dessert before heading out into the torrential downpour in the streets.

Fortunately, the streets were completely empty at that time of the night. While most stores were closed, we spotted a little shop along the way with a sign outside advertising free grappa tastings. I dragged Mom inside to try her hand at Grappa. We had lemon, which I still thought was awful, but she surprisingly enjoyed it. We purchased a few gifts and then walked back to the hotel for a great night’s sleep with the windows open and the sound of rain outside.

Day 2: Hiking to Vernazza

Monday morning, we awoke to a slight drizzle in Monterosso. We ate the incredible breakfast in the breakfast room – complete with bread, muffins, fruits, omelets, cappuccinos, etc – then checked out of the hotel. I took our overnight bag to the car real fast before we headed to the hiking trail with our light backpacks. The plan was to hike from Monterosso to Vernazza and then return via the train. I have done this hike previously, solo of course, and it is one of my top hikes of all time.

Following the signs toward the hotel on the side of the hill, we began our hike on that overcast, rainy day. Luckily, that means that not many people were on the trail at the time. The first 30 minutes into the trail are always the most brutal and seemed like endless stairs. We took lots of breaks, stopping for photographs, and enjoying the view. We weren’t in a rush, so the hike turned out not to be so difficult.

The people we met along the way were from all over the world including many from Texas, Minnesota, Seattle, and the Netherlands. A lot of people asked if I had seriously brought my dog all the way from America for this trip…which Mom and I just giggled about.

The trail was incredibly enchanting. Bridges over waterfalls and streams, lemon groves, olive groves, and vineyards galore. The rain made it a little tricky with wet rocks, but it only took us about 2 hours in total. The view coming into Vernazza was 100% worth the entire hike, despite the rain. I was high as a kite over the toughness Mom showed throughout the entire hike. She was a serious champ. We’ve never really hiked together before, except maybe once in North Carolina at Hanging Rock.

We settled into Vernazza and spotted a place to eat by the water. The sun finally came out and Mom had pesto pizza with LOTS of pesto, so she was content. It was a good day. A good day indeed. We returned to Monterosso on the train and then headed home to rest before our next big adventure. To be together, hiking one of my favorite trails of all time in Cinque Terre was a feeling I’ll never forget. My heart could’ve exploded at how happy I was having her there with me.

Other Information

Parking Garage Location:
Parcheggio Loreto Terrazza
Address: SP38, 112, 19016 Monterosso al Mare SP

Hotel Souvenir Information:
Address: Via Vincenzo Gioberti, 24, 19016 Monterosso al Mare SP
hotelsouvenirmonterosso.it

For more hiking trail specifics for Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza, visit this post:
Colorful Cinque Terre

 

Do you have any life-lasting memories with your mom? Share them in the comments below 🙂