Cinque Terre: Manarola

Manarola, built on a high rock 70 metres above sea level, is one of the most charming and romantic of the Cinque Terre villages. The tiny harbor features a boat ramp, picturesque multicoloured houses facing the sea, a tiny piazza with seafood restaurants. … The village is all ups and downs, with steep narrow alleys carrugi, leading to the sea. At the top of Manarola is the church of San Lorenzo built in 1338 in Gothic Ligurian style. Today it serves as a religious and community meeting place, but in more ancient times, the bell tower was used as a post to watch for potential pirate raids. (from http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com)

It is indeed a picturesque and charming village. The photos will speak for themselves.

Me, Fr. Bill Dickinson, Fr. Jim Walsh, Fr. Dennis Yesalonia SJ

When we got to the train station to make our way back to La Spezia, the storm clouds off the coast had dispelled, and the sun peeked through the clouds in a most dramatic way.

Then back at La Spezia, we had dinner at a nice little restaurant. All the popular restaurants (recommended by Fulvia and the concierge at the hotel) took reservations, and had no openings. But we had a good meal anyway … a little pricey, but good.

I only have photos of these dishes since I forgot to take any after the meal got going. Sorry. This is a lasagnette with zucchini and cheese.

This is prosciutto with pineapple, a starter.

This is pasta with the famous local pesto sauce. Didn’t look like much, but apparently was very good. I had the lasagnette above.

The next day, after getting a good night’s sleep, we headed back to Rome. It was an uneventful trip, considering the day before. But at least the day was a lot shorter as well. Back to work on Monday … and I mean class.