From A to Z

When you think of taking a trip somewhere, you typically think about what you are about to see. There are certain places however that are more than just their scenery as they can tickle all 5 of your senses. Africa was the first place I visited that did just that. But it didn't just tickle my senses, it punched them around like one of those unbelievably sculpted warriors in the movie 300 would a rag doll. Anyone know if their abs were real? Just wondering...

Last Saturday the Boy, Monsters and I trained from Zurich to Cinque Terre, Italy and discovered another place that is much more than just its scenery. Lying along the dramatic northeastern coast of Italy, Cinque Terre literally translated means "five lands" and is composed of 5 towns, each with their own unique character. They got their start as tiny fishing villages and later added grape and olive production to their repertoire giving Cinque Terre its famous terrace landscape. Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a result of its rugged beauty and location along dramatic coastline in the Italian Riviera making it the tourist mecca it is today.

Once heralded a secret getaway for the European traveler, Cinque Terre is now a hot spot destination teeming with travelers from all over the world. This is in some part due to our favorite dorky travel writer and TV personality: Rick Steves. Rick is either loved or loathed depending on the local you ask. One particular restaurant owner showed me his well worn copy of "Rick Steves Italy" every time I bought a fricken chocolate filled croissant...which was often my hips are sad to say (and my hips don't lie). It took all my willpower to not say "Yeah...I get it, you made it in a freakishly tall travel writer's book...yay". Even though Cinque Terre's secrecy is gone, it maintains its authenticity as the locals are a proud people and believe in maintaining the many traditions of their tiny but steep world.

Over the course of the next 5 days, I am going to talk about this magical little place and how it impacted all 5 of my senses. Today you will just have to settle for a little introduction and eye candy to get you wanting for more.