| gonetraveling.com "I am a part of all that I have met. Yet, all experience is an arch where through gleams that untraveled world where margin fades, forever and forever when I move." |
| cinque terre |
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| We didn’t realize how much we missed Laguna Beach until our car pulled onto the narrow, winding road headed for Cinque Terre. It had been more than two months since we had seen the ocean and we could almost taste the salt water before we even arrived at our seaside destination. Cinque Terre, or “five lands”, makes up some of the Italian Riviera’s most spectacular scenery. Sheer cliffs, pounding surf, tiny villages that can only be accessed by foot and no tourists due to the off season, we were in heaven. We settled at the Villa Argentina, an art deco hotel perched above Cinque Terre’s easternmost village Riomaggiore. Instantly we felt at home, and then proceeded to make their lobby our home away from home. |
| 2002-2003 |
| > a gastronomic tour > via dell'amore > marnello > spilamberto > bologna > lasagna in florence > montalcino > siena > san gimignano |
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| > italy |
| > home |
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| Angelo, the hotel’s manager and brother of the owner, gave us our first lesson on the wines, “champagne” and Limoncello of Cinque Terre; complete with tasting. We learned that you never order red wine in the Cinque Terre region, only whites; and that their terraced vineyards are most famous for producing dessert wines with a high alcohol content. We enjoyed it all. We also had a chance to catch up on all of the Hollywood gossip—Charmane was kind enough to lug quite a few copies of various entertainment magazines with her. |
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| villa argentina |
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| Originally our expectations for Cinque Terre were limited to breathtaking scenery, but we were pleasantly surprised by two restaurants in the heart of the town. La Taverna not only offered a panoramic view of the harbor, but we enjoyed fantastic pastas and a hearty lasagna. Our second restaurant, the Blue Grotto, gave us our first taste of real Italian pesto and gnocchi that literally melts in your mouth. We were so full by the time we left, we could barely make it back up the hill to our hotel. But that didn't stop us from a second round of tastings with Angelo and munching salami and cheese that Fletch had purchased from a nearby deli while in town. |