Cinque Terre – First Impressions

If Rome is big, overwhelming, and pulsing with activity, then Cinque Terre is narrow, romantic, and relaxed. When we stepped off the train, I immediately had a sense of home. Not in the sense that Cinque Terre reminded me of home, or that it felt somehow familiar (because neither of those things are true), but rather it somehow just….fit. I felt as though, if I could just stand still for a few moments, I might be able to absorb the unique character and beauty of this picturesque place into the very marrow of my being. It’s just so shockingly and devastatingly beautiful that when confronted with it, you simply must stop and take a moment. I would imagine that leaving here must feel like having your heart broken. “To have loved and lost is better than to have never loved at all…” If you haven’t, you really must come see for yourself.