Five years ago the Cinque Terre exceeded decades of expectations and anticipation. This time around, it was still stunning, but being visited after the breathtaking landscape of Lake Como, and the cliffside towns of the Amalfi Coast (both firsts for the Anderzoo), she fell just a bit short.

If I can just quickly take up a format employed by Joe; his “Ramblings” of a few years back, for just a moment to compare our visits. Also, you can flip back in time here and read what I wrote about our first impression in 2019.

• We took the ferry boat from La Spezia to Vernazza, a two-hour journey, and I must say, this route was amazing! We were able to cruise along the coastline and view all of the villages from the sea, giving us a new and incredible perspective on each of the unique villages.
• Porto Venere is the tip of the La Spezia harbor where you officially enter the Cinque Terre from the sea and my oh my it was gorgeous. When you see the pictures below, it’s wild because people actually free climb the rocks from the sea up to the massive church on the cliffside!
• There are massive amounts more tourists than there were 5 years ago, and a bit of the quaintness has worn off, replaced with a subtle yet emerging commercialized feel to it.
• Belforte is still the most incredible view to take in a meal and the local pesto and refreshing white wine was delicious. It was great to share the spot and the moment with the rest of our family!
• Gus mentioned that the villages all felt a bit smaller than they did a few years back. I felt the same, but he was also a lot smaller 5 years ago! Check out the recreation of the photo of the three of them below!
• Our guide, Boris, is best friends with our previous guide, Federico. We tried to get Federico, but he was on holiday with his family. Boris was a knowledgeable historian and hiker (23 years giving tours of the region) and eagerly wanted to share all of the best lookout points with us, but by Monterosso we had to ask him to let us roam free because when gelato is calling you’ve got to answer!
• It was awesome to partner with La Baccanti once again as the personalized and curated experience had us effortlessly moving from one village to the next with ease and care, all of the details thought through well in advance by Maria! Grazie.
• The villages are all so unique in character and very beautiful. They each have their own charm that burrow in a bit and make you want to return again.

I left envisioning the kids returning to Cinque Terre with packs on their back and with a few friends, imagining them in their 20s taking in the area through an adult lens and revisiting memories of the previous visits of their childhood. What a cool and blessed thought to imagine.

Our last excursion and tour off of the ship did not disappoint. It further solidified that as a country Italy has charmed us and put a spell on us with it’s unmatched beauty, deep and complex history, family roots, diversity of food and culture by region. It has instilled a sense of pride and gratitude for our Catholic faith, and has us longing for more after each visit.