My friend, Amol, gave me the challenge to eat gelato at every single village at the iconic Cinque Terre. He didn't know that one must never underestimate the power of a food blogger who can eat 5 cups of gelato (plus a focaccia for breakfast and 2 full pasta dinners) all in one day. Suffice to say, I passed his challenge with flying colors.
 |
| Painting of all 5 villages. |
The night before I prepared myself well. My hotel in La Spezia was a stone throw away from the highly recommended (both from the locals and Tripadvisor) Dai Pescatori, an unassuming cafeteria that serves fresh seafood catch. In my entire adventure in Italy, they had the best pasta ever- al dente linguine with squid, tomatoes and hints of parsley.
 |
| Simple, yet the most delicious no-frills pasta I've had in Italy. |
 |
| Piping hot calamari all to myself :) |
The next day, I ventured bright and early to take the train from La Spezia to Cinque Terre. Just like anywhere you go in Europe, be careful of your belongings since pick pocketing is very common in crowded areas!
My strategy was to first go to the furthest village, Monterosso, and make my way down to Riomaggiore. My next strategy was to figure out how to pace myself to complete my gelato challenge. Just like the varying degrees of landscape in the five photogenic towns, I chose the flavors of my gelato to fit the scenery.
1. Monterosso - This is the perfect seaside town to take a dip in the Mediterranean sea. Among all the villages, Monterosso has a sand strip before the blue waters which is perfect of getting a tan or just chilling by the beach. I found the best focaccia in town for breakfast and then immediately got a scoop of gelato for dessert. My pistachio gelato with its grainy texture was the right fit for walking on the sandy shoreline.
 |
| Flavorful pistachio |
 |
| I wonder how they carved out this human shape. |
 |
| Soft and melt-in-my-mouth mushroom and cheese focaccia. Why does focaccia in the US doesn't taste like this? |
 |
| The Mediterranean sea so blue. |
 |
| Straciatella gelato in Vernazza. |
 |
| Even with many boats docked, many still took a dip in the water. |
 |
| A view of Vernazza. |
So what's special about Cinque Terre's basil? According to Liguriaguide.com, "the Cinque Terre Basil together with the tiny hothouse Genovese basil are the two best known and sought after Riviera’s basil varieties. It is widely agreed that the Greeks are responsible for bringing the basil herb to Italy from Persia. Its botanical name, Ocimum basilicum, derives from the classical Greek meaning "swift" and "kingly" suggesting that basil germinates and grows quickly and is of noble or refined character." Noble, indeed.
The Cinque Terre Basil together with the tiny hothouse Genovese basil are the two best known and sought after Riviera’s basil varieties. It is widely agreed that the Greeks are responsible for bringing the basil herb to Italy from Persia. Its botanical name, Ocimum basilicum, derives from the classical Greek meaning "swift" and "kingly" suggesting that basil germinates and grows quickly and is of noble or refined character. - See more at: http://www.liguriaguide.com/cinque-terre-basil.html#sthash.tlKwZs7B.dpuf
The Cinque Terre Basil together with the tiny hothouse Genovese basil are the two best known and sought after Riviera’s basil varieties. It is widely agreed that the Greeks are responsible for bringing the basil herb to Italy from Persia. Its botanical name, Ocimum basilicum, derives from the classical Greek meaning "swift" and "kingly" suggesting that basil germinates and grows quickly and is of noble or refined character. - See more at: http://www.liguriaguide.com/cinque-terre-basil.html#sthash.tlKwZs7B.dpuf
The Cinque Terre Basil together with the tiny hothouse Genovese basil are the two best known and sought after Riviera’s basil varieties. It is widely agreed that the Greeks are responsible for bringing the basil herb to Italy from Persia. Its botanical name, Ocimum basilicum, derives from the classical Greek meaning "swift" and "kingly" suggesting that basil germinates and grows quickly and is of noble or refined character. - See more at: http://www.liguriaguide.com/cinque-terre-basil.html#sthash.tlKwZs7B.dpuf
The Cinque Terre Basil together with the tiny hothouse Genovese basil are the two best known and sought after Riviera’s basil varieties. It is widely agreed that the Greeks are responsible for bringing the basil herb to Italy from Persia. Its botanical name, Ocimum basilicum, derives from the classical Greek meaning "swift" and "kingly" suggesting that basil germinates and grows quickly and is of noble or refined character. - See more at: http://www.liguriaguide.com/cinque-terre-basil.html#sthash.tlKwZs7B.dpuf
 |
| The mountainous village of Corniglia. |
 |
| Best basilico gelato ever! Very refreshing and light. |
 |
| Buzzling Manarola. |
 |
| Shopping for some souvenirs. Limonetto, anyone? |
 |
| Cinque Terre makes their own wine too. Love how the locals are self-sufficient. |
 |
| Grappa for aperitivo. |
 |
| A very sour limone gelato. |
 |
| A not so sour view of Manarola. Can't complain. |
 |
| A platter of anchiovies. |
 |
| Not the best linguine vongole but still looking good. |
 |
| Raisins and coffee gelato makes a good pick-me-up. |
 |
| Kayaking into the sunset. |
 |
| Even their wines are on the sour side. Pairs well with the salty fish. |
 |
| Shrimp cocktail with real shrimps and caviar on top. |
 |
| Joyce and our seafood spaghetti al Cartoccio (baked in foil). |
 |
| Salty baked fish. |
 |
| Leaving with you with a beautifully plated tiramisu. It tastes as good as it looks! |
Til the next (mis)adventure, folks!
