From Vernazza, we took a quick boat ride to the fourth village of the day, Monterosso al Mare. It was extremely rocky getting on and off the boat, so just a warning for all of you folks who get sea sick. If you’re up for the task, there’s a monastery (Church of San Francesco – Capuchin Friars Monastery) you can check out, but it’s a bit of a hike. Though I’m sure if you can handle hiking from one village to the next, this should be a piece of cake for you. If you go at certain times of the day, you might be able to hear the monks singing Gregorian chants. Even if you’re not interested in seeing the monastery, you should still take the hike. About halfway or so, you get a great view of Monterosso. This is also where I happened to buy a bottle of limoncello (also known as limoncino), which is lemon liqueur. It’s a digestif, so you’re supposed to drink it after your meal. Supposedly, Cinque Terre is a well known region for producing this drink. I didn’t get a chance to try it while there but I did try the bottle that I bought when I got home. I wasn’t a fan – too sweet for my taste.

