Food Run-Down: Cinque Terre, Italy 2009

Cinque Terre is a hidden gem on Italy’s Ligurian coast that is a must-see.  It’s becoming more and more popular, but the pedestrian-only towns with colorful buildings is still worth a trip.  If you try one dish in Cinque Terre, try the trofie al pesto – Cinque Terre is the birthplace of pesto and this dish highlights the flavors.  The homemade trofie pasta is mixed with pesto, green beans, and potatoes and goes great with a (cheap) glass of local wine.  If your visit is longer, take advantage of the fresh seafood, caught earlier that day.

Meal: Lunch at Taverno Del Capitano (Sept. 7, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) white wine (looks like a half liter)
    (2) mixed bruschetta (they all had tomatoes, and in addition we tried: capers, mozzarella, anchovies, and pesto)
    (3) pesto pizza
    (4) pesto lasagna

Taverna Del Capitano, Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

  • Price: $$-$$$ – I don’t remember the exact prices, but somewhere in the neighborhood of €10 for the main dishes. 
  • Overall thoughts: this restaurant is situated at the edge of the harbor, so it was a perfect spot to take in Vernazza on our first afternoon.  Our waiter was very friendly and was encouraging me to practice my Italian (or my Spanish, if I felt more comfortable), which was a great was to be welcomed to the city.  It was here that I really fell in love with bruschetta – the tomatoes were fresh, juicy, and full of flavor, and I loved their creative pairings with other local foods. 

Meal: Happy Hour at Ananasso Bar in Vernazza (Sept. 7-9, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) bellini
    (2) prosecco
    (3) white wine
    (4) snacks (various – they were free)

Ananasso Bar, Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

  • Price: $ – reasonably-priced drinks with a 5-star view.
  • Overall thoughts: one of my favorite spots from Cinque Terre – I still dream about this place!  We reflected on our day while enjoying a drink and watching the sun set into the water.  An added bonus was the snacks, which kept us from satisfied between lunch and dinner. 

Meal: Dinner at Trattoria Gianni Franzi (Sept. 7, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) anchovies cooked in lemon sauce
    (2) trofie al pesto (homemade Ligurian pasta with pesto)
    (3) spaghetti ai muscoli (spaghetti with mussels)
    (4) a bottle of the house white wine
    (5) local cheese (to finish the meal)

Trattoria Gianni Franzi, Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

  • Price: again, I don’t remember and I didn’t write anything down.  I don’t think anything was too outrageous throughout Cinque Terre.  Probably a $$-$$$ price range.
  • Overall Thoughts: This meal was perfect as our first dinner.  We tried it all – anchovies, trofie al pesto, seafood pasta, wine from the region, and local cheeses.  The pesto was amazing – more Parmesan cheese than I typically taste, which was a huge plus for me.  I also loved the additions of potatoes and green beans, and of course the trofie pasta itself – once mixed up, the trofie is left with a thick coat of pesto.  This is the dish to try while in the Cinque Terre!

Meal: Lunch at Dau Tinola in Corniglia, Cinque Terre, Italy (Sept. 8, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) Prosciutto e melone – €11
    (2) Spaghetti ai frutti di mare – €11.50
    (3) Trenette al pesto – €11.50
    (4) Cinque Terre “La Polenza” vino (a bottle) – €17.50

Dau Tinola, Corniglia, Cinque Terre, Italy

  • Price: $$-$$$
  • Overall thoughts: probably the worst meal in Cinque Terre, but it could have been because our experience wasn’t that great (as opposed to the food).  I will say that the trofie suits the pesto sauce better than spaghetti/linguini.  The seafood pasta was still fantastic and included a larger variety of seafood than normal.  

Meal: Dinner at Gambero Rosso (Sept. 8, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) insalata caprese – €15
    (2) tegame di Vernazza (anchovies baked with potatoes and tomatoes) – €12
    (3) mussles cooked with wine and parsley – €12
    (4) vino della casa (1 liter) – €12
    (5) dessert (not sure what it was, but there is a picture below!)

Gambero Rosso, Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

  • Price: $$-$$$ – this is getting boring, but it’s another very reasonably-priced dinner in Vernazza!
  • Overall thoughts: another restaurant underneath the umbrellas.  It seems you can’t go wrong with the restaurants around the harbor in Vernazza!  Ryan tried the fresh anchovies which are another local specialty to try while visiting (much different than the salty canned anchovies, although those are great, too!).  The crowds at the restaurant were lively, and we had fun people-watching while we enjoyed the meal. 

Meal: Lunch at Trattoria La Scogliera in Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy (Sept. 9, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) linguini alle vongole veraci (fresh clams) – €7.80
    (2) ravioli al pesto Genovese – €7.80
    (3) formaggi misti (mixed cheese plate) – €6
    (4) Cinque Terre D.O.C. wine – €15

Trattoria La Scogliera, Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy

  • Price: $$
  • Overall thoughts: Luckily this restaurant stayed open a bit later than others in the area (we didn’t make it to Manarola until a little before 2:00pm).  I stuck with one of my favorites: seafood pasta in a white wine sauce, which was an ideal lunch (light and fresh!).  Ryan wanted another round of pesto pasta, this time in the form of ravioli, which was very tasty (I still like the trofie pasta the best).  The outdoor seating allowed us to watch the busy walkway as people made their way down toward the marina. 

Meal: Dinner at La Torre (Sept. 9, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) spaghetti scoglio (“reef spaghetti” – served with crustaceans & red sauce) – €11
    (2) pesto lasagna – €10
    (3) two glasses of white wine – €5 each

Dinner Day 3, Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

  • Price: $$
  • Overall thoughts: this is a great option if you want to sneak away from the main square in Vernazza.  It’s a bit of a climb, but the result is an intimate restaurant with outdoor seating.  I would suggest going for lunch or an earlier dinner to enjoy the views of the town and sea below.  The food was consistent with our other meals in Cinque Terre – fresh, reasonably-priced, and delicious local specialties (pesto and seafood). 

Cinque Terre, and especially Vernazza, is on the top of my recommendation list for Italy. The pedestrian-only towns, the friendly locals, the carefree tourists, the sparkling sea, and the fresh and delicious food are just a few reasons to make a stop here on your trip.  Don’t forget to try many of the local specialties – trofie al pesto, fresh seafood (including anchovies!), and local wine.  I can’t wait to visit again for another taste of the Ligurian cuisine!

2009 Europe Scrapbook: Colors and Creations

The following scrapbooking layouts are some examples where I was inspired by something – colors, an object, an idea.  Our trip to Italy and France brought us to so many different cities and sights, and as I put together my scrapbook, I wanted to incorporate as much of their unique qualities as possible.  Enjoy! 

On colors: In the first two scrapbooking layouts (Burano and Vernazza), the brightly-colored paper choices were influenced by the colorful buildings seen throughout the towns. 

The only “side trip” we took from Venice was to the nearby island of Burano, known for colorful buildings and delicate lacework.  The other option we considered was Murano (known for the glass blowing), but we opted to go to the less popular, slightly further island of Burano.  We spent our time wandering through the empty streets, admiring the colorful houses, and shopping in the many lace and souvenir shops.  I wanted to capture the fun, colorful aspect of the town in my scrapbooking page for Burano.  

SuitcaseJournal: Houses of Burano, Venice, Italy

Taken on our visit to Burano, Italy. A nice break from the crowded island of Venice!

SuitcaseJournal: Burano, Venice, Italy by Kristin

Vernazza was our home base for the three nights we stayed in Cinque Terre (the other four fishing villages in Cinque Terre are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, and Monterosso al Mare – we spent at least a little bit of time in each).  All five fishing villages are known for their colorful buildings.  I wanted to construct the Vernazza scrapbooking page by capturing the dominating salmon and yellow colors of the buildings and the beautiful aqua of the Mediterranean. 

SuitcaseJournal: Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

A picture taken on our hike from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare.

SuitcaseJournal: Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy by Kristin

On creations: In Nice, we stayed at the Mercure hotel, which was separated from the Mediterranean only by the Promenade des Anglais.  This wide promenade was perfect for strolling throughout the day and one of our favorite routes to travel to different parts of the city.  I decided to recreate the look of the promenade by using gray paper for the aspahlt and white ribbon for the line separating the two sides.  While it isn’t a super accurate depiction, it’s a fun way to decorate this scrapbooking page!

SuitcaseJournal: Promenade des Anglais by Kristin

SuitcaseJournal: Close up of Promenade des Anglais scrapbooking page, made by Kristin

A closeup of the paper-and-ribbon Promenade des Anglais.

Finally, one of the last pages I completed for the Europe 2009 scrapbook was the Montmartre page, in Paris, France.  I wasn’t feeling terribly inspired, however I loved the Montmartre area and wanted to include the pictures and memories from that time on our trip.  I had a thought of using a chevron design for the background, but couldn’t find anything that fit what I was looking for.  So, I decided to make my own background.  I love this because it’s something anyone can do – I used a ruler, a pencil, and scissors.  No special scrapbooking tools.  Best of all, I was able to choose the colors and exactly how I wanted the design laid out on the page.

SuitcaseJournal: Montmartre, Paris, France by Kristin

I don’t always have a great idea or use the colors of the photos to influence my pages, but when I do, I generally love the results! My favorite of the above layouts is probably the Vernazza page – the layout is clean and those colors look fabulous together.