Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe.
This time, we're rebuilding medieval terraces
 here on the most beautiful stretch
 of the Mediterranean coastline,
 Italy's Cinque Terre.
The Cinque Terre is five little towns like this,
 beautifully isolated in the most seductive stretch
 of the Italian Riviera.
For me, the best bits of Italy are traffic-free,
 and in this unique mix of Italian culture and nature,
 there's not a Fiat in sight.
We'll explore five rugged, little port towns,
 ride a wine train high into the vineyards,
 make pesto in its birthplace,
 dive from spectacular cliffs...
 Whoo!
Buy flowers from a singing florist...
 [Singing in Italian]
 And hike, soaking up more sun and scenery
 than you can imagine.
In the south of Europe is Italy,
 and between Florence and Genoa lies the Cinque Terre.
We'll see all five towns,
 starting in Vernazza.
Then we hike to Corniglia,
 Manarola, and Riomaggiore
 before catching the boat
 to Monterosso al Mare.
The Cinque Terre, which means "Five Lands,"
 was originally described in medieval times
 as "the five castles."
Tiny communities like this grew up
 in the protective shadows of their castles,
 their people ready to run for refuge
 at the first hint of a Turkish pirate raid.
As the threat of pirates faded, the communities grew,
 with economies based on fish, olives, and grapes.
Today, the big employer is tourism.
Each rugged little town is a variation on the same theme --
 a well-whittled pastel jumble of homes filling its ravine.
These days, the castles,
 which used to protect the towns from marauding pirates,
 guard only glorious views.
This 10-kilometer stretch of the Italian Riviera
 is the rugged alternative
 to the more glitzy Riviera resorts nearby.
The traffic-free charm
 is a happy result of its natural isolation.
Just sun, sea, sand -- well, pebbles -- and people.
For me, this is Italy at its most relaxed.
For a home base, choose among the five villages.
Each has a distinct personality,
 gently and steadily carving a good life
 out of the difficult terrain.
You approach the Cinque Terre by train
 through long, dark tunnels.
Explosions of Mediterranean brightness
 hint at the wonders to come.
Milk run trains tie the villages to each other
 and to the outside world.
The first train line cutting through
 this tough, mountainous coastline
 was an engineering marvel for its day.
It was carved out of these mountains
 just after the unification of Italy back in the 1870s.
Built with the same determined spirit that united Italy,
 this train line literally helped tie together
 the newborn country's diverse regions.
We start in Vernazza, where the big news
 is the hourly arrival of the train,
 bringing an almost rhythmic surge of visitors into town.
There's one main street.
It runs from its train station
 down to the sea.
Of the five towns,
 Vernazza has the closest thing to a natural harbor.
The old castle no longer says "stay away."
Instead, it seems to welcome people-packed excursion boats.
Settle into a comfy spot on the breakwater.
Study the arrangement man and nature have carved out here
 over the last 15 centuries.
Crumpled hills come with topographical lines,
 a terraced, green bouquet
 of cactus, grapevines, and olive trees
 blanketing the surrounding hills.
Each town is honeycombed with a range of rooms
 apartments, and small hotels.
Rentable private rooms, called  camere ,
 are the best values throughout the Cinque Terre.
This gang rented a place with a homey living room
 and a small but fully equipped kitchen.
This couple chose a perch right above the piazza.
[Bell ringing]
 The adjacent church bells chime through the day,
 but thanks to an agreeable town priest,
 they're silent through the night.
In Vernazza, the action is at the harbor,
 where you'll find
 a kids' beach, plenty of sunning rocks,
 and a wealth of cafes and restaurants.
Like a breakwater keeps out
 the waves at the bottom of town,
 a gate stops traffic at the top.
No cars enter this village of 600 residents,
 except early on Tuesdays when trucks and vans roll in
 for the weekly tailgate-party street market.
While most tourists are still in their rooms,
 villagers, some who've never set foot in a modern mall,
 do their shopping.
The mobile market serves a different town each day.
The flower stand is a family affair.
For 20 years of Tuesdays,
 the Lombardo family has set up right here.
And the son, Eros, florist by day and opera singer by night,
 sells flowers with a dramatic flair.
[Singing in Italian]
 [Applause]
 The people of these towns are proud of their heritage.
They brag that, while big-time Riviera resorts nearby sold out,
 the Cinque Terre is still locally owned.
The families remain tight, and they go back centuries.
Until the coming of the train and tourism,
 these towns were very remote
 and heavily dependent upon the sea.
Even today, traditions survive,
 While nothing like past generations,
 small-scale fishermen still earn their living
 working their nets while the tourists play.
And each day, restaurateurs count on these men
 to keep their diners smacking their lips.
And each of the five villages actually retains
 a distinct dialect.
Every village have a different dialect.
What's an example?
Example, for talk about "married,"
 in Vernazza is "sposato."
Sposato.
And if you're married in Riomaggiore?
Accompagnato.
Very different.
So when you hear somebody, you know what village they live in.
Yes, sure.
From the main street, you can pop in
 to a series of narrow-stepped lanes, called  carrugi .
These zigzag every which way.
In the densest parts of town,
 these lanes became interior passages.
If you keep climbing, eventually,
 you'll pop out up at the top near the castle,
 handy for fleeing attacks.
The castle is nicknamed "belforte,"
 "the place of loud screams," for the warnings shouted
 from its tower back in pirating days,
 A tower has stood guard here for a thousand years.
Visitors climb to the top for the view
 and to imagine past raids.
Today, the castle functions as a tourist lookout,
 a perch from which local daredevils dive...
 [Cheering]
 And a restaurant.
And the fort's lowest deck is perfect
 for a romantic meal.
For a sweet dessert wine, sip the local  sciacchetrà .
It's served with biscotti, ideal for dunking.
Savor the view and the unforgettable setting.
But this submarine-strength door
 hints that the weather's not always so calm.
Mammoth waves can slam into this wall.
And as photos inside attest,
 winter storms can engulf the entire tower in waves.
Life here is subject to the dictates of the weather,
 and the people of the Cinque Terre
 know the weather by the wind.
- Bellissima giornata.
-Una bellissima giornata.
It is nice.
Yes, but I think that the weather will be changed.
Yeah, why?
Because we have now a wind from Syria, called  scirocco .
Normally, the seas will be too rough.
Then, after  scirocco , we have a wind from Libya,
 called  libeccio .
And that storm come in from the sea.
-So, from Libya, libeccio .
-Yes.
-From Syria... - Scirocco .
STEVES: Scirocco .
Bad news.
Yes, yes.
And, normally, we have, after  libeccio ,
 the wind from the north, called  tramontana .
STEVES: Tramontana .
This wind coming down from the north and cleaning the sky.
You'd be, again, una bellissima giornata.
-Good for the tourists.
-Yes, for us.
So if you know the wind...
In Cinque Terre, if you know the wind,
 you don't need the weatherman.
But the weatherman was no help
 when a freak rainstorm hit the region in October, 2011.
Like many towns built in a ravine,
 Vernazza paved over the stream that once divided the town
 in order to build this people-friendly main drag.
The city was buried in an angry torrent of mud 10 feet deep.
With the steep hillside serving as a giant funnel,
 the flash flood overwhelmed the tunnel
 containing the town's stream.
While every street-level business in town was destroyed,
 the townsfolk have rebuilt
 and are careful to keep their expanded drainage system ready
 for the next episode of violent weather.
Vernazza has recovered,
 and its main square has some of the region's
 finest restaurants.
And we're settling down for the classic dishes of the region --
 pasta with pesto and anchovies.
MAN:  Gnocchi con pesto .
The pesto is a local sauce, it's come from Liguria,
 the region where we are now.
When you come here, you must try pesto.
Basil, which loves this temperate Ligurian climate,
 awaits its fate in the mortar.
Fresh garlic, sea salt,
 and toasted pine nuts get mashed into a fine paste first.
Then the basil is added.
Gradually, the chef works it all
 into a rich, green sauce.
Like so many Italian dishes,
 virgin olive oil is mixed in.
The pesto is finished with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
And then it's poured over the pasta.
Tonight, we're enjoying it on gnocchi.
[Laughs]
 The most typical main course here -- fish.
Acciughe , or anchovies, are a regional specialty,
 served the day they're caught.
If you've always hated anchovies --
 the harsh, cured-in-salt American kind --
 try them here,
 fresh and cooked in a variety of ways.
- Acciughe .
Grazie .
-Enjoy.
From each town stretches steep terraced hills.
The ingenious monorail wine train, called a  trenino ,
 carries workers high above the villages
 where small family vineyards are tended with knowing care.
The Cinque Terre takes pride in its white wine.
Traditional farming techniques are complemented
 with modern know-how,
 as the delicate vines are prepped
 in anticipation of a hot growing season.
Historically, each family has its own small vineyard.
With the lure of the modern world,
 it's not easy to keep
 these labor-intensive traditions alive,
 but those who appreciate the heritage of their land
 seem determined to keep things going.
These hillsides have been terraced for centuries.
Someone,
 perhaps after drinking a bit too much of the local wine,
 calculated that the Cinque Terre
 has over 4,000 miles of dry stone walls,
 Built without mortar,
 they require regular maintenance.
The dry stone masons of the Cinque Terre
 are famed for their skill at artfully building
 and preserving the trails and terraces.
And the craft survives to this day,
 with skilled artisans like Giuliano Basso.
[Bell ringing distantly]
 All five villages are connected by scenic trails,
 much enjoyed by visitors.
From Vernazza, the trail leads dramatically
 along the coast and through the vineyards.
One of the essential Cinque Terre experiences
 is to get out and hike.
The trails are rough but manageable.
Sure, there are plenty of ups and downs,
 but with these views, it's well worth it.
The village of Corniglia, perched on a ridge,
 sparkles in the distance.
Corniglia, the one town not on the water,
 feels more remote than its sisters.
With a church overlooking its intimate main square,
 A couple of restaurants,
 and a handful of private rooms for rent,
 it has a relaxing vibe.
Since Roman times,
 Corniglia has been noted for its wine-making.
To this day, many families still make
 a little wine in their cellar,
 and if you manage to get invited in,
 you'll enjoy an education and, of course, a taste.
-Quanti litro qui?
-Cinquantaquattro.
54 liters, that's a lot.
Vino della Cinque Terre.
No, vino della Corniglia.
-Corniglia o Cinque Terre.
-That's better.
[Laughs]
 [Speaking Italian]
 STEVES: At the windy end of town is a belvedere,
 a breathtaking lookout perched high above the sea.
From here, you can scout the rest of your trek
 and see your next stop,
 Manarola.
There's one main path, so you won't get lost.
Trails can be congested.
Minimize crowds and heat
 by hiking early or late.
As the area is a national park,
 you'll pay a nominal admission fee
 and enjoy better-maintained trails
 and a more pristine countryside.
Whether strolling through shady olive groves,
 enjoying wide-open vistas,
 or pausing for a little sunbathing
 on your own private rock,
 the hike is a delight.
Manarola is petite and picturesque,
 a tumble of buildings filling its ravine
 above a craggy port.
The tiny harbor, with its modern breakwater,
 does double duty,
 serving both fishermen and fun seekers.
Whoo!
Cliff-diving for beginners is popular here.
In the Cinque Terre, everyone enjoys great views,
 and that includes the dead.
I'm joining my friend Monica on one of her visits
 to the cemetery perched high above her town.
Ever since Napoleon,
 who crowned himself king of Italy in the early 1800s,
 declared cemeteries are health risks,
 people in these villages
 have buried their loved ones outside the towns.
The result --
 dramatically situated cemeteries high in the hills.
With evocative photos
 and finely carved memorial reliefs,
 any are worth a visit.
In cemeteries like these, some are buried in a graveyard,
 while most are in niches called "loculi."
The sanctuary is quietly busy
 with locals remembering lost loved ones.
When you come to the cemetery, it's like visiting your family.
MONICA: Yes, my family, my friends.
I know everyone here.
STEVES: So, do you have relatives here in this wall?
MONICA: Yes, here I have my grandparents.
STEVES: Ah, Licardi.
Armando.
MONICA: My grandfather and my grandmother.
STEVES: Each one is a little bit different.
It has a personality.
MONICA: Exactly.
Every one, want the people, have something like before.
And people are coming every month, every year?
-No, every week.
-Every week.
Every week, and it's not necessary
 to cry when you are here.
You are happy because you are together
 with the people of your family, with your friends.
Lina is the first bed and breakfast in Vernazza.
She rent room, for the first time, to American people.
Here is an American boy.
STEVES: Look at that, with his rolling suitcase.
MONICA: Exactly, exactly.
And Lina is waiting in the main road for someone arrive.
Here I have Massimo grandparents.
STEVES: This is your husband's grandparents.
Exactly.
They died, both, in one week.
Within one week.
And here I have my cousin,
 Sauro.
STEVES: Oh.
The flood came and took him away.
MONICA: Exactly.
And they found Sauro in France.
In France.
Manarola is connected to the next town
 by the Via Dell'amore, or "Walkway of Love."
It's the easiest stretch of the hike
 and a good place from which to savor
 your own private piece of Mediterranean coastline.
Enjoying this stroll, it's easy to understand why
 so many artists and romantics are drawn to this region.
The next town hides just around the corner.
Riomaggiore,
 while bigger than the towns we've seen so far,
 is another cozy collection of homes nestled in a valley.
The tangle of pastel houses lean on each other
 as if someone stole their crutches.
The colors of these villages are regulated
 by a commissioner of good taste from the community government.
For those hiking the trails,
 an ideal snack is a slice of focaccia.
Focaccia originates here,
 in the region of Liguria.
The baker stretches dough to fit the pan,
 roughs it up with finger holes,
 adds a few simple ingredients, perhaps tomatoes and olives,
 drizzles olive oil,
 and splashes it with salty water,
 Hot out of the oven,
 the focaccia comes in several varieties
 and is a local favorite
 for a quick snack to go.
-Grazie.
-Grazie.
-Ciao.
-Bye.
While you can hike or ride the train between towns,
 you can also catch the boat.
If the weather's calm,
 hourly boats link the Cinque Terre towns.
After a hike, it's fun to survey what you've explored.
There's Manarola.
And Corniglia, safely on its hilltop.
And from my boat, I can almost see our apartment in Vernazza.
Last stop for this boat, the  numero cinque of our Cinque Terre tour is Monterosso al Mare.
This is the most resorty town of the group.
With cars, larger hotels, rentable umbrellas,
 and the best beach around.
If you want the kind of beach scene that leaps to mind
 when you hear the word "Riviera,"
 you'll find it here.
Warm water, colorful umbrellas,
 plenty of bodies soaking up that Mediterranean sun,
 and an inviting promenade.
Complimenting Monterosso's happy beach scene
 is Restaurant Miky.
And my son, Andy, is joining us
 for the region's most elegant dining experience.
While tourism has brought a new affluence here,
 even high-end places are still family run.
The father, Miky, runs the kitchen
 with an impressive mix of artistry and precision.
Meanwhile, the mother and daughter
 help wait tables and charm their guests.
Miky's pasta is cooked with a unique twist,
 capped with pizza dough
 and finished in a wood-fried oven.
Sara is bringing us the house specialties
 and making sure we know what we're eating.
-It's delicious.
-Buon appetito.
When our pasta arrives and the crust is broken,
 the steamy aroma heralds a taste treat to come.
[Laughs]
 And to cap a great meal,
 chef Miky drops by as we're enjoying
 our traditional sciacchetrà  and biscotti.
Complimenti.
Tutti delicioso.
From the beach resort half of Monterosso,
 a tunnel leads under the castle and into the old town.
Here you'll find more restaurants,
 characteristic shops,
 and a world of colorful lanes.
Sure, it's touristy, and virtually every storefront
 caters to visitors' needs,
 but there's a low-key ambience where you're reminded
 that we're all in this life together,
 so let's enjoy the moment.
It's  aperitivo  time,
 and as everywhere in Italy right about now,
 families are out, kids and parents,
 children enlivening main squares.
One tradition that thrives oblivious to all the tourism
 is that special time when people are out, socializing,
 enjoying the cool of the early evening.
Back in Vernazza,
 I'm enjoying the passeggiata  with Irene.
- Buonasera .
-Ciao.
Ciao, Maria, ciao.
STEVES: A stroll here,
 especially with a local friend who knows everyone in town,
 gives a good insight into this close-knit Italian community,
 a community that I've been visiting
 since all of us were a lot younger.
Mi scusi!
Ciao, Antonio.
[Laughs] There's my friend.
Does this bench have her name on it?
-Uh, yes.
-This is your bench.
[Speaking Italian]
 [Laughter]
 Italy's Cinque Terre is an irresistible mix
 of nature, culture, and human activity.
Well-worn locals, sunburned travelers,
 and inviting, family-friendly piazzas.
Sure, the place is now well-discovered,
 but I have never seen happier, more laid-back tourists.
While the Cinque Terre now endures
 the storms of the modern world,
 the region's charms are as endearing
 as its people are resilient.
[Bell ringing]
 And even today, when the church bells ring,
 the fishermen at sea
 and the grape pickers up in the hills
 look back at their village,
 and they know Italy is still Italy.
Thanks for joining us.
I'm Rick Steves.
Until next time, keep on travelin'.
Ciao.
If you know the wind...
If you know the wind in Cinque Terre,
 you don't need a weatherman.
[Laughing]
 Sorry.
No.
That's perfect!
No, it's great!
CAMERAMAN: All right, I'm rolling.
STEVES: ♪ I'm going where the water tastes like wine ♪
 ♪ Stay drunk all the time ♪
 In Cinque Terre, you don't need a weatherman.
[Laughing]