The Antipodean Always wondering and wandering

Putting on a bikini and clothes without waking my roommate was a feat in our compact room and one that I almost accomplished until I heard a sleepy "oh where are you going? I'm coming too". We were two conspirators in a shared apartment of four and five minutes later we managed our escape and ran down the stairwell in glee.

Outside Monterosso Al Mare, one of the 5 villages that make the famous Cinque Terre in Italy, was painted in soft grey tones. The nearby mountains were in the same palette and other than bright pops of color from the purple Bougainvilleas, yellow shutters, and orange umbrellas you would have been forgiven for thinking you were in a dream. Gone were the many tourists and bright sunny haze. Instead we were wrapped in the smell of baking bread from the local fornaio who in an hour's time would be full of patrons after their first espresso and foccacia.

Walking down a section of the promenade to access the beach our conversation was light and in hushed tones as if we both knew the moment was fleeting and we wanted to make it last for as long as possible. Millions of pebbles crunched under my feet as I walked to the water's edge gingerly testing its temperature. These pebbles provided a base for what would later be a sea of a different sort: colorful umbrellas, chairs, and towels spread from wall to water. This was late June and the air would get as thick with heat as the beach would with people. We'd come across this first hand when we joined the masses the day before lying on our little section of pebbles to experience the vibe of an early Italian summer.

Entering the same water with my same bikini this morning was a delightful contrast and proved that firstly, I really should get up early more often and secondly, that you can find areas of solitude among tourist hot-spots. The sea and air were mild and hinted at the temperature to come and other than being dumped by a few rouge waves I floated to my heart’s content. That is until the lure of an espresso and foccacia became too great.

Staying in Monterosso Al Mare was definitely one of the best souvenirs that I took from my tour of Italy and like the Limoncino liqueur grown in these parts, these are villages to be slowly savored. Even if you’re wary of the tourist trail and hype, and yes Monterosso Al Mare and Cinque Terre have both, I encourage you to go and spend some time there. Start by having an early morning swim sans people and you may just be surprised.