By the way, Cinque Terre is definitely visit worthy — the towns have retained their old world beauty and charm, and the views of the coastline are magnificent. If you plan to go, whether with a guide or on your own, do it by train — forget driving. It’s crazy mountainous roads and when you get to each town, parking is far from what you’re there to see. Instead, you can either drive to the first town (Riomaggiore if starting from the west; Monterosso if from the east), or drive to La Spezia and pick up the train there. If you have the time, and you’re either really into hiking or just plain crazy, you can also walk from town to town. I haven’t walked it because I’m neither crazy nor into hiking, but I hear the scenery is spectacular along the way.
To set up a tour with Fulvia, visit toursbylocals.comand for a brief description of Cinque Terre, go to lonelyplanet.com
