Italy: Cinque Terre

That's not a post-card, that's Patrick and Rio Maggiore.

And like every other tourist - we had to take a picture kissing on the Via Del Amore. (It was, after all, our ten year anniversary trip!)

We stayed in the central town - Corniglia. It's so much less crowded and this is why:

You have to climb an obscene amount of stairs to get to it. Patrick was proud enough to snap this photo of me in action!

There's so much to say about this magical place: amazing pesto, the best wine you'll ever sip, views from the hilltops that literally take your breath away, cobblestone streets, sheets hanging to dry in the Mediterranean sun. I truly learned what it means to relax here. The sun baked away any worries.

For more information on the Cinque Terra and the amazing hiking trails connection the "Five Lands," click here.