Riomaggiore and Como

Last weekend I visited Riomaggiore, one of the five cities in Cinque Terre, and also Como, by similarly named Lake Como. Riomaggiore is really pretty, but I think you knew that. Lake Como is also incredible. It currently sits at number 4 of my all-time favorite places. 

We’ll talk about Riomaggiore first. The train there was interesting. A couple of friends who will remain nameless might have still been tipsy from the night before. It was his 21st birthday. We arrived around 10 in the morning. Riomaggiore is built right next to the sea, built or hewn into cliffs with alarmingly dangerous slopes. I guess that is part of its charm. It really is incredible to think about how this town developed. When you look at the terrain, it doesn't look like the ideal spot to create a town. We spent the first 20 minutes walking around and exploring the town. It's not a large town, with really only one major street. Some things to know; don’t pet the cats, they're all assholes, and don't expect sandy beaches. There is a beach, but extremely rocky. The day was spent climbing rocks, laying on the beach, exploring, and reading by the water. Climbing on the rocks was a lot of fun. For dinner, our friend cooked some amazing pasta and salad. Afterward, we all went down to the beach and had some wine. The stars were out, good music was playing, and we had the entire beach to ourselves.

I didn't really sleep that night. One reason could be that my bed was the floor and a rolled-up jacket. The other reason could be that we came back from the beach at 12:30, and I had a train ride to Como at 3:30. That train was an impulse buy the day before. While at the bar a few nights prior, I was talking to another group of friends who let it slip that they were going Como that same weekend, and somehow I managed to convince them to let me tag along. Super glad they let me come, as I don’t hang out with this group enough. Six hours and three missed trains later, I finally arrived. Como is the main city of several that live on the banks of Lake Como. Lake Como is one of the prettiest places I have ever visited. Think of Naboo from Star Wars, everything lush and green. (They actually filmed a few scenes for Star Wars there.) However, the best part about Como and the surrounding cities is the atmosphere. Everyone there is in a good mood, smiling, laughing, and are very friendly. It feels like you are best friends with the entire city. Since I arrived late, I only got to explore for a little, get dinner on a hill overlooking the lake, and get some gelato, but it was more than worth the delays and extra money I had to spend on tickets. A great weekend