The route from Levanto to Monterosso is not technically part of the Cinque Terre, but it is a good warmup for it.  Plus, from the ruined lighthouse at Punto Mesco we were treated to a view of the whole coastline that we will be following.

We began our hike in mid-morning, hoping to arrive around lunchtime, but it ended up being a very late lunch indeed. No less delicious though: simple pasta at the hotel, with choice of pesto or red sauce, seasoned by hunger.  Mmm!

   
  
Monterosso is a charming town, split in half by a tunnel.  We’re staying in the older section with medieval street layout and a subterranean drainage system.  It clearly caters to tourists, with a wide assortment of shops and restaurants.

   
 The day ended with a few special treats that our local tour arranger had set up for us. The first, just for N+S, was a tasting of local wines supplemented with Italian-flag bruschetta and pistachio biscotti.  Mmm again!

  
Afterwards, we were all treated to a personalized demonstration on traditional pesto-making, followed by a private, home-cooked meal in the elegant dining room of an otherwise closed hotel restaurant.  We had delicious lasagna (with and without pesto), local fish with capers, green salad, and strawberry semifreddo.  Mmm, mmm, mmm!  Did we mention we were plied with sparkling wine, white wine, dessert wine, and homemade limoncello?  Time for an early bed!