La Vecchiona: Il Giardino and La Cicogna - Cinque Terre

After searching for many years, we have finally found a delightful offering in the Cinque Terre. "Cinque Terre" is the collective name of 5 cliff-hugging villages at the southern end of the Italian Riviera, just north of La Spezia. Until about a decade ago, some of them were unreachable by car: you had to come by train or by boat. Because the roads to get to them are narrow and winding, tour buses cannot get there (too bad!), meaning that they have retained much of their character. A delightful trail along the sea leads from one village to the other. The Cinque Terre really hold up against all the propaganda which has been written about the area in the past few years. In fact, the Cinque Terre make a great place to stay without a car, since the train makes everything in the vicinity accessible, and roads in summer are crowded.

La Vecchiona is a villa compound located at the edge of Monterosso, northernmost of the Cinque Terre. It has been in the family for many years. At one time, it was the property of Eugenio Montale, Italy's Nobel-prize-winning poet. The current owners, now in their 50's and 60's and living in Rome, have spent every summer of their lives here. The main house is set in woods within sight of the sea and of the beach just a couple of hundred feet away. Yet it is completely secluded in its own grounds. At the edge of the compound is a second, smaller villa called La Cicogna. A more modern construction, La Cicogna also enjoys beautiful views of the sea and is divisible into two self-contained units. We offer three possibilities: a lovely, elegant ground-floor flat called Il Giardino, located in the main villa, for up to 4 persons; a terrace flat for one couple in La Cicogna; or the entire La Cicogna, for up to 7 persons.

Visitors to La Vecchiona will want, naturally, to spend most of their time exploring the Cinque Terre themselves. This will occupy a good 3-4 days at the least. This affords the opportunity, which we at Vacanza Bella never tire of touting, to get to know one community more in depth than simple touring permits. For example, everything in Monterosso is walking distance.

Besides the Cinque Terre themselves, many other sights are conveniently visited by train or boat: Genoa, Santa Margherita, Rapallo, Camogli, Levanto, Portovenere, La Spezia, even Pisa and Lucca. Buses will transport you to the charming hilltowns of the interior. If you do choose to have a car, the autostrada is only a short distance away.

Il Giardino

Accommodates 4 — 2 Bedrooms — 2 Baths

This a perfectly lovely ground-floor flat with enchanting views over the sea, particularly from the living room. In fact, Il Giardino is rather luxurious and has its own delightful outdoor space immediately adjacent, with an even more expansive view. The living room is comfortable, with two sofas and other armchairs. There's separate dining, plus a full kitchen with dishwasher and washing machine. One bedroom is matrimonial, the other twin, with the latter somewhat but not fatally inferior to the former. Two full baths. Phone. Excellent for two couples.

There's parking for one car only, plus a public paid parking lot at 200 feet for additional vehicles. From La Vecchiona, all shopping, restaurants, bank, post office, newsstand, and train station are within 5 minutes' walk or less.

The owners aren't present at La Vecchiona. They live in Rome. A friendly caretaker meets you, gives you the key, and that's that. You've got to be prepared to be completely independent here. Everyone without exception has loved this property. Available spring through fall except from early July to early September when the owners are in residence.

One thing you must know about La Vecchiona, especially those of you contemplating a stay during "shoulder" season: June, early July, and early September. Il Giardino is a flat, and Monterosso is a resort town. Other accommodations in the Vecchiona compound get to be increasingly occupied by their owners as summer approaches, and these owners have families with children; they sit out on terraces, run around the compound, talk on their phones. The town itself gradually comes to vibrant life. If you want absolute seclusion, therefore, this isn't the place for you. We're talking resort here, and a family environment, not a silent country retreat.

La Cicogna

Accommodates 2-7 — 1 Bedroom & 1 Bath, or 4 Bedrooms & 3 Baths

Just at the entry gate to the Vecchiona compound you'll find La Cicogna, a salmon-colored building containing two self-contained flats which can easily be joined. Upstairs is a spacious flat for maximum two persons. (The owners keep one room locked for their personal belongings.) This unit contains a large living/dining room, decent kitchen, and bathroom with stall shower. What really transforms this place into something extraordinary is the terrace which runs the width of the building and which enjoys a wonderful view of the sea which is just feet away. We can often imagine ourselves lounging and dining on this terrace without a care in the world.

Downstairs is another flat which is only offered along with the upper, as it contains no outdoor space. Here, though, there is another full kitchen open to the living/dining room; 3 bedrooms: one matrimonial, one twin, and one single; and 2 bathrooms, one a shower-tub combo, the other with shower only.

Only the upstairs unit has a telephone line and a television, while only the downstairs unit has a dishwasher. Neither has a clothes washer, but Monterosso has at least two laundries.

The downstairs unit is not rented separately, though the owners may use it on rare occasions if the upstairs alone is being rented. If you're one couple, you can take the upstairs unit alone; if you're more than that, you take both units together. And in either case, don't expect fancy or hugely charming furnishings. La Cicogna is a pleasant, clean, spacious seaside vacation home; Il Giardino is significantly superior in terms of furnishings. At La Cicogna, you're also likely to hear some sounds of passing pedestrians and a few automobiles, though not many of the latter because the road dead-ends. At the same time, you have the huge pluses of being literally feet from the sea, and you can go everywhere on foot, as the property is steps from banks, post office, train station, boat dock, markets, restaurants, outdoor cafes, the beach, and all other shopping.

One assigned parking space comes with La Cicogna; any additional cars must be parked in the nearby public lot (fee). And the same comments about independence apply to La Cicogna as to Il Giardino. The owners are not present. If a light bulb goes out, or if you run out of toilet paper, you are the ones to go replace them, just as you would at a rental here in the US.

La Cicogna is ideal for one couple using the upstairs unit only or for an extended family taking the whole thing. We think you'll like it, too.