Hard to believe this was our final day in the Cinque Terre. Tomorrow we move on to Florence, but today we’ll enjoy Monterosso Al Mare.

The surf was rocking again this morning. The waves rolling in and crashing against the rocks were drawing out many people with cameras. Our balcony vantage point was nice, but I too wanted to get closer.

We had breakfast and then set out for a day of exploring. We walked over to the rocky area to see some up-close nature and we weren’t disappointed.

There was a small restaurant nearby that looked good, so we made a dinner reservation before heading into town. Seafood by the sea seemed appropriate for our last evening.

We could hear children, so we headed in that direction. There was a school bus picking kids up from school, along with parents finding their bambino.

The town hall was in the same area, as well as a few residential streets. Dora the Explorer would have been proud of us today.

We even decided to go up the hill before going back home. When we reached the summit (not exactly Mt. Everest), we thought we might enjoy the views better with a glass of wine.

It just so happened that the Torre Aurora was a mere ten feet from where we were standing, so up we went. We were seated in a perfect location to enjoy the sunshine and views.

As a reminder that we might have been enjoying ourselves a little too much, I was stung by a bee on my finger while shushing it away from my glass. I got the stinger out right away, but it still hurt like heck. Luckily, I’m ambidextrous and could safely finish my wine.

We headed back to the hotel – thankfully it was downhill. I soaked my finger in cold water and took an aspirin tablet, as my finger was swelling. We relaxed for a bit before getting changed for dinner.

It was a nice night, but a little breezy, so the owner was nice enough to put the windscreen down for us. The meal was simple, but delicious. After yesterday’s dinner, a light meal was just perfect.

A nice stroll back to the hotel with the sounds of the sea was a perfect end to the evening and our stay in Monterosso Al Mare.

When the morning arrived, we woke, showered and packed our bags. Our driver would be picking us up at 11:00 am.

A little bit after 10:00 am, the phone rang. Uh, oh!

It was the front desk. They wanted to make sure we were ok, since we hadn’t come down for breakfast. I thanked them for calling and explained we were getting ready to leave.

When we went down to check out, it was very touching. We paid the bill, letting them know how much we enjoyed our stay. Mama gave Sue a potholder with a Pesto recipe on it. In the meantime, Sue asked Emanuela if she could take a photo of her and she was so cute primping and then posing.

Emanuela was the hostess, server, and Jill of all trades. She would be hustling around, but always stopped over to chat.

We got hugs from Emanuela and then Mama came around and we got more hugs. It was such a nice send off.

Somebody told us that: “You’re paying for those smiles in the tourist areas”. I think the way to get genuine smiles is through respect and kindness.