Tuesday, 26 June, 2018
We decided to explore the three other Cinque Terre villages located at the base of a ravine leading to the Ligurian Sea.
We planned to visit Corniglia, the only hilltop Cinque Terre village, on Wednesday.
But first we roamed about Vernazza a bit more before boarding the train known as the Cinque Terre Express.
Tuesday is Street Market day
in Vernazza
Laurie bought a few things but definitely not vegetables.
The harbor in Vernazza was
still quiet in the morning
We had a drink here last night
We bought two unlimited rides, day pass on the Cinque Terre Express for only eight Euros each. It was a bargain as a single ride ticket costs a whopping four Euros.
Our first stop was . . .
. . . the westernmost village officially
called Monterosso al Mare
It has BY FAR the Cinque Terre's
largest beach area
We are planning to vegetate here most of Wednesday.
The Giardino Cinema had a certain
"Cinema Paradiso" feel to it
San Andrea
In English, St. Andrew, we like him very much!
A random pair of towers,
one mostly hidden
More beach umbrellas
Where on this beach should we plop
down on tomorrow?
This would work for me
A serene beach with . . .
. . . perfect Ligurian Sea water . . .
. . . and a not so perfect WWII
Nazi pillbox bunker
It is still hard to believe that WWII ever touched the lives of the people in this enchanted land.
A second, much smaller beach in
Monterosso al Mare near the historic
center of the old town
The old town's bay is breathtaking too
With Monterosso al Mare fully scouted out, we rebounded the Cinque Terre Express and headed to the easternmost Cinque Terre village . . .
. . . a working town and the biggest of
the five villages
And what work would that be besides fishing and catering to tourists?
A hint
Like all of the Cinque Terre villages,
the hills are terraced, grapes were long
ago planted and we all get to enjoy
fine local wines as a result
Riomaggiore's pastel buildings
The boats were hauled ashore today
Laundry Day
I just liked the pharmacy sign
We left a few Euros here as we ate
and shopped for untold treasures
Religious fervor in Riomaggiore
Sun kissed Via Colombo,
Rio Maggiore's main street
Art is everywhere in Riomaggiore
We could hike to our next village by
taking the Via Dell' Amore
Or we could take the train again.
I'll let you guess what we decided to do.
"ALL ABOARD!"
A bit more about the Via Dell' Amore before we discuss our next village. Until the 20th-century the five villages were extremely isolated from each other.
Then in the 1920s a tail was finally built connecting Riomaggiore with our next village, Manarola. This new path changed the social dynamics of both villages and made life much more fun and romantically interesting.
After WWII, the trail became established as a lover's meeting place for boys and girls from the two villages, thus the name Via Dell' Amore which translates as Pathway of Love.
Onward to . . .
. . . low key and surrounded
by hilltop vineyards
A Liberty style building near
the Manarola train station
The Sun was shining here too
There are the hilltop vineyards
More pastel colored buildings
Religious art on display up the hill
Ceramic art on sale down the hill
We, of course, supported the local economy.
Manarola's mini-harbor
The Ligurian Sea was looking good
Manarola was looking better
Interesting rock formation
on the harbor's hillside path
A lonely boat . . .
. . . on the rugged seacoast
Two more lonely boats in
Manarola's harbor
No beach in Manarola, so you
capture your tan wherever you can
A working boat at rest
Just love this view of Manarola
Heading back to the Manarola
train station and one more ride
back to Vernazza
This trip was our fourth and final one today, our Cinque Terre Express day card cost us each eight Euros and saved us eight Euros today as opposed to buying single tickets for each ride.
Good deal, better than most done recently by the Trump Administration.
Back in Vernazza . . .
WHAT THE . . .
That's more like it!
A married door knocker?
The Vernazza beach was quiet
in the late afternoon
Beauty and the Beast at the harbor?
Look closely.
Serene
Just another day in paradise!
No comments:
Post a Comment