Cinque Terre

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After a long delay, we're baaack! Sorry to be so long dropping the other shoe and finishing up, but things just had to be prioritized after our return to the US.

One of the last places we visited on our world cruise was the coast of northern Italy, where the boot of Italy joins the European body. Venice was on the eastern side of the boot top, and our new destination - Porto Venere - was on the western side. Porto Venere used to be the site of an ancient temple to Venus dating back to pagan times, from which it takes its name. There are tall colorful houses along the wharves, almost like Venice, but then the land rises steeply to an old castle on a rocky point above the city. The English poets Byron, Shelley and Robert Browning took inspiration for their romantic poetry from Porto Venere. Dante slept there. There is a nearby Bay of Poets honoring all their famous bards.

"Cinque Terre" (five lands) is the name given to five fishing villages up the coast from Porto Venere, in a space of about 11 miles. The five villages hug the rugged coastline that supports very little vehicle traffic. The old villages are perched among the steep cliffs that reach to the water, and are accessible mostly by a train that winds through many tunnels high above the spectacular scenery. The landscape is crisscrossed by low stone walls, said to be hundreds of years old, that demarcate the many vineyards and keep the arable land from sliding into the sea. Fishing is the other means of livelihood, so many little coves had fishing boats moored near the tall homes and shops accessible only through narrow cobblestone streets. Each of the five villages had its busy train terminal that provided the only means of transportation along the coast, aside from foot and horseback traffic. We walked part of the beautiful "Lovers Path" carved out of the steep slope, so called because of the many tunnels along its way.

The day's expedition, in sum, presented us with some of the most challenging walking of our entire trip - the uneven Lovers Path, steep hills and many steps, and ankle-busting cobblestone streets. And all the time, of course, we wanted to look around and see all the beautiful land and seascapes, and the lovely old homes and buildings. As you might suspect, we world cruise passengers were almost without exception old and in various states of decrepitude. I'm proud to say that Dick and I managed without too much trouble, and didn't have to join the laggards huffing and puffing up the slopes. But one of our fellow passengers fell backwards when his foot slipped going down an especially tricky cobblestone path, and he took a nasty blow on the head. Fortunately we were still near the beginning of the Cinque Terre, so he was hauled out on a stretcher and taken back the few miles to the ship at Porto Venere on the bus that brought us. The next day he was up and about, we were glad to see.

Anyway, the incident inspired Dick and me to check on our health insurance after we got back, instead of just assuming it would cover such problems. His is provided by the company he worked for before retiring, and mine is the insurance available to SC state employees after retiring. The news was good. We are covered overseas as well as we are at home, including emergency transportation back to the US if this is medically indicated. This was good news indeed, as special trip insurance is hideously expensive for folks our age.

More on Cinque Terre can be found at this web site:

http://www.welcometuscany.it/outside_tuscany/regions/liguria/cinqueterre.htm

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Photos

Cinque Terre
One of the lovely fishing villages along this rugged route. The little fishing boats had to be pulled up out of the water here, or they would have been dashed to pieces against the rock with the heavy waves coming in from the open sea.

Cinque Terre
Here is a glimpse of the typical coastline in this area. If you look closely, you can see the footpath in the distance that winds along the coast between the five villages. Needless to say, there are no vehicles for miles around, except for the train that traverses many tunnels.

Street Scene
A typical street scene showing outdoor tables in front of a restaurant, with many shops on the first floor of other buildings. The shopkeepers and others lived in the floors above.

Train
We were waiting for this train at the terminal in one of the villages, to begin our journey back to the ship. We walked in, but rode out by rail. The trains roar in every few minutes and are used by nearly all residents of Cinque Terre for their daily traveling. Imagine the isolation of these villages in the days before rail travel!

Street Scene
Children of the shopkeepers playing in the street after school.

The Lovers Path
Via del'Amore, considerably improved with handrails and safety barriers for the benefit of tourists. This whole area is said to have some of the most spectacular scenery in all Europe.

The Lovers Path
Another view, showing one of the tunnels from which the trail takes its name. Inside the tunnels are abundant graffiti indicating the lovers are alive and well.

Bridge
If you look closely, you can see the fishing boats pulled up out of the water above the steps to the right. We wondered how the little dock could ever be used in the heavy surf that pounded it. Under the bridge is a stream flowing down to the sea.

Wine Vineyard
A typical scene behind the villages, where the terraced vineyards climbed the slopes. A guide told us that if all the low stone walls in Cinque Terre were laid end to end, they would exceed the length of the Great Wall of China. Most are hundreds of years old, and they are being constantly repaired and carefully maintained.

Street Scene
Another street scene, showing the fishing boats pulled up in front of the owners' homes. Space was at a premium on these narrow streets so close to the sea. As in many old cities we visited throughout the world, the only place to hang the laundry was on the balcony or on top of the building.

Water
Even in sheltered areas the restless sea made it dangerous to moor the fishing boats.

Cinque Terre Coastline
Dick shot this picture from the bus on our way back to the ship. We were high above the Lovers Path, visible near the water below. It was a hefty climb for us to reach the parking lot above the village closest to Porto Venere.

Porto Venere waterfront
Taken from the wharf where our tender docked after bringing us ashore from the ship. The city looked a little like old Charleston, SC with all the pastel buildings like Rainbow Row. The low waterfront faced directly on the open sea, which usually requires a sea wall. Porto Venere had one, but it was out in the water away from shore and didn't spoil the scenery.

Comments

[Kristian Ciao]

Ciao
Ciao Ciao, voglio partire da "lover's path" con la mia donna