Manarola | Photo by Rachel Ison
We finally escaped the tourists and met some remarkable people along the Italian west coast. Wednesday we arrived in Cinque Terre, a collection of 5 small villages in Italy's Liguria region.
We wasted no time going to the first city on our list: Riomaggiore. We walked through town admiring the vibrant colored homes on hills, browsed boutiques and visited the community church.
We met an elder gentleman playing with his grandson in front of the church. He told us a little bit about the history of his town. He said the population shrank from 4,000 people when he was a child to only about 1,000 today. He told us the weakening economy relies on fishing, local restaurants and vineyard production. He also said the town is made up of mainly elderly people and children. As soon as youth are old enough to work they move to another town to find jobs less laborious than vineyard work.
He cared deeply about his community. He wanted to improve the economy, but just didn’t know how. It was humbling to find someone who actually wanted to share his history with us outsiders. I left with a more profound understanding of the town than I ever would have had just wandering.
We slept in La Spezia, a small city comparatively close to each of the five towns. This was the least touristy place of our journey. We were so accustomed to blending in with the other tourists that strange looks from locals caught us completely off guard. When we went to restaurants people stopped to stare like they’d never seen nor heard Americans before. We joked about finally feeling like foreigners.
Thursday we visited Manarola, Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza. First, we hiked up the steep hills of Manarola. Then we rewarded ourselves with pure relaxation. For hours we stretched out along the beach of Monterosso al Mare. After about 3 hours, we moved to the last city we had time for in Cinque Terre. Vernazza.
Vernazza was similar to Manarola and Riomaggiore – typical hilled village near a marina with small shops and restaurants for locals. However, it had a small, seemingly unremarkable waterfall. I walked right passed it, but Jennifer convinced me to see it up close and personal. We left the other IAU girls sitting at the marina. Minutes later we were venturing from rock to rock in the middle of the bay. We took pictures of our dangerous adventure to the waterfall until Jennifer’s camera died.
We wasted no time going to the first city on our list: Riomaggiore. We walked through town admiring the vibrant colored homes on hills, browsed boutiques and visited the community church.
We met an elder gentleman playing with his grandson in front of the church. He told us a little bit about the history of his town. He said the population shrank from 4,000 people when he was a child to only about 1,000 today. He told us the weakening economy relies on fishing, local restaurants and vineyard production. He also said the town is made up of mainly elderly people and children. As soon as youth are old enough to work they move to another town to find jobs less laborious than vineyard work.
He cared deeply about his community. He wanted to improve the economy, but just didn’t know how. It was humbling to find someone who actually wanted to share his history with us outsiders. I left with a more profound understanding of the town than I ever would have had just wandering.
We slept in La Spezia, a small city comparatively close to each of the five towns. This was the least touristy place of our journey. We were so accustomed to blending in with the other tourists that strange looks from locals caught us completely off guard. When we went to restaurants people stopped to stare like they’d never seen nor heard Americans before. We joked about finally feeling like foreigners.
Thursday we visited Manarola, Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza. First, we hiked up the steep hills of Manarola. Then we rewarded ourselves with pure relaxation. For hours we stretched out along the beach of Monterosso al Mare. After about 3 hours, we moved to the last city we had time for in Cinque Terre. Vernazza.
Vernazza was similar to Manarola and Riomaggiore – typical hilled village near a marina with small shops and restaurants for locals. However, it had a small, seemingly unremarkable waterfall. I walked right passed it, but Jennifer convinced me to see it up close and personal. We left the other IAU girls sitting at the marina. Minutes later we were venturing from rock to rock in the middle of the bay. We took pictures of our dangerous adventure to the waterfall until Jennifer’s camera died.
Emily, Rachel I, Jennifer, Ellie, and me | Photo by Daniele Betazzi
As we reached the waterfall we noticed an Italian man setting up a tripod and professional camera. It looked like he’d planned to photograph the beautiful landscape. Jennifer and I attempted to explain that we didn’t want to interrupt his photo shoot. But somehow his limited English and our nonexistent Italian landed us a mini photo shoot. After he took a few pictures two more photographers joined him. There we were, amateur models posing like the pros. We almost broke our necks posing on the slippery slope before the waterfall!
About half an hour later, our friends found us. The photographers took a few group photos for our spread in the imaginary Ciao Bella Magazine. We had a great time. It was so dangerous and spontaneous. The photographers were so kind and patient with us. I loved it!
After the shoot, photographers Cristian and Daniele told us about disastrous flooding and landslides that swept through Vernazza in October 2011. They said many homes and stores were destroyed. Although Vernazza looks a lot better than it did a year and a half ago, it still has a long way to go.
It felt good to learn about the reality of inhabitants, instead of just enjoying the superficial tourist sites for once. It made us feel closer to Italy and its people. It reminded me of experiencing the culture in Porto. Cinque Terre treated us well. Although we had seen and done so much in Italy, we still had one more city to see. Venice.
About half an hour later, our friends found us. The photographers took a few group photos for our spread in the imaginary Ciao Bella Magazine. We had a great time. It was so dangerous and spontaneous. The photographers were so kind and patient with us. I loved it!
After the shoot, photographers Cristian and Daniele told us about disastrous flooding and landslides that swept through Vernazza in October 2011. They said many homes and stores were destroyed. Although Vernazza looks a lot better than it did a year and a half ago, it still has a long way to go.
It felt good to learn about the reality of inhabitants, instead of just enjoying the superficial tourist sites for once. It made us feel closer to Italy and its people. It reminded me of experiencing the culture in Porto. Cinque Terre treated us well. Although we had seen and done so much in Italy, we still had one more city to see. Venice.
Venice at Sunrise | Photo by Ellie Weeks
We arrived in Venice Friday evening just in time for dinner. We caught a cheap meal and free WIFI at Brek Buffet.
It rained for the entire day Saturday. The weather put a damper on our moods and outlook of Venice. We nearly forced ourselves out of bed. Once we were out and about, we found cheap souvenirs, great pizza and a supermarket with super low prices! I bought fresh strawberries, Oreos and dried fruit all for just €3.
The small errands gave us enough energy to journey to St. Mark's Basilica. It was beautiful! A mural of colorful paintings covered the outside of the church as well as the inside. After our event-filled week we all were too exhausted to see what else Venice had to offer. We ended our vacation like true Americans – sipping lattes and surfing Facebook at Brek Buffet.
I’ve gotten my fill of pasta, pizza and gelato. I saw all the must-sees, and even squeezed in a little relaxation. My lasting impression of Italy won't be of the food or the sites, but of the people from the small towns who care so much about the survival of their communities. Sure I'll miss the great food, but service charges at restaurants reminded me of how much I missed France. If I get the opportunity to visit Italy again, I’ll do it in a heartbeat! Until then I'll muse on the memories of the beautiful Italian sites and cuisine. Free of charge.
For more info on the damage and rehabilitation of Vernazza visit: http://savevernazza.com/
It rained for the entire day Saturday. The weather put a damper on our moods and outlook of Venice. We nearly forced ourselves out of bed. Once we were out and about, we found cheap souvenirs, great pizza and a supermarket with super low prices! I bought fresh strawberries, Oreos and dried fruit all for just €3.
The small errands gave us enough energy to journey to St. Mark's Basilica. It was beautiful! A mural of colorful paintings covered the outside of the church as well as the inside. After our event-filled week we all were too exhausted to see what else Venice had to offer. We ended our vacation like true Americans – sipping lattes and surfing Facebook at Brek Buffet.
I’ve gotten my fill of pasta, pizza and gelato. I saw all the must-sees, and even squeezed in a little relaxation. My lasting impression of Italy won't be of the food or the sites, but of the people from the small towns who care so much about the survival of their communities. Sure I'll miss the great food, but service charges at restaurants reminded me of how much I missed France. If I get the opportunity to visit Italy again, I’ll do it in a heartbeat! Until then I'll muse on the memories of the beautiful Italian sites and cuisine. Free of charge.
For more info on the damage and rehabilitation of Vernazza visit: http://savevernazza.com/