Italy photo collection

Here are some final photos from Cinque Terre, before we move on to Barcelona.



This photo is from the marina in Manarola. they are lifting a boat out of the harbor.








The photo above was from a little bar in Manarola. Jo and I hung out for a while. It was interesting to hear an Italian take on American Blues. Very different phrasing, but fun. The band took a break and our host, Nichola (guitar player in the white shirt on the right) and his cousin from LA (bass player in the hat on the left) and his friend (female singer) did some numbers. Nichola is planning to go to the conservatory for classical guitar next year.

The original band had a harmonica player (he wasn't very good, lots of notes, no real playing, and he was often using the wrong key harp) I almost ran back up the hill to grab a harp and see if I could sit in.

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is a great little village. The views along the Via del Amore are amazing. The village itself is quite nice. There are a lot of little shops and eateries. But as you head higher up the hill, you discover some great little neighborhoods.

I was surprised to find 3 churches in this village. So far, each village has had one main church. Riomaggiore has at least three. I'll have to do some reading to find out more about why that is.



I ended up following an alley to a lookout. This was another first for me. At the lookout was the first school I have seen on this trip. It was an elementary school that was having some repairs done. On the walk back down, I noticed a flower I have never seen. I took a few photos of the bloom and one of the pods that it came from. I have no idea what it is, but it is very pretty.



Riomaggiore also has a great little harbor. I decided it was time to dip my toes in the Lugurian Sea. I went down to the dock area, took off my shoes and sat there with me chubby feet dangling in the water. It was so refreshing. In fact, I got excited to see a pretty big wave coming my way. My passport and money were safe from the water, so I just let it hit me. It was a very refreshing treat on a really hot day.

Via del Amore

Today I took a walk along the Via del Amore. The is a path between Manarola and Riomaggiore. From what I can tell, the two villages were very secluded because of the geography. The youth of the villages began to meet half-way along a rugged trail overlooking the sea.

As time went on, lovers began to leave messages for each other written on the rocks, even the cacti. Then locks began to appear, signifying their hearts being locked together.



Over time, this tradition has added graffiti to the walls. There is a lot of graffiti in Italy. There was quite a bit in Switzerland as well. I'll be interest to see what Spain is like.