Only a little more than a week ago, Cinque Terre was engulfed in fire. Now, the torrential rains that hit Northern Italy threaten to drive the whole place into the sea. "Monterosso no longer exists" may be a bit of a dramatic flair in part of the town's mayor, but the exaggeration may not be too far from the truth. Here, too, are other pictures of the town. I have visited Cinque Terre three times before, and was planning on visiting again during the sleepy winter. It has always represented to me that Italian heaven everyone dreams of, and that Italian heaven that has become, finally, a reality for me. One of my most cherished memories is hiking from Monterosso to Riomaggiore and seeing Vernazza for the first time and being amazed at the tenacity of those people who dared to build not only a village at what seems to be the end of the world, but create beauty out of a seemingly impossible enivronment. Alas, I may not be back for this winter at all, for I'm sure the trails, the roads and possibly the railroad tracks will be blocked for weeks if not months. Hopefully it comes back to life, and soon...
EDIT: Here is a link to instructions on how to donate to rebuild Cinque Terre. A worthy cause, and a much needed help, considering Italy's current financial situation.
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