http://public.fotki.com/JohnVanHulst/go-johnny-go/spring-italy-2008/cinque-terre/ The Cinque Terre (pronounced CHEEN-kweh TEHR-reh) are five coastal villages in the province of La Spezia in the Liguria region of Italy. They have come to be among the most popular areas of Italy among tourists. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all encapsulated in a national park by the same name. The Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The five villages are, from west to east (i.e., from Genoa towards La Spezia): * Monterosso al Mare * Vernazza * Corniglia * Manarola * Riomaggiore A local train line from La Spezia to Genoa connects all five villages with high frequency. The train connecting the five villages runs in what is mainly a tunnel for the full distance between Riomaggiore and Monterosso, emerging from the rock infrequently for quick glimpses of the Mediterranean sea. There is a passenger ferry service running between the five villages, providing a different vantage point of the rugged coastline and shore line at each village. Ferries do not stop at Corniglia because it does not have a natural harbor or marina. The boat leaves from Genoa's Old Harbour and La Spezia, Lerici or Portovenere. There are well-laid out walking trails connecting each village to its neighbors. The path from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore (roughly, "Lovers Walk"). This picturesque trail winds along the shore, varying in nature and difficulty from an easy stroll to a rough and physically challenging hike. The stretch from Manarola to Corniglia is also easy to hike, although the main trail into Corniglia finishes with a climb of 368 stairs. The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza is steep at certain places. The trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is by far the steepest. It winds through olive orchards and vineyards and is rough in places, but offers the best view of the bay and the spectacular approaches to both Monterosso and Vernazza. There are nominal fees to use the more popular walking trails, but the less frequently travelled (and most arduous) are free of charge. N.B. All photos were made with my Fuji F20 or Korries Fuji F31FD. Both have the same sensor and same lens, and same great quality. No better compact camera has ever been made. Newer Fuji compacts are worse... A used F20, F30 (same generation) or F31FD is more expensive now (on Ebay for instance) than when they were new... N.B.-2 All "original" photos are in HD resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels. http://images.fotki.com/logo3.gif http://public.fotki.com/JohnVanHulst/go-johnny-go/spring-italy-2008/cinque-terre/ http://public.fotki.com/JohnVanHulst/go-johnny-go/spring-italy-2008/cinque-terre/mapcinqueterre.html Cinque Terre region
]]> http://images35.fotki.com/v1173/photos/1/178014/6252814/mapCinqueTerre-th.jpg Mon, 19 May 2008 09:04:45 GMT