too soft for Cinque Terre

I love the Cinque Terre!  But I am far too soft for this lifestyle.  I have such admiration for the locals (Cinque Terrians?  Terrianos????).  They are a rugged people.  They have a carved out an existence from the rocky cliffs along this gorgeous coastline.  They are strong (ex: they have rebuilt with countless man-hours after the devastating flood of Oct. 2011); they are amazingly physically fit (ex: they walk up and down these steep hills and many stairs without a second breath);  they're resilient (ex:  they have engineered ways to farm on these steep hills with little machinery); they seem to have a strong sense of family and are friendly and kind-hearted.  I am honored to have spent these five days with them.

(the town of Manarola, built into the hill)

(the marina of Vernazza)

(Il Gigante in Monterosso, built of concrete in 1910 and he

mostly survived the bombings of WWII...

except for his arms)

(I loved the way these women were enjoying each other's company)

(and these gents were enjoying the September evening as well)

(the view of the back side of Manarola through the fence

of Via dell'Amore; along the walkway lovers 

have added padlocks as symbols of their

everlasting love)

(neighbors enjoying a game of cards at the end of the day)

(this beautiful lady was definitely a local...

she was walking up and down the steep hills

at a very fast pace in Stilettos!  Amazing!)