Vernazza

Saturday
Today, Roger, Jen, Laura and I flew to Pisa to begin our Italian holiday. We had some lovely views as we crossed the Alps - I have put one in the extras. Our first destination was Vernazza, one of the villages of the Cinque Terre, (meaning "Five Lands"), a coastal area within Liguria, in the northwest of Italy. It lies west of La Spezia, and comprises five villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Access to the villages is difficult by car, the main means of access between them being by footpath, train or boat. We arrived late afternoon, and after checking into our accommodation, we went for an exploratory walk before dinner. Some of the villages may have a small hotel, but in Vernazza most of the accommodation is in the form of rooms, let out in various buildings throughout the village. Ours were close to the harbour, the girls and ours being in separate buildings, but close to each other. The girls was just a bedroom and bathroom, whereas ours was a little bigger, and included a bit of a kitchenette area, with a fridge, table and chairs, and some basic utensils, so we could at least have some breakfast in our room. I have added a second extra of sunset over the harbour later in the evening.