Cinque Terre

We awoke early to board the 7.30am train from La Spezia to Cinque Terre, the "Five Lands". Prior to this we had hastily devoured a breakfast of Italian pastries and pizza breads accompanied by a warm comely cup of coffee.

First stop - Riomaggiore

The smallest of the lands, but my favourite. Quaint and quiescent.

Corniglia

Here we climbed up and up, and were rewarded with a view of the hinterland and the glassy sea.

Monterosso

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Largest of the lands and also the most developed, Monterosso was said to be the first to have sprung up some time int he 11th century. Here we walked along the coast, picked glass shells and had gelato

Sunset at Vernazza

In the words of our Airbnb hostess, "Vernazza is the princess of Cinque Terre". Here I painted and watched as the waning sun cast altered shades of light upon the Princess of the Five Lands, and then turned my eyes to the horizon and watched as the sun made it's descent into the depths of the Ligurian Sea. It was quite a sight, and the sizeable audience that had gathered all gave a round of applause befitting to such a display of order and beauty.

Pesto at Manarola

Manarola had been unfavourably hidden by a shadow in the morning time when we had visited, so I had no opportunity to shoot it. When we returned at night, this was the best I could do. I did have a very delightful plate of seafood pesto pasta though, which gave a highly satisfying end to the day's adventure to the Five Lands