The three days and nights spent in Vernazza was the high point of my trip to Italy. This is my favorite photo of the Cinque Terre region.
On the third day of the trip we visited Pompeii and saw how nature completely destroyed a town. Pompeii was completely buried by volcanic ash and forgotten for hundreds of years. As we walked through the streets, it was possible to visualize life in the city two thousand years earlier.
We didn't need to use our imagination in Vernazza. What a conrast to Pompeii! It is in one of the most remote regions of Italy and doesn't permit most automobile traffic. It is built on the side of a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean sea. The people were very friendly. We ate several great meals in the outdoor restaurant in the bottom right of the photo. As much as I hated to leave we had to return home the morning after I shot this photo.
Ten days later, Vernazza experienced the full force of nature. The town was hit was a massive flash flood. The entire bottom portion of the town was buried in mud and rock a story deep. Every store and restaurant we had visited was completely destroyed. The entire village had to be evacuated.
I'm sure the people of Vernazza will rebuild and reopen the village. I'm concerned that some of the village's beauty and charm will be lost in the process. I may ShootnLeave but this photograph will allow me to ShootnRemember the Vernazza that was.
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