The following excerpt was taken from one of my journal entries written while watching a glorious sunset over the Coast of Liguria from the village of Manarola in the UNESCO protected region of Cinque Terre.
" Imagine five little villages, so precariously perched on metres of sheer cliff, pulled relentlessly by the emerald blue green Mediterranean sea. This is the sort of place i am at right now, watching a spectacular performance of orange, red and pink. Such a scene is inhuman - so cruel for the way it ends so fast, and so beautiful that it is beyond human comprehension.
The train journey to these relatively-unknown-but-steadily-gaining-fame villages was quite a buildup. As the train ascended into the higher regions in between mountains (i knew this beacuse of the sudden strips of tunnels that we swerved in and out of as well as the frighteningly high bridges that connected the valleys) and past little streams, i realised how inaccessible the place was going to be. I admit that i felt a tinge of doubt. Just what if this place does not meet my expectations? I was also desperately waiting to see the sea, hoping that the train would choo choo along the coast, for it must, to get to the other villages. No such thing was to happen when i arrived at the first of the five villages, Riomaggiore, where i stayed. Instead, I got off in a dark and dingy tunnel, feeling completely vague and confused.
Then the vasteness of the sea hit me, as i walked out of the tunnel, smelling the salty air. The time was about 9 plus; the sun had just set leaving a trail of purple and blue. I was overlooking the most dramatic scenary I had ever seen; sheer cliff, valleys of olive terraces and the infinite horizon. Disbelief, I suppose, is the first reaction of a Singaporean living a cluttered life can feel at the sight of the immense space and openess ahead. After a long walk uphill to my very pleasant room, i went to the bar (very quickly becoming my favourite) that i spotted from the train station overlooking this scenary.
The next few days I did the activity that the five villages are most famous for: hike. A safe and well protected coatal footpath known as the Via dell Amore or Lovers Lane linked my village and Manarola and it continues on to Corniglia, Vernazza and then Monterosso. The total amount of hours spent walking - about 4 or 5 maximum. There were also stairways from the cliff going down towards the rocks where the brave and vain can walk then scale onto a suitably sized tanning rock. That said, it was the most beautiful walk I had ever taken in my entire life. Every moment had to be captured on camera; every moment was so beautiful. Besides the scenary, what struck me most pleasantly was the fact that it remains a true village, inhabitated by Italians who grow their own fruit, make their own wine and eat their own pesto. None of that touting or hawking nonsense, no cars even, just simple daily livelihood. In the afternoons, i love seeing the old people sitting on the sidewalks talking about their distant past, or gossipping away on nearby news. One of the days I hiked up to the highest point on Riomaggiore where there was a church, and i was surrounded by plots of lemon trees and grape vine plantations, terraced onto the sides of the mountain. So beautiful and rural.
The last few of the 7 days i spent in Cinque Terre, there was a sudden wash of waves onto the rocks. the ferry services were stopped and people were advised against swimming so I had time to sit on an inland rock and watch the relentless pounding. the sea is such a potent force of distraction. I felt heartbroken leaving this little crevice of harmony. I dont want it to change, i dont want the Americans to discover it, i want it to be just the way it is when i come back.
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