“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights.
It is a change that goes on, deep and permanent,
in the ideas of living.”
Vernazza is everything I could have imagined and more. Even on a rainy day, such as when I arrived, the village exuded a calm, local beauty. My room overlooking Via Roma could not have been more perfect. Vintage and cute - I loved how every room had a window that opens out to the noise of the street below. And the streets are indeed noisy - locals and tourists bustling about. But I didn't seem to mind it. I felt connected to the liveliness even from the solitude of my room.
I saw this funny old man wearing a hat with a red pompom on it. I love that Italian men are confident enough to rock hats with red pompoms. He smiled at me and simply said, ciao bella. Hello beautiful.
“We are travelers on a cosmic journey.
We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other,
to meet, to love, to share.
This is a precious moment.
A little parenthesis in eternity.”
On my hike from Vernazza to Corneglia, I discovered Italy's own wall of "love locks." I can't help but think how nice it would have been to have had someone special on the journey with me. The Cinque Terre holds a certain romanticity that is hard to ignore.
The Italian coastline is wild and beautiful. Full of colour and energy. I was almost afraid I wouldn't be able to grasp its splendour in such a short time. Breathe it all in, I wrote in my journal. This is your life. All crazy and chaotic and full of vibrance and mystery and wonder. Remember these moments. They are few, but they are wondrous.
