The Cinque Terre helps reinforce an interesting dilemma felt at certain points throughout this trip- as the country of Italy advances through technological advancements, specific areas hurt more than others. Take for instance Venice, where the water level is rising, risking the survival of the city; or the Cinque Terre, where agriculture suffers from volatility in rainfall and a requirement to not advance their techniques by incorporation of technology as the area is a national park. I believe these type of situations beg to ask the question: at what point is the cost of maintaining something so beautiful or unique outweigh the benefits gained by keeping it around?
The first day full day in Vernazza, one of the five cities of the Cinque Terre, was spent touring with the president of the Saver Vernazza campaign. In October of 2011, the city was hit with major mud flooding, filling the first level of the city and killing three. The city quickly rebounded with the perseverance of the citizens, and has become a major tourist location. Later that day we climbed the hills and helped repair walls of the Cinque Terre on privately owned land where white wine was produced.
The next day we hit the trails, hiking over the mountain to stumble upon beautiful view after view. We stopped for lunch at a town on the path, and ended up staying for a few hours, throwing frisbee on the rocky beach, and swimming out in the Mediterranean. The sea was quite salty, and soothed my skin significantly.
We say chao to Professor Travis today as she departs back to the states to teach stats for the remainder of the semester, and the group rides to Florence for our free weekend before Professor Wurm arrives on Sunday. On the way we will transfer trains in Pisa, allowing for a quick stop to see the leaning tower and enjoy some Pisa pizza!
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