On one of our days in the Cinque Terre, we decided to take the ferry from village to village in order to see and photograph them from the Ligurian Sea. The panorama image here came as we departed Vernazza and headed towards the next village over – Monterosso al Mare. The sea was pretty calm and the boat ride was smooth, so I was able to fire off three quick hand-held shots that worked well in a panorama merge in Photoshop CS5.
Near the center you can see the seaside portion of the village, which includes a fun central plaza that’s great for grabbing a meal/drink at an outdoor cafe while people-watching. There are several small boats ‘hiding’ behind the rock breakwater in the center-left area, and the famous watch-tower high on the right side – great for climbing for unobstructed views up and down the Cinque Terre coastline.
Vernazza was unfortunately a victim of a major flash flood (‘alluvione’) in late October, 2011, roughly a year after I shot the panorama photo above.
Here’s a video someone made during that terrible event, including more details on exactly what happened. Be sure to visit www.savevernazza.com for more and updated information. Looking at the panoramic image above, it’s easy to see how a massive rainfall could channel heavy floodwaters right through the heart of the village.
We had a great time in Vernazza and the Cinque Terre. We wish the residents there all the best and we look forward to a possible return visit someday.
Have you visited Vernazza since the flood event shown here? I’m curious to get different perspectives on it now. Tourists, local residents, etc… feel free to add your thoughts in the comments area below.
