On October 25th 2011 heavy rain storms described as rain bombs hit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Cinque Terre and the villages above!
The mass of water, rolled down the mountainsides, devastating all five villages, hardest hit were Vernazza & Corniglia, torrents of water hurtled down bringing boulders, mud & disaster for many.
We knew that the cleanup was in progress and that the trail between Vernazza & Corniglia was still closed, we were not expecting to see the evidence with our own eyes!
Houses with foundations and walls swept away, yawning open rooms, some with 
furnishings still in place! As was very evident when we hiked the trail from Vernazza to Monterosso!
Vernazza was a beehive of workers, replacing doorways, windows and livelihoods!!! The fickle hand of fate spared one, only to wreak havoc on a neighbour!!!!
We had seen glimpses of this string of villages, stories from friends who had visited and fallen in love with the place! I cannot describe it any more eloquently than Rick Steves who like many has been captured by its beauty. We too were captured by its beauty and tenacity!
The rebuilding and repair goes on at a frenetic pace……. these tiny villages rely on those thousands of visitors who visit to hike the trails and gaze in awe at its beauty. They also leave a few Euros behind!
Sadly this could possibly have been avoided! We had long discussions with locals 
and other Tuscans, who are firmly convinced that this was a result of a series of small things. There are less people working and caring for the land, ancient drainage systems are falling into neglect, the upper villages failed to notify the villages of Cinque Terre about the mass of water that was descending on them, floodgates and drains were not opened to capacity! We repeat only what was we have heard, but can see for ourselves that many of the ribbon drains built into the paths and roads are clogged with debris. Tuscany’s countryside appears to be populated only by an aging generation!
Who knows what may happen in the years to come, but we are pleased to say that we
Repairs underway
believe Cinque Terre will continue to be….. at least for now!
