One of my favorite destinations, the Cinque Terre, was devastated by heavy rains, flooding, and mudslides today. Apparently, much of Monterosso is destroyed and Vernazza is in ruins. Here is a link to a video aired on RAI TV in Italy.
Here is a photo of the muddy water rushing down the street in Vernazza. What you see here is the point where the harbor square meets with the beach. Normally, there are brightly colored fishermen boats and several outdoor restaurants (in the upper area in the photo). The red car is actually on the “sandy” beach area.
For much of my life, I’ve packed my travels into the summer months. Like many, this is necessary because of vacations, work, and school schedules. There are many positive aspects regarding travel during this time known as the “high season.” Longer days, swimming and beach opportunities, fresh summer foods, maximum opening hours for tourist destinations, fewer things to pack, less chance of rain, fewer travel delays, and extensive tourist resources are just a few. However, given the choice, I’d choose to travel during the spring, fall and winter.
My number one reason for travel between October and May is COOLER temperatures. Here is my annotated list of reasons to travel to Europe in the winter, spring, and fall.
Cooler Temperatures – click here for a chart of European cities average temps and rainfall.
Fewer Tourists Crowds – Imaging experience the Louvre without the crowds, get intimate with Mona Lisa, enjoy Castle Neuschwanstein without the ques, and experience Venice’s Piazza San Marco sans people and pigeons.
Lower Airfares – Great bargains abound on all the airlines. In the past week, I have received discount airfare offers from at least six airlines offering deals to Europe during the “off-season.”
Seasonal Varieties in Food – Some foods just don’t go down well when it is hot outside. In Italy, I enjoy papardelle pasta with wild boar. It is ok in the summer, but in the cooler months (especially during hunting season), the meat is fresh and the hearty sauce sets well on one’s stomach. The same can be said for the rich and heavy fare served in Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
Unhurried restaurant and hotel staff – Off-season, you are more likely to enjoy a visit with local folks, restaurant staff, and hotel owners. With more time and fewer tourist, these folks actually have the time and desire to invite you into their lives.
Shorter days and longer nights – click here for a detailed “hours of daylight” table. Enjoy dinner at 7:00 instead of 9:00 p.m. followed by an illuminated stroll in the cool of the evening.
Orchestras and Opera – The great symphonic orchestras, operas, and ballets are in full concert season. In the summer, the musicians are on holiday and out of town.
Snow – As a boy from the south, snow is a welcomed change for me.
Christmas Markets pop up all over the place from December to the New Year! Enjoy local crafts, fine music, skilled artisans, good food and drink, and a festive atmosphere.
Here are some additional links for off-season travel:
We’ve just completed an extensive video project chronicling the experiences on a recent tour to Paris and Madrid. My friend, Abby Austin, lugged a camera and microphone around to capture the essence of what I do and why. I hope you enjoy the video tour.
-David
Podere Marcampo is a newly constructed agriturismo located on the road towards Pisa, about four miles outside of Volterra. My friend, Genuino del Duca, and his family have labored countless hours to present a first-class lodging opportunity. They rent out three fully-equipped apartments containing a full kitchen, living room, spacious bathroom, and a large bedroom. Additionally, there are three standard-size rooms with a bed and bathroom. All rooms have air-conditioning and heating, as well as Wi-fi. Here is a web link to Podere Marcampo.
Volterra – Podere Marcampo
On the property, Genuino carefully tends a prized vineyard from which he makes his award-winning Merlot wine, Giusto Alle Baltze. Genuino breaks from planting the traditional “sangiovese” grape and works with merlot instead. The result is a well-balanced wine loaded with hints of berries and the unique terroir of Le Baltze.
The grounds are decorated with flowering plants, roses, stone walls, and pathways to match the decor of the surrounding countryside.
Podere Marcampo is located in what we might think of as an unusual landscape of Tuscany. This area, known as Le Baltze, or the sandy cliffs, have been known to slide and swallow up entire buildings, dating back to Etruscan times. Of course, Genuino’s place is safely constructed on solid ground!
Marcampo swimming pool
If you are planning to travel to Tuscany, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Volterra and Podere Marcampo.
There has been a tradition in Italy for many years in which two lovers secure a padlock to famous sites. The symbolism here is that their love is forever joined together at the site by the act of locking the padlock. Pretty romantic, eh?
Over the years, I have seen this tradition spread to the far reaches of Europe. I don’t know if the tradition has made it to the USA yet, but I bet it will someday. I first ran across these padlocks in Florence, on the Ponte Vecchio. Here there is a bust of Cellini, the famous goldsmith of Florence, and all around it were padlocks secured to the railings. Recently, I’ve noticed the city of Florence has placed a sign on the site stating, “It is illegal to put padlocks here.”
In the Cinque Terre, there is a path known as the “Via dell’ Amore” (the pathway of love) connecting the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola. Along this pathway, there is a “graffiti wall” where lovers leave their own graffiti scribbles and mark their special spot with a padlock. Lining the path are thousands of padlocks marking the site where love was securely locked in the hearts of two lovers. There is even a hardware shop in Riomaggiore that sells specially engraved padlocks with the Cinque Terre logo.
Originally, there was a wall of “lover-themed” murals along one section of the pathway. These were beautifully crafted designs by artists commissioned for the project. Almost as soon as the murals were completed, people began adding their own bit of graffiti. As you can imagine, this small amount of graffiti turned into a big glob of graffiti completely covering the original works of art. This went on unchecked for many years. In June, when I arrived in the Cinque Terre for the first time this season, I noticed the walls had been completely whitewashed, totally obliterating the original murals and the countless thousands of individual graffiti. Now, in August 2011, the whitewashed wall is filling up with new graffiti works, by new strolling lovers, leaving their marks of fame.
Yesterday, as Charlotte and I were walking this “lover’s lane,” we noticed a new tradition has sprung up. Apparently, it is a cheaper alternative to the padlock and has spread like wildfire along the path. The two lovers, instead of “locking thier love” with a padlock, now simply tie any object in a knot, symbolizing “tying the knot.” Unfortunately, this has created an ugly appearance at the once charming “Via dell’ Amore.” Now it has the appearance of trash and rubbish collecting along the path.
Trashy Love?
The matter is even more complicated in that the National Park has no direction and few employees as a result of scandal and corruption. Hence, there is no one to “police” the area and keep it clean.
