Cinque Terra 2

Tanned Italians, lobster-tinted Anglo-Saxons, private beaches and tawdry glitz. It would be easy to poke fun at the the Italian Riviera if that was all you saw, but the real Cinque Terra is a diverse and supportive community. Beyond the khaki-clad photographer with omnipresent zoom lens, the bands of young holiday makers posing on fisherman's boats, the silly hats and the ridiculous t-shirt slogans in sequins ~ "Individuality Cult 2nd XV" ~ are real people.

The young smiling Franciscan friar dispensing pastoral care with his roped robes and mobile phone, the apprentice campanologist playing scales on the church bells, the baker delivering fresh pastries by trolley, this is what we discovered. You would be hard pressed to realise it but a mere 8 months prior to our visit, torrential rains caused a river of mud to surge through Monterosso inundating stores, houses and hotels. In a tragedy similar to the Canberra firestorm, four people died. Rebuilding the town will take a long time, however this will be a doddle for a resilient people used to adversity delivered over many centuries.

Visiting a freshly tiled and repainted art gallery on Via Roma, we noticed a book titled Monterosso ~ 25 October 2011. Opening it we came across a photograph of our host Baccho, provider of The Best Table in Monterosso, up to his gum booted knees in mud. Smiling broadly, he and his co-worker were sweeping debris off the paving directly outside the studio. One in, all in!.