Cinque Terre, Italy: A Visual Narrative

Like many other visitors of the Cinque Terre National Park, I wanted to see for myself the picturesque fishing villages, their colorful homes stacked upon one another edging over steep cliffsides that tumble down into the turquoise blue waters of the Ligurian Sea... 

What I discovered when moving between and within the five small towns, through their steep narrow footpaths and hilltop vistas is much more than the magnificent puzzle of gelato-hued buildings. The surrounding area is a delicately woven landscape ablaze with diverse flora, bountiful fruit trees, flourishing vineyards sculpted over centuries on uneven terrain by the hands of man, and an endless expanse of pristine blue waters... a harmoniously intimate dialogue between man and nature.

The Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, described as "a landscape of exceptional scenic quality that illustrates a traditional way of life that has existed for a thousand years and continues to play an important socio-economic role in the life of the community."