WEDNESDAY 26TH DECEMBER 2012.
Riomaggiore
The church bells stopped ringing at 10-00pm and didn’t start again until 6-00am so we had a good night’s sleep.
The belltower, only twenty or so metres from our bedroom window.
We took the train to the seaside town of Riomaggiore, a truly medieval village with origins dating back to the 8th century. The town climbs up along the ridges overlooking the sea and it is characterised by stone houses with coloured facades and slate roofs. Access from the railway station to the town proper is via a pedestrian tunnel.
The Riomaggiore pedestrian tunnel is decorated with ceramic tiles and masonry mosaics.
Tile mosaics.
The Romans have been laying mosaics for thousands of centuries and, by the look of this modern day one, they have not lost the art.
Riomaggiore harbourscape.
The small picturesque port of Riomaggiore.
Portside Riomaggiore.
A most remarkable chandlery built into a cave.
Riomaggiore’s narrow street.
Remarkable geology. Note the steps to the water hewn from parent rock.
There are a number of brilliant murals in Riomaggiore depicting various aspects of its history and folklore. The murals were painted by Silvio Benedetto, an Argentinian who came to live in Italy in the ‘60s and who has painted murals at each railway station of the Cinque Terre.
Lifelike portraiture.
Detailed portrait, part of a large mural.
The portrait depicted here is about twice full size.
A Riomaggiore green cat.
Avid readers of this blog will know that since leaving St Gallen Switzerland we have been searching for the elusive green cat. If you want to know more about the ‘Green Cat’ go to the previously posted St Gallen Switzerland entry.
The view from our window at the end of another exciting day.
Fred and Bev's Odyssey 