Barcelona Cruise Port Barcelona, Spain [Copyright Andy Richards 2019 All Rights Reserved]OUR NEXT port was Barcelona. We have been to Barcelona multiple times and spent several days there prior to boarding cruise ships and a couple different occasions. Needless to say, we love Barcelona! But having spent some time there seeing its many attractions, on our last visit, we had taken a trip out of the city and up into the mountains, to the Abbey of Montserrat. That was in 2019, and at the time we were there in the fall, there was widespread demonstration by Catalonian separatists, in the region. Barcelona is in the center of the region, as well as the 5th largest city in the European Union. The history is fascinating, and perhaps to an extent tragic. Today, the Catalonian region has some limited autonomy (perhaps a bit like a large state in the U.S.), But is ultimately unified under the rule of the now democratic and unified Spanish Government. There is not complete agreement and at various times during history, the Catalonians have urged (and even declared) its independence from Spain. Fortunately, the well-attended demonstrations and protests have remained peaceful, if not occasionally disruptive. This was one of those times. There was a march into the city (some from hundreds of miles away), which took place on the day we were in Port in 2019 (it was an overnight stop). As things escalated, it became apparent that Barcelona – and in particular, the old city near the port area – was going to become a logjam. Our tour guide was concerned about getting us back to the ship as it was due to sail away that afternoon and so, cut our tour short. Unfortunately, that not only shortened up our time in Montserrat, but eliminated a visit to a local vineyard and winery. We were disappointed, but he turned out to be correct in his concerns. We returned to the ship in the early afternoon and sat on the back (my favorite spot where the cigar smokers convene 🙂 ) and watched as the crowds visibly thickened and the city became gridlocked. As acquaintances joined us from time to time during the afternoon, we heard near-horror stories about crowds and getting back. One friend “walked” a mile back to the port after their cab-driver advised that he couldn’t get any closer in the gridlock. I say “walked” because she had a knee injury and was using one of the little knee scooters. She was upbeat and jovial about the whole thing. But we were glad to be watching it from the ship rather than down in the thick of things.
Montserrat, Spain Black and White Image [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]ANYWAY; LONG story. The upshot is that my wife and I had decided before we even left for this trip that we would be returning to Montserrat to “finish” the tour. At the same time, we strongly encouraged the other 4 – none of whom had been to Barcelona – to book things in Barcelona. So much to see there, including the many architectural works of Antoni Gaudi, Park Guell (the Gaudi designed and inspired “utopian” neighborhood), the old medieval city with its centuries-old buildings and history, and of course, one of the world’s most famous churches, the unfinished La Segrada Familia. We had seen most of this, in a couple of instances more than once. The Montserrat side trip was just that for us, a side trip. But one we felt was unfinished business. But we couldn’t in good conscience not urge anyone not familiar with Barcelona not to see as much of the city as possible. It is – for us – a special and magical city.
Montserrat, Spain [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]SO. MONTSERRAT. Our tour was different than the last one, which had been a small group with a private guide. This time we took a tour that left from the main bus terminal in Barcelona. We got off the ship and took a taxi to the terminal, where we found the tour company offices and waited until they opened. We got confirmation of our reservations and directions to our bus. They had an interesting (and new to us) approach. There were 4 different groups, each with a slightly different itinerary. They loaded all 4 groups on the same bus, with all 4 group leaders. We were all starting at Montserrat, so that made some sense. Then, as we went our separate ways from there, they somehow coordinated different busses. All we know is it worked for us. The day started out a bit foggy as we arrived at the Mountaintop Abbey. I tried to use that to my advantage, shooting down into the valley. The fog caused layers and a monochromatic effect, and I knew I would be processing these in B&W once I got home and cued things up on my desktop. But in the end, I think I like the second image, a hybrid of B&W and color, better.
Montserrat, Spain [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]EVENTUALLY, BEFORE we left the Abbey, the fog and cloud cover broke, and we got blue sky. I have always gotten excited when able to catch the “edge” of weather conditions. This time was no exception, as I made what I think was one of the best “landscape” type images of the trip, showing the namesake mountain up behind the abbey, poking through the cloud cover. When our 2019 visit was cut short, one of the things I had wanted to do – hadn’t had time, was to ride the funicular up to the top. I had planned to do so this time, but after some discussion with our guide, I realized that there were two things mitigating against it. First, we didn’t expect the fog to break (and I am not sure it ever really did up there while we were there). Second, I didn’t realize before that there isn’t really a view down into the abbey or the valley from up there. Rather, it is just into the center of the range. Maybe cool. Probably not worth the time under the circumstances. We did, however, do the final thing we had run out time for. There is a really nice little art museum there with many images by some of the Masters, as well as some other very talented painters of the time. We also visited the church where I was able to make some images of the church interior. They sure do them right over in Europe.
Church in Montserrat, Spain [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]MONTSERRAT, PERHAPS intuitively, translates to English as “serrated mountain.” It is not hard to see how it got its name. The only mountain peaks I have ever seen that come close to matching it are our own Grand Teton Range in Grand Teton National Park. The Montserrat Range, however, seems to go on and on for some length. It is really quite spectacular. When we left the Abbey, we traveled to a Montserrat vineyard and winery, where we tasted a few of their locally grown and made wines, along with a traditional plate of Tapas. It wasn’t really like the tapas that we have experienced either in Barcelona bars, or here in the U.S. It was more like what we might refer to as a charcuterie plate. But it was savory and tasty and basically my absolute favorite appetizer (it was kind of a motif of the whole trip – savory meats and cheese). Oh, and the wines were very nice too.
Montserrat, Spain [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]THE WINERY was – unfortunately – on the other side of Monserrat Range from the sun, which rendered my shot of the mountain range as a hazy silhouette. The image here was taken with my Samsung S21 smartphone and was really more intended as a “record” shot to post real-time on Facebook, than a “keeper” image. But I “worked” it a bit in Photoshop and at least it is and illustration of what could be, here. I would have loved to have been here for sunrise, where the range would have been – I believe – beautifully lit. Who knows? Maybe there will be another visit.
Montserrat, Spain [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]WE HEADED back to the Barcelona Bus Station, where we were fortunate to meet up with a couple women who were also on our ship and share a cab back to the port. Glad to have re-visited this, it may have been our most relaxing excursion of the cruise. And even better, the next day was an at sea day, which meant not having to walk and basically not having any planned activities. Bodies and minds were ready for R&R. I headed back to the aft cigar area to watch the sun set. I didn’t make any photos, this time, but I certainly reminisced about the overnight stay in 2019, and my nighttime version of the same cruise port image that I opened here with. Have I mentioned how much I love Barcelona?
Barcelona Cruise Port Barcelona, Spain [Copyright Andy Richards 2019 All Rights Reserved][Tomorrow we leave for yet another trip across the Atlantic. This time, bound for Amsterdam/Rotterdam, where we cruise with our good friends Bruce and Joyce, to Iceland, Ireland and England. No posts for the next couple weeks, but I am certain plenty of new material for the upcoming months! See you soon]
Provence, France (Parc Naturel Region de la Sainte-Baume) [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]PROVENCE ALWAYS conjures fields of lavender and bucolic French countryside for me. We have actually been to the Provence Region a couple times now. We have never really done the countryside and haven’t seen lavender (We haven’t been there in the right season for the blooms). Our first visit was in 2015 with our friends Paul and Linda. We did a wine tasting tour that trip and though we did drive through the countryside, we mostly visited vineyards; and one city: Aix en Provence. Maybe someday I will make a land-based trip to the Provence Region.
Provence, France (Parc Naturel Region de la Sainte-Baume) [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]BUT THIS was – once again – cruise based. Our ship ported in Toulon, France, situated between Nice and Marseille. In 2015, we had docked in Marseille. Franck, our guide on this cruise told us that the Toulon Port is not really a favored spot. His opinion (he actually lives in Nice) was that it was too remote, and there was really nothing to see or do in Toulon itself. He was one of only a handful of private tour guides who would even make the drive to Toulon, because of its perceived distance and remote location. If and when I finally get the opportunity to have a discourse with someone at Celebrity who influences policy, I would like to have a conversation about these “remote” ports. They seem to have occurred more often in the last couple years. As an aside, we experienced the same phenomena with our “English Channel” cruise in late 2021 on Princess. I am certain there are reasons for it (presumably port fees and restrictions), but we have certainly been spoiled by being able to just walk off the ship in the past – or at least be central to good spots to visit.
Aix en Provence [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]WE WERE fortunate that Franck was willing to travel to Toulon for us. He was a great guide, and we had a good tour. We started in a beautiful national park (Parc Naturel Regionale de la Sainte-Baume), with a drive up to a high overlook. From there, we could see the Mediterranean. The views were pretty spectacular. The region is actually known as Alps-Cote d’Azur (something like “Alps by the coast of the blue sea” – my tortured translation, of course). 🙂 In the south of France, this region is temperate, and has always been a favorite of Europeans for its warm weather and seaside along the entire coast (also known as The French Riviera). It also photogenic, from the seaside landscapes to the harbors and boats, and mountains in the national parks just to the north.
Rock Climbers Parc Naturel Region Sainte-Baume [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]WE ALSO learned (by observation) that this part of the park was a popular rock-climbing spot. I posted the image here on Facebook a month or so back, noting that sometimes great shots are a matter of serendipity – “right time, right place.” I felt pretty fortunate to be in that mode this morning. This opportunity also underscored the move back to an interchangeable lens camera. Here I wanted to get in as close as possible and was able to use the 150mm (300mm 35mm equivalent) focal length (not available on my RX100), to make this image.
Cours Mirabeau Aix-en-Provence, France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]AFTER THIS pretty cool spot, we went to one of Provence’s perhaps most popular destinations: Aix-en-Provence. A city of approximately 145,000 residents, there is some history there. Not surprisingly, it was founded by the Romans around 100 B.C. The entire region of Provence passed to France in the late 1400’s A.D., including Aix. In 1501, Aix became the capital of Provence. Nearly always a city of culture, it was often visited by such literary and artistic figures as Emile Zola, Ernest Hemingway, and Paul Cezanne.
Aix-en-Provence France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]AIX IS also a university town. Aix-en-Provence University, (now Aix-Marseille University) was chartered in 1407, by Louis II. The university is said to be popular with students throughout Europe, as a high-quality institution in a city that is relatively safe and fun to live in. The university offers courses of study in engineering, humanities, economics, law, political science and administrative planning. As you walk away from the center roundabout with the fountain (Fountaine de la Rotonde), to the east on the avenue Cours Mirabeau, you walk into some of the old city, with quiet, shady streets, and majestic buildings.
Aix-en-Provence France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]LIKE EVERY European city or town, there are churches. Most of them are photogenic. This quiet spot was the one we ventured into today.
Church in Aix-en-Provence, France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]FRANCK HAD made us reservations in a restaurant back by the Rotonda Fountain: La Rotonde, where we had a nice lunch. He then rounded us up to move on to our next (and last) stop for the day. LeCastellet is a medieval village on top of a high hill or cliff in the region. It was on our way back from Aix, and just to the northwest of Toulon. The old village has mostly foot traffic, as the cobblestone streets are narrow and winding. It actually reminded me of another, similar village along the French Riviera: Eze. Today mainly a tourist venue, there are many quaint shops and small cafes along these streets, as well as small overnight accommodations.
Le Castellet, France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]IN THE village I found a few images photogenic spots.
Le Castellet, France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]Le Castellet, France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]Le Castellet, France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]Le Castellet, France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]Le Castellet, France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]A
FTER WALKING around some, we sat in a small cafe and had coffee and wine, before meeting with Franck at the exit from the feudal village to head back to Toulon and reboard our ship. A very nice day. It was just a taste, but I can see that the Provence region is a place that would merit a few days’ stay and exploration.
Le Castellet, France [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]
Monaco [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]IN THE fall of 2019, we did an “Italian Riviera” Cruise on Celebrity. One of the stops was Monaco and Monte Carlo. We were anchored out from Monaco’s small seaport and tendered in. The tour we had that day took us to the old city of Nice, the ancient village of Eze, and then around pretty much all of Monaco. We even covered 100% of the Grand Prix course. We also saw the Prince’s Palace and of course, the Monte Carlo Casino.
Monte Carlo Casino Monaco [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]ON THIS cruise, we were docked at Cannes, a distance away from Monaco. Home of the Cannes Film Festival, and apparently a wealthy area, we really didn’t spend any time there. I had intended to walk around the seaport area of Cannes before boarding the tender to return to the ship, looking for photo-ops. But we used up most of our day with train travel, and in Monaco, so that didn’t happen. Maybe another time.
Monte Carlo Casino Monaco [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]WE MOSTLY wanted to go back to Monaco again, and the Cannes Port was an hour plus train ride or drive away from Monaco. We took the train. This was destined to be a pretty unstructured day, and other than walking around Monaco and to Monte Carlo, we basically stopped and had a drink at one place and a very nice lunch at another, and ultimately returned to Cannes (and the ship) very close to all aboard time.
Monte Carlo Casino Monaco [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]IHAVE found it interesting how when we visit a place multiple times, we often approach it from different directions, making the experience unique for me each time. On our first trip, we approached with our driver, right up what is one of the main streets (and a part of the Monaco Grand Prix course), to where it circles around the front of Monte Carlo, from the West. We parked and walked around the casino and vicinity for about an hour before returning to the seaport and our ship. This trip, we approached Monte Carlo from above, from the train station, which was to the northwest of the casino. Of the 4 of us who made this trip, two were suffering from some foot problems, and though the walk was downhill and less than 1/4 mile, it seemed a lot longer.
Monte Carlo Casino Monaco [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]BUT I really liked our approach this time. From the main street above the casino, there is a nice parklike area, with walkways that go down the hill toward the casino. On the way, there are several fountains, each on a different level. I was able to frame the casino with fountains in the foreground, a couple different times. In front of the casino, there is plaza that has a unique reflecting mirror. After that walk, we stopped in the Cafe du Paris Monte Carlo for drinks.
Monaco [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]LIKE OUR first visit, we walked into the Casino and walked around on the first floor for a few minutes. Not really being big gamblers, we weren’t too intent on going into the actual casino gambling areas. But as might be expected, the interior architecture is grandiose. We then walked down that same main street we had driven up 3 years back. I hadn’t really done that in 2019, and I though the view down was pretty impressive. I was able to catch a BMW sedan approaching, and thought it was fitting (though a Lamborghini, or Ferrari might have been more so). 🙂
Monaco Waterfront [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]AFTER STOPPING for a really nice lunch with great food, in a semi-outdoor restaurant right on the water, we did a bit more walking (including a pretty strenuous walk back up to the train station – what goes down must eventually go back up 😦 ). Along the main street just above the waterfront, were some pretty nice views of the water, and some pretty nice boats. Did I mention there is money in Monaco? It was a pleasant, if somewhat tiring day. We had been on the move, on our feet then for 5 days straight. And there was more to come before we rested.
Monaco Waterfront [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]ICONTINUE to carry the “new (ish) Olympus m4/3 setup on these trips. For years, my travel was either family/personal, or dedicated to photography of some place I would travel to. My gear for the dedicated trips was (and will for the moment, continue to be) my Sony A7rII, 46mp, “full frame” (so-called) camera and lenses. But as I have said before here, all that gear is heavy, bulky, and challenging to carry on a trip. When the trip is solely dedicated to a photo-destination, it is easier, because packing involves mainly clothing and gear for just that trip. But when packing for a more general trip, it quickly becomes problematic. I am not yet ready to rely just on my smartphone. I did rely on my small P&S Style Sony RX100 for a few years. But I missed the flexibility, and personally, the feel and handling of the DSLR-like camera. The more I have used the m4/3 camera, the more familiar and comfortable I have become with the settings (I only worry about the very few settings I need for my own purposes), making changes and adjustments quick and intuitive. All of the images from my last 3 cruises have been made with this system (or my smart phone in some cases). I am looking forward to using it more, as we continue to travel. Having said that, I will again say that the “gear” is a tool, and you sometimes need to think carefully about which tool you will use for which “job.” As I noted recently on a couple of my posts on the South Africa trip, I would definitely re-think my gear if and when I return there. In particular, I think maybe the “safari” shooting with the smaller gear was too much of a compromise. I will take the more serious setup on any additional trip involving a safari. But for the most part, I am happy with the m4/3 setup for my travel. It will be my sole gear for our upcoming trip to Iceland, Ireland and England.
Cinque Terre Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]WE BOARDED The Celebrity Apex on Friday and hit the ground running. We stopped in 4 ports before we had an at-sea day. Given that we had a pretty ambitious 3 days in Rome beforehand, it was a formula for exhaustion. We found ourselves looking forward to the coming at sea day, just for some R&R.
I knew before we started that Cinque Terre would be the highlight of the entire trip for me
BUT I must confess that I knew even before we started that the first stop, the first day, would be the highlight of the trip for me. La Spezia is an interesting location. There are options, but few seemed enticing. Pisa is some 40 miles away. Florence is about twice that distance. Doable, but a few hours of riding in a vehicle. And Livorno, which some cruises stop at (notably, Princess), is much closer to both (12 miles to Pisa and 45 miles to Florence). We did that in 2015 on a Princess Ship, which stopped in Livorno. We still felt a bit shortchanged in Florence (which is a city I think one should visit for a day or two – at least an overnight). It was also possible to go into the country in Tuscany, where you could sample wines or just view the countryside. Again, that would involve hours in a vehicle. We have walked around the city of La Spezia a couple times. Frankly: not much going on there. So the one that seemed to make the most sense was Cinque Terre.
there is no better landscape photographer’s destination in the world, in my opinion
I REALLYwanted to revisit this amazing place (it is, after all, mainly about me 🙂 ). But seriously, this is supposed to be a photography – related blog, and there is no better landscape photographer’s destination in the world, in my opinion. Less than 5 miles from the cruise port, the first of the 5 villages of Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore, can be reached by commuter rail in just minutes. It involves a brief taxi ride to the train station in La Spezia, and the purchase of an all day, on and off, 18-euro, train pass on the trains that travel between La Spezia and Levanto to the north. In between these two cities lie 5 small fishing villages and the train stops at each one. The time between stops is just minutes.
Riomaggiore Cinque Terre, Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]LITERALLY “FIVE lands,” Cinque Terre consists of 5 historic villages in the Province of Liguria, built into the mountains above the Ligurian Sea. The 5 small villages thrived from the 11th – 16th centuries, mostly producing fish, wine and olives. Most of the agricultural cultivation took place on man-made terraces built into the steep mountainside. After the 16th century, the area experienced a period of economic decline, until repurposed mainly for tourism during the 1970s. It is difficult to reach by car, and most travel to and between the 5 villages is by train, boat, or on foot. There is a hiking path that runs between the 5 villages that is very popular with hikers.
Manarola Cinque Terre, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved
FOR ME, the primary draw to this region is photographic. In 2019 we took an Italian Riviera cruise that stopped in La Spezia. That was when I first “discovered” Cinque Terre (though I am sure I had seen the photographs at some previous time), and knew I had to go there to photograph it. Prior to this trip, I did a fair amount of research. Cinque Terre’s 5 villages, from south to north, are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterroso Al Mare (“Al Mare,” means “by the sea”). My research (primarily commentary from other photographers) suggested to me that of the 5 towns, 3 were very much on my horizon: Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Vernazza. The others – for a number of reasons were not so much. The main reason has been time. Both visits were one day cruise stops, substantially limiting both my time and shooting conditions. Corniglia is up in the mountains and does not have a seaport. I am sure it is photogenic in its own right, and my next time through there, I will probably visit it. For now, I was particularly drawn by the fishing village/seaport aspects. Monterroso is flatter and appears to be more of a beach community these days. While the beaches look fabulous and I am certain it is photogenic, I again wanted to focus on the more rustic seaports. I have had a few other beach opportunities. Given another trip, I am likely to visit both Monterroso and Corniglia. But not this time.
Riomaggiore Cinque Terre, Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]YOU ONLY need to look at the colorful and iconic images from the 3 villages I did photograph to understand the draw. Centuries old, the buildings built into the mountainsides are a feat of architecture. I was interested to learn that the colorful paint jobs which make the images so romantically iconic are not really historically accurate. I wonder what the landscape looked like before they were painted. My “processed” version here might be semi-accurate? If so, not near as colorful, and though still photogenic, not in my favorite way: with color! But in the 1970’s, seeking tourism, the locals came up with the idea for the brightly painted buildings that are really Cinque Terre’s photographic signature today.
Manarola Cinque Terre, Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]MY FIRST trip in 2019 was nice, but somewhat of a “bust.” We joined a group of new friends we had met on the cruise and took a taxi all the way to Manarola (a mistake not to repeat – take the train). My research had indicated that of the 5 villages, Manarola was the most popular and photogenic. The day was kind of rainy and drizzly, and we did not get a very early start off the ship. We didn’t know about the 18 Euro all day train pass, nor just how quick and convenient the train was. But what we also didn’t know was that there is no car access to any of the 5 villages. There is a large parking area well up the mountain, above Manarola, where cars and busses could park ( I suspect the other villages had similar parking accommodations). We walked down a very steep, though well paved pathway. It was hard on the knees. While it seemed longer, it was about 1/2 mile down to the level where the train station is. We learned later about the train setup and ended up going back to La Spezia on the train. Everyone else was more or less sightseeing, but I was on a mission to photograph at least this one village. I walked on ahead, all the way down to the seaport, which I knew was where the path to the photographic viewpoint began. Fortunately, it was not a long, nor steep walk out the pathway, and turning around to see the village, it was immediately apparent where the photo was! I blogged about that village and posted my photos from back in 2019here. The lighting conditions were not very good, and looking back, I am not happy with my post-processing (colors look odd – I will go back and re-work those), but they give the viewer an idea about the potential.
Riomaggiore Cinque Terre, Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]THIS TIME I planned differently. We had all pretty much decided (there were six of us) to do at least parts of Cinque Terre. But I made it known to the group that I was going to be off the ship at the earliest possible opportunity and on my way to Cinque Terre. We had texting capability and asked them to let me know when and where and I would meet them in one of the villages. Ironically, that turned out to be Manarola. In the meantime, my first stop was the southernmost village: Riomaggiore. I was a bit surprised at how much of a downhill climb the base of the village was from the train station. Having done 3 of them, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the steepest (not sure about Cornigilia). I took some back stairs down part of the way and the image near the top of the blog post shows where I exited onto the seaport area. As previously noted, my reading indicated that Manarola was the “preferred” photographic venue (not that the others weren’t also great). Now having been to both, I am not sure I agree. They both have their charm. But I really like the color and the setting in Riomaggiore.
Riomaggiore – Popular Tourist perspective Cinque Terre, Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]ANOTHER CONCLUSION I have come to is that – at least for Riomaggiore and Manarola, the best photographic vantage points are actually the most popular tourist spots (maybe there is some logic to that). 🙂 In Riomaggiore, that meant up the hill on the south side of the harbor, where the tour boat offices are. I did venture a way out onto the rocks, but really not very far as it is a bit steep and slippery and requires some exertion. But my short look said to me that the viewpoint wasn’t going to my best perspective. Importantly to me, both “standard” spots (Manarola and Riomaggiore) get me at building level, where the tilt factor of my wide lens was the least problematic. It is partly why I believe they are the best photo ops in these two villages.
Riomaggiore Village from the rocky seawall Cinque Terre, Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]EVEN THOUGH I had already shot Manarola and wanted to make sure I had time to do Vernazza (the third of my chosen spots), I felt the desire to stop again at Manarola, and take another look. Not only did I have time, but the rest of the party had texted me by then that they would meet me there. My research told me that there were 3 or 4 different viewpoints from which to photograph the Manarola Village. One was the primary tourist spot which was the trail on the way to Corniglia, to the north. Another was on a terrace above that trail, where there were a couple restaurants. I had climbed up there in 2019 and concluded that it wasn’t enough different a vantage point to be worth it. I had also shot from down at the water. The final spot was in the cemetery, “just a ways up the hill.” OMG! My question to the writers who recommended the cemetery: are you serious? The dirt trail up to the cemetery is a rugged and strenuous uphill walk, for anyone but the most robust hiker. And it is a long way, all uphill steeply. Once you reach the cemetery, which is neither well marked, nor obviously a cemetery, you then must walk on through it out to a trail that finally opens up above the village. Having gotten there, the photo viewpoint is (I think) underwhelming! As others have noted, the foreground is challenging, as it is grasses, scrub brush, and some ugly fencing. Perhaps during a time of year where there might be some bright flowers, or foliage, it might be pleasing. But as you can see from my shot from here, the foreground (in my opinion) detracts from the image. Then there is the factor of distance and perspective. The angle of the foreground partially obscures both the village and the harbor, even at fairly wide-angle viewing. My two cents in 5 words or less: it’s just not worth it. I will admit that it is a very high up view and pretty spectacular. But the hike is not for the faint of heart, and it certainly isn’t the best photographic spot. Again, for both Manarola and Riomaggiore, I would direct a photographer to the two popular tourist spots. You will get a good shot from them.
Manarola; From “the cemetery” Cinque Terre, Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]AFTER COMING back down the mountain, our party had encountered some issues with their train ride and were still not at the meeting spot, so I sat in the cafe and had an espresso and some water. Once they arrived, I and showed them the photo spot and we walked around the small town, a bit, wandering in an out the shops and having a snack. When the time came to decide what the next move was, two of the group decided to return to the ship. I was determined to go on to Vernazza, eitheralone or with whoever wanted to come along. Four of us ultimately continued on to Vernazza. Though seemingly more touristy, and in my view slightly less photogenic, Vernazza was also less hilly. But like the other two villages, it had a very nice harbor, with lots of small fishing boats. Unlike the other two villages, Vernazza also had a small “beach” at the harbor. I found my best photographic perspective from out on the wide and easily navigated seawall/walkway.
Vernazza Cinque Terre, Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]THERE WERE some nice close up “studies” of the moored boats. Also, the rocky breakwall in Vernazza afforded probably the best opportunity to shoot the Ligurian see out away from the villages. All in all I was very happy with my day in Cinque Terre. Someday, I would really like to go back there and spend a couple nights in one or more of the little villages (Probably Manarola) and take some nighttime images, with the buildings lit and reflections in the water below. But for now, I was satisfied to add some nice, colorful, classic images to my portfolio.
Vernazza Cinque Terre, Italy [Copyright Andy Richards 2022 All Rights Reserved]
LightCentric Photography Blog 