Photo 6,6:
Sun drenched succulents adorn the cliff faced rocks of the trail between Riomaggiore and Corniglia in the Cinque Terre region of Italy. Of the hundreds of amazing sea-scapes and oddly flattering family photos (we were all drunk with happiness to be in such a gorgeous place--we looked pretty good for us!) and cool close ups of this and that which I shot while I was there, I came across this one in the 6th photo challenge. It may not be the most beautiful, and I certainly never would have blogged about it if it were not for this challenge, but it does convey a sense of the place: semi-arid Mediterranean climate with dry warm winds sweeping up the steep hillsides. We saw mile after mile of this ancient landscape as we walked between the five towns. These paths are as old as the settlements along this stretch of coast in North-West Italy. There is very little access overland to these towns due to the steep terrain rising almost straight up from the sea. Methinks it used to be more fruitful, and intensively farmed--for you can see the terraces going largely unused except for a few olive groves--before the "age of convenience." Perhaps the downturn of the global economy will encourage the people of CInque Terre to bring the Earth to life again there. Of course, these plants show there really is life there already, as they cling contentedly to the edge of the Mediterranean and photosynthesize in relative peace.
Let me know in my comments if you take up the Sixth Photo challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing a few!
