Monterosso al Mare, New Town

Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy. This gorgeous detail by Dana of one of the "Five Lands"--five small fishing villages that cling to Italy's Mediterranean coast--communicates beautifully how residents of Monterosso al Mare (al mare means "by the sea") have lived hidden away for centuries, safe from pirates, bandits, fascists and to some extent, even modernity (tourists like us, excepted). The villages have always had access to the sea, but residents could quickly vanish upward, into the steep hills, whenever necessary. And they've maintained their traditions, bending geography to their will, growing grapes for wine and other produce on ridges that jut out from the cliff, establishing a national park on the land above with paths connecting the villages, and fishing their sea for more than ten generations. Since Rick Steves put Cinque Terre on the European tour map, the villages now thrive as holiday destinations, but in our experience, visitors are largely respectful of the residents, customs, and landscape, making the Five Lands a remarkable place to visit. Dana? She wants to retire here...next week!