SOOC Saturday - The Via dell'Amore of the Cinque Terre

Or the Lover's Walk.

The easiest walking trail in the Cinque Terre takes you between the southernmost village, Riomaggiore, to its sister village of Manarola. Most visitors to the Cinque Terre National Park start in Riomaggiore and as a result, it is the most crowded and most traveled.

Along the walk, locks and graffiti adorn the fence line, even the rocks. Couples write their initials on the locks, along with a date (maybe an anniversary, maybe the current date), in order to represent "locking" their love forever.



The graffiti is mainly the "Lovers 4ever" type, in all languages. While I understand the sentiment, I didn't quite appreciate the defacing of this naturally beautiful coastline.

Lastly, the famous "Lover's Chair". A lovely piece of artwork, again covered with graffiti, so I was glad the sun light allowed me to capture a simple silhouette of the famous chair that so many clamor to sit on (with their lover, of course).

It was a easy start to our day hiking between all of the villages of the Cinque Terre.

Today's photos are SOOC (Straight out of the Camera). I'm still working through my collection from Italy, and will take every good SOOC shot I can!