Coast road

What a wonderful day, heading down the coast from Genoa towards the Cinque Terre.
The day cold and clear was perfect for stopping at the side of the road every few miles to take in the view. We pulled over in Recco to pick up some lunch; the region is famous for pesto, and mixed with trofie pasta and green beans is a little bit of heaven on a plate (or in a take-away box).
We ate it over looking the sea in Rapallo and then walked it off around the town. There were families everywhere, children in fancy dress flinging confetti with abandon but we couldn't work out why - a festival, holiday, local custom? don't know, but this little guy was looking very serious in his fox hat.

We arrived at our destination, Monterosso as the sun was setting in style, excited about our plan for tomorrow. We are to walk the famous Cinque Terre coastal path, taking in the five villages that are it's namesake, along the way.
In late 2011 the area suffered an horrific landslide with tragic loss of life. All along the streets in Monterosso are photographs of the devastation, but it is incredible to see that only just over a year later the village appears physically unchanged, and how I remember it when we last visited in April that year.