Cinque Terre, Part 2: The Shoreline And The Beach

One full day by the sea…the luxury! Nowhere to rush, just bask in the sun with an occasional gelato…and draw.

Large rock formations frame the shoreline of Riomaggiore

Waiter, taking a smoking break at a seaside cafe.

People-watching. The locals come out for gelato and linger to gawk at the tourists. Everybody is watching everybody.

Right below the cafe terrace, a man is putting lacquer on a boat. He exchanges jokes with the waiters on the terrace and laughs a hearty laugh.

Riomaggiore's shoreline is framed by massive rock formations. People crawl narrow pathways along the rocky walls to reach a good diving and sunbathing spot. It's dangerous, but there are no warning signs in sight…climb and dive at your own risk!

It's hot. Boats rock gently in calm Mediterranean waters. I go for a cooling dip every 20 minutes or so, because the mid-day heat is intense. The sunlight is blinding. My oil pastels are melting, and so is awareness. It's too hot to concentrate.

Man after a swim by the boats.

Pebble beach is hard to walk upon. People crawl on all fours. The stones are hot and unstable.

View of Riomaggiore village up the hill from the shoreline.

I return at sundown to toss a coin into the sea, because I want to be back here again. One day, one day...