ITALY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1259

get some good land. Because some lots were “kissed by the sun” while others were shady,
thelotsweresplitintoincreasinglytinyandeventuallyunviablepieces—anotherreasonwhy
many have been abandoned.
Asinglesteeltrainlinewindsupthegullybehindthetower.Itisforthevintner's trenino,
the tiny service train. Play “Where's trenino? ” and see if you can find two trains. The vine-
yards once stretched as high as you can see, but since fewer people sweat in the fields these
days, the most distant terraces have gone wild again.
The Church, School, and City Hall: Vernazza's Ligurian Gothic church, built with
black stones quarried from Punta Mesco (the distant point behind you), dates from 1318.
Notethegraystonethatmarksthechurch's16th-centuryexpansion.Thegray-and-redhouse
above the spire is the local elementary school (about 25 children attend; education through
age 14 is obligatory). High-schoolers go to the “big city,” La Spezia. The red building to the
right of the schoolhouse, a former monastery, is the City Hall. Vernazza and Corniglia func-
tion as one community. Through most of the 1990s, the local government was Communist.
In 1999, residents elected a coalition of many parties working to rise above ideologies and
simply make Vernazza a better place. That practical notion of government continues here
today. The city was led through the trauma and challenges of the flood by Mayor Vincenzo
Resasco. He worked so tirelessly and heroically that, suffering from complete exhaustion
after the initial recovery period, he had to be helicoptered to the hospital.
Finally, on the top of the hill, with the best view of all, is the town cemetery.
Activities in Vernazza
Tuesday-Morning Market
Vernazza's skimpy business community is augmented Tuesday mornings (8:00-13:00) when
a meager gang of cars and trucks pulls into town for a tailgate market.
Beach
The harbor's sandy cove has sunning rocks and showers by the breakwater. There's also
a ladder on the breakwater for deep-water access. The sunbathing lane directly under the
church also has a shower.
Boat Rental
Before the flood, Vincenzo of Nord Est rented canoes and small motorboats from his stand
on the harbor, and also took people out for mini-cruises. He lost his little fleet; how he'll
put it back together remains to be seen (contact him for the latest: mobile [phone],
[e-mail] ).With a rental boat, youcan reach a tiny acqua pendente (wa-
terfall) cove between Vernazza and Monterosso; locals call it their laguna blu .