A National Park in a Different Nation

This blog is a continuation of my report on looking for nature during my summer vacation in Europe.  Up to this point in my travels, I had seen little of nature compared to the US. I was most excited to schedule a trip to Italy's National Park...Cinque Terre.

Surely, if nature were to be found, it would be here!  This park is along the rocky coastline in northern Italy and had become a national park only in 1996.  A baby compared to the National Parks, like Yellowstone, that I have visited in the US.

On our bus tour to the park, we learned of the love-hate relationship between tourists and residents in the 5 small villages that are found within park.  This designation has been a boon to the economy but has also brought changes that are negatively viewed by some of the older residents.

The quaint, picturesque villages nestled on the steep slopes of the Mediterranean face harsh winter weather conditions as well.  We saw houses that had large rocks on the roofs to hold them down during windy times.  They can survive the winters, but will the villagers survive the deluge of tourists?

Another controversial issue we learned of involved the Apuan Alps marble quarrys we passed on the way to the coast. This area, while being used as a quarry since the second century BC, is being threatened by the sheer number of quarrys (300) that take 1.5 million tons of marble and 2 million tons of crushed stone each year.  This creates a threat to the picturesque beauty of the region along with ground water pollution and heavy traffic issues.  These mountains are where Michelangelo chose the marble for his sculptures, so there is historical significance to this area as well.

Back to my quest to see nature:  I hiked some of the trail that connects the five quaint villages.  The trails are steep; the drop off into the Mediterranean quite dramatic.

You can see the rugged countryside with scrubby looking plants.  We walked through olive groves, saw yucca--the symbol of the park--and those wonderful yellow flowers (see previous post).

Besides the scenic beauty and rugged slopes with hardy plants, I saw little in the way of "wildlife".  But it was a hot day, even by Italian standards.  And perhaps I was so taken with the scenery that I missed some opportunities to see wildlife.
A highlight of the trip was soaking my tired, hot feet in the Mediterranean.

My quest to find nature would have to continue on my next stop...Paris.