The Cinque Terre town for today was Vernazza, a pretty town which most say is the jewel in the Cinque Terre crown. It does have the benefit of a castle keep on a high promontory that offers a generous view of the entire area, something the other towns as far as I’ve seen don’t seem to have. It was steamy hot again today so walking around and climbing those ever-present steps took extra effort – thankfully we got around easily enough using the ferry system that offered the occasional and much appreciated sea breeze. It’s a slight challenge though dealing with the locals who are maybe sick of their jobs, sick of tourists, or simply tired because any interaction with them, no matter how friendly, is met with terseness or no warmth at all. Let’s see how quickly they change their tune once people stop coming – because in this current politically charged environment one can never know how the next day, hour, or minute will pass. In any case it was another fulfilling, exhausting day that’s been full of surprises and then some. Pizza in an otherwise normal restaurant in Vernazza will be hard to forget.