Vernazza

Vernazza-one of the five cities located in the Cinque Terre, Italy.  These five cities are tucked away in inlets linked together by rails along the coast.  It is absolutely one of the most beautiful places I have ever experienced.  Hills filled with vineyards and olive trees surround Vernazza.  The wine harvested has been around since Roman times and has appropriately been called “the wine of the gods”.  Among the many cats that roam the alleys, we also found grapes hung in cellars- waiting for presses.  Wandering through these alleyways the smell of the wine consumes my nostrils and reminds me of the many nights I spent in Europe.  Vernazza is exactly what I was looking for to paint: the alleyways, the multi colored buildings nestled among steep cliffs perched above and beyond water, the boats, the vineyards, the sun.  I was in heaven.