Yesterday we decided to take the cable car made in 1934 to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro which is a tiny speak up in the sky when looking from Rapallo’s beautiful promenade. The ride takes about 7 minutes as you rise about 600 metres. The cable car entry is hidden away in a back street in Rapallo so you really need to know what you are looking for and the ride itself is a little creaky but once I got over my nerves the views are extraordinary. The Sanctuary was initially built in 1558 with the marble facade coming later in 1896. It is so difficult to imagine how these were buildings were erected (and we all think we are so advanced 😀), the challenge of the distance alone must have been mind blowing. The Sanctuary was built to celebrate the apparition of the Virgin Mary to a farmer by the name of Giovanni Chichizola in 1557. In her message to Chichizola she said “Go and say to the Rapallo inhabitants I want to be honoured here...”

Outside of the church there are fabulous walks, a hotel and cafe. For those not wishing to take the cable car you can hike (yikes), drive or catch a bus.

Back in Rapallo we spent the evening simply walked the streets and enjoying gelatos.

This morning we headed by train for Vernazza one of the five villages that make up the Cinque Terre. We had been here before in 2008 and loved it and wanted to come back. In between visits in 2011 there were torrential rains which caused flooding and mudslides burying this gown in over 4 metres of mud and debris which caused more than 100 million euros worth of damage to this picturesque town. It and its people are obviously made of sturdy stock. This little town harks back to at least 1080 and has until the last few centuries been an active maritime base. In the 15th century having suffered regular attacks and pillaging from pirates the townspeople painstakingly erected a fortified wall. This beautiful little town in 1997 was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Whilst tourism is now the main source or revenue for this little township, wine making and fishing remain steadfast occupations for many people who live here. I so love it here…