Devestation in Italy

A couple of days ago I was saddened to open my email to find a news message from Rick Steves (my travel guru).  Although it is not making news in Canada or the US, there was a huge rain storm/mudslide that has basically wiped out 2 towns in the Cinque Terre area in Italy.  One of the towns that was devestated was Vernazza.  Vernazza is where Trevor and I stayed in Cinque Terre and it is also where we got engaged...right sitting down on the breakwater by the ocean.  There's not much left now.  And I feel so sad.

Note that in this picture, the mud is about 12 feet high in the streets.  The workers are standing at the level of the second story.  The entire first story of these buildings are under the mud.


Every business along the main street was entirely buried.  Again, this is the sign above the first floor of this business.



The red building with the arches is the hotel right on the main square at the harbour that Trevor and I stayed at when we were there.

Here's a video of Vernazza before the storm.

And now Vernazza during the flood

This one is from Monterosso (the next town over and also part of the Cinque Terre that we visited)

Keep the people from these villages in your thoughts and prayers as they dig out in the coming months (the town is evacuated at the moment because heavy rains are expected for the next few days and it is not safe to be there).  Rick Steves will be posting an way to donate in the coming days.  It is possible to donate to the Italian Red Cross, but it's a bit tricky with an Italian site.  I will post a link if any of you want to donate (I know some of you have been to Cinque Terre as well).