VERNAZZA, CINQUE TERRE
September 28, 2016

   We visited Vernazza today.  It is the 4th town of 5 that comprise the Cinque Terre National Park.  This town of 600 was overun with tour groups and hikers today.
   Today was also Market Day.  We bought fresh vegetables, paper goods and a few things we "needed".  We arrived by boat from Manarola (town #2) and got to see some of the coast.  Vernazza's castle has a lookout tower and behind her walls the residents found a place of safety during the days when pirates invaded their town.  Pirates plundered up and down the coast for years, hitting every village. They carried off men women or children, killing, looting, burning, and stealing food and supplies.  It's no wonder that fortresses with high walls and weapons were needed for safety and defense.
   But, today, the pirates are gone and the farmers and shop keepers no longer have to worry.  The only plundering taking place nowadays comes from the hordes of tourists who come here every year to visit these pastel villages,  buying food, clothing or souvineers, or simply here to kick back and relax.
   We enjoyed roaming this small town, which looks much like our own Manarola.  We bought a few things at the Tuesday Market and then stopped in a Crepè shop for lunch.
   We headed down to the harbor to board our boat for the return trip to Manarola.  The boat crew rolled out a portable gang-way from the front bow to the dock and everyone piles on and walks the plank....yes,  there are hand rails.   Ron was behind the rest of us.  We walked up the gang-way and down the ramp onto the boat deck, where we found seating.  Ron decided to skip the ramp after coming up the gangway.   With a sidestep he jumped down onto the deck near where we were sitting.  The two crewmen assisting the passengers began yelling at him.  It was in Italian and we didn't understand anything,  except the part where we knew they weren't happy.  They both looked sharply at Ron and both were talking rapidly.  Ron came over and sat down.  The two crewmen pulled in the gangway and headed inside the door, still looking back at Ron and speaking Italian.  We could tell from the stink eye Ron got that shortcut thing the ramp was a no no.