The terraces of the Cinque Terre

The steep hillsides of the Cinque Terre have been painstakingly terraced over the years to carve out some precious land for growing grapes. The building of the draw walls - stacked stone with no mortar - is something of a lost art. The woman would collect in preparation for the building of a wall - each size and shape had a specific name. The men would build the wall and - like a surgeon asking for a scalpel or forceps - would request the perfect stone for a given situation. They used no mortar so that when it rained, water could pass through and continue downhill rather than being built up behind each wall. A year ago there was a terrible flood that deviated the area and the villages, trails and walls are still being rebuilt.