Bill Kennedy travels to Italy's Cinque Terre National Park.

1. CINQUE TERRE

2. William A. Kennedy is the President and CEO of Kennedy Technical Consulting Services, LLC. His consulting business is located in Arlington, VA. Bill Kennedy’s company provides the full gamut of business development services to his clients. These services include: marketing, opportunity identification and development, capture, strategy, proposal management and technical writing, and orals coaching. Bill Kennedy applies his over 30 years of experience with Federal government contracting to successfully position, capture and win work for his clients.
William Kennedy is also a avid traveler and over the years he has traveled to over 35 countries to include China, India, Tibet, and Russia to name a few. Recently he had the opportunity to travel to Italy where he hiked the trails in Italy’s Cinque Terre National Park along the Italian Riviera*.
* Photos by Bill Kennedy; Information source: Cinque Terre Card Guide.

3. CINQUE TERRE
•The Cinque Terre, “the five lands,” is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy and to the west of the city and port of La Spezia. There are five villages in Cinque Terre; these villages from north to south are: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Cinque Terre, consisting of the coastline, villages and surrounding hillsides, is a national park and an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
•The villages are connected by well maintained paths, trains and boats. Cars cannot reach them from the outside.
•The Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination.

4. MONTEROSSO
Monterossoconsists of two parts: old town and new town. These parts are connected by a tunnel that is used by pedestrians and the few vehicles in town.
The beach is the only extensive sand beach in the Cinque Terre and visitors can rent a beach chair for a few Euros. The water is clear and comfortable for swimming most of the year.
The hike along the main path between Monterossoand Vernazzatakes approximately 2 hours to complete.

5. VERNAZZA
Vernazzawas once a fortified town as evidenced by the towers in the picture and remains one of the “truest” fishing villages on the Italian Rivera.
The hiking path between Vernazzaand Cornigliatakes approximately 90 minutes to complete.
If you are looking for a place to swim, the harbor area is a favorite place to do this.

6. CORNIGLIA
Cornigliasits on top of a promontory about 300 feet above the sea and is surrounded by vineyards and terraces.
To reach Corniglia, one must climb the Lardarina, a long brick staircase that has 33 flights with 382 steps or follow the road in.
The coastal or main hiking path is closed between Cornigliaand Manaroladue to a landslide. But there are other paths one can take to reach Manarola.

7. MANAROLA
Manarolamay be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. Its primary industries have traditionally been fishing and wine-making.
The harbor area offers an excellent place to swim.
The coastal hiking path from Manarolaand Riomaggioreis closed due to a landslide. But there are other paths to hike between these towns.

8. RIOMAGGIORE
Riomaggioreis the southern most town in Cinque Terre and the first town when training into the park from La Spenzia. Its main street, Via Colombo, has numerous restaurants, bars and shops.
The village dates back to the early 13thcentury and is know for its character and its wine, produced by the town's vineyards.
Riomaggiorehas a small beach and a wharf framed by tower houses.