The Vertical Villages of Liguria

Liguria does not apologize for its inclines. Stairs are streets. Gardens grow where there should be nothing but air.

I started early, when the light was still kind. By midday, the heat turned the trail into a bright blade. I photographed less and looked more—color stacked on color, houses leaning toward the sea as if listening.

Monterosso appeared like a mirage: umbrellas, gelato, the slow rhythm of a town that survives on summer. I sat with my back to a wall and let the salt air reset my thoughts.