The Views of Italy

Once again I have neglected my followers for quite some time (despite constant reminders from my dad). My deepest apologies, but you must understand that between frequenting vineyards and eating gelato (along with dealing with subsequent guilt that follows) I don't have much time for blogging! Rewind to two weeks ago. On Friday, I started the weekend started out great with a site visit to two of the Frescobaldi vineyards. At the second we enjoyed a light lunch and wine tasting. My teacher, being a Frescobaldi herself, was able to give us a private tour of the estates. Talk about connections! Oh and I guess this would be a good time to warn everyone back home that I have become quite the wine snob (despite the 3 euro bottle of wine currently in my fridge).

Saturday, Lacey and I set out for a weekend adventure to Cinque Terre, a cluster of five small towns on the northwestern coast of Italy. After packing a backpack, purchasing a train ticket (that cost only ten euros), and about two and a half hours we were in Riomaggiore, the first of the five towns. The packed train literally 'oood' and 'ahhhd' at the first glimpse of the royal blue ocean and mountainous coast. It was funny, but completely justified. I mean I have to admit, I may have let out an 'oh my gosh' myself. It was gorgeous!

 

We walked on a trail called via dell'amore (road of love) from the first town to the second town. Along the way, there are locks attached to gates, wires, and anything possible with initials and dates as couples' way  to symbolize their 'everlasting love.' Cute! The trail, which was fairly easy, had amazing views and took us to the second town, Manarola. After walking along the trail, we were ready for some food. Lacey and I got some pizza and focaccia and headed down to a bench overlooking the water to eat. The trail from the second to third town was destroyed in a landslide, so we took a train to the third town, Corniglia. Little did we know, after getting dropped off by the train, we had to climb about 500 steps to get to the actual town.

We rented a room for the night in Corniglia. Julia, the landlord with drawn-on eyebrows and not much taller than my shoulders, showed us our bedroom (which was fairly large), small balcony, room with a fridge and couch, and the bathroom, which is bigger than the one in our apartment now. There was even a little patio with a table and chairs. Lacey and I changed out of our sweaty clothes and went out to explore the town. We walked down to the marina and dipped our toes in, sitting in awe at the sun's reflection sparkling on the water. A little while later, we walked back into town, bought a bottle of wine, and sat on a bench to watch the sun set on the water. It was perfect! The town was quiet, peaceful and untainted by loud tourists.

For dinner, we went to a small restaurant in town. A English-speaking woman at the restaurant said that region was known for their pesto. I was sold. The pesto was great! After the food and wine and walking all day, Lacey and I were ready for bed. We went back to our room where I laid on top of the covers to avoid any possible bed bugs, until I was freezing cold, then bit the bullet and snuggled up under the covers. The next day we packed up and hit the trail. The trail wasn't easy, but I enjoyed the hike that went up and down mountains and through olive groves. At one point, we saw a a trail that had a rope to use to get down a steep slope. It was terrifying and fun at the same time.

Everyone we passed were so friendly, always saying 'Bongiorno!" One woman we passed noticed we spoke English. Her name was Evelyn, originally from New York herself, now living in Italy. She asked us to take her picture jumping in the air and then took our picture jumping in the air. She took my e-mail address and said she'd send me the picture. How sweet!

After two hours, we finally arrived in the fourth town, Vernazza. I got some Kit Kat gelato which was just as good as it sounds and reminded me a little bit of home. We hopped on the ferry to the last town which provided some much needed breeze and rest for our feetsies. Ten minutes later, we were in Monterosso. After picking up some sandwiches and wine we headed to the beach and caught some rays. Later on the train ride home a woman came up to us, noticing we spoke English, and said 'Are you Americans?' Turns out she is a retired market research executive who is traveling around Europe for six months. What are the odds?!? We talked about all of our traveling experiences and a lot about marketing. Lacey and I walked home from the train station talking about the amazing conversation we'd just had and the amazing time we had in Cinque Terre. It's so nice to be able to travel with a good friend whom you can share laughs and life-long memories with.

The following week was your usual: visited a Renaissance villa, got some gelato, checked out a new art gallery, took an Italian exam. Just the usual. Don't worry, I did have a reality check when I realized I had yet to plan housing for next year or my fall schedule. Now for last weekend. After such a hectic week, there was no time to plan the trip to Paris I'd been hoping for. I eventually came to accept that Paris would have to be a trip for my next Europe visit and decided to enjoy Florence. Saturday, I finally climbed 463 steps to the top of the Duomo (the cathedral in Florence). The sea of terracotta rooftops and mountainous backdrops were breathtaking!

Sunday we got salami and bread at the market and headed up to Piazzale Michelangelo where you can see all of Florence's gems in one view: the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, and Santa Croce.

The tulips in bloom and music of an outdoor restaurant nearby were the cherries on top. Not to mention the beautiful sunny weather (sorry to all of you Pennsylvanians stuck in 40 degree temperatures). I was glad to cross a few things off my list of things to do around Florence. Now, I am getting excited for the arrival of my parents next week and showing them the city I've fallen in love with. I'll try not to wait so long before posting again! Ciao!