Cinque Terre!

Yesterday we went on our first day trip to Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is part of  the Italian Riviera. Cinque Terre translates to five hills. Cinque Terre is made up of the five villages Monterosso al Mare,Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. We all boarded the bus and departed Florence at 7:30 am. It was a 2 hour long bus ride and dropped us off the train station in La Spezia. From La Spezia we all crammed into the train like smushed sardines. After a short 7 minute train ride we arrived in the first village. The view from the train was like a breath of fresh air. The suns reflection was gleaming and glistening off the Mediterranean Sea. The color of the water was indescribable as it seemed to just blend in where the sky met the horizon line. We had a little time to explore the first village before departing for the second one. We headed down the water where we watched people cliff jump, swim, and sun bathe themselves on the rocks. It was then time to head to the second village. In order to get there we had to cross the via dell'amore. It is a trail between Riomaggiore and Manarola that connects the two villages. Back in time it was very rare for people to marry from other villages. The trail became a permanent connection between the villages. The trail is covered with padlocks with loved ones names on it. After writing names on the lock the loved ones are supposed to close the lock and throw away the key in order to symbolize their everlasting love for one another. After making it to the end of the trail we reached the second village where it was time to go swimming! The beach was not your typical sand beach, but instead a beach made of big rocks and concrete! I worked up the courage to jump off the big rocks and dove into the Mediterranean Sea! The water was so refreshing considering how warm it was yesterday. The water was also so much saltier compared to the Atlantic Ocean back home. The water was so clear that you could see the bottom of the water and the fish swimming around you although it was probably 25 feet deep. Standing on top of the big rocks made me feel like I was on top of the world! Cinque Terre is known for their pesto sauce. For lunch I had pesto pizza, which was absolutely delicious. I am not a big fan of pesto, but the sauce was the best I have ever had!

After swimming around and soaking up some sun we headed to the third village by way of train. After having arrived at the third village we had the option of hiking or taking the train to get to the fourth village. Needless to say I took on the challenge of hiking! After walking up 382 steps it was a good warm up for the hike that was about to begin. The hike took about an hour and a half and was along, through, up, and down the cliff. It was a good workout and the views that we saw left you speechless. I do not think that I have ever sweat so much in my life. By the time we reached the final stretch of the hike all I wanted was an ice cold bottle of water and to jump back into the sea! Once having reached the fourth village and feeling accomplish we rewarded ourselves with just that! We got to spend about an hour in the fourth village swimming around, jumping off more rocks, and relaxing after that treacherous hike. Last but not least we took the train to the fifth island where the beach was awaiting our arrival!

This beach was much different from the beaches in the previous villages and the long island beaches at home. Instead of sand there were millions and millions of pebbles including in the water. It was actually really painful on your feet and hard to walk on. There were two different sections of the beach the public side and the private side. We all laid our towels down on the sand made of pebbles and soaked up the warmth of the sun. After laying on the beach for a little while we decided to walk into the center of town in the village. While walking to the village we bought some fresh coconut from a vendor on the beach! I was expecting it to be cold and refreshing almost like an italian ice. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed because it had no flavor and was hard like cardboard. After a a fun, but exhausting day it was time to head back to Firenze! We all passed out on the long bus ride home. Once we had arrived back home we were surprised by the decorations Cait and Michele had put up to kick off Deanna's birthday celebration! We sang BUON CUMPLEANO to her, got ready, and headed out to ring in Deanna's 20th birthdayy! The bar we went to had a balcony on the second floor and when it turned midnight Cait announed it to the Duomo square and they all sang happy birthday to Deanna! We concluded the night with taking pictures in the photo booth on the street. We all came home and fell fast asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow. This morning we all slept in, got up, and all cooked Deanna a special birthday breakfast. Today consisted of going grocery shopping, doing some homework, and skyping with my family! Tonight a group of 17 of us went out to dinner  to the Mexican restaurant on our street called Tijuana. I know you are probably thinking who the heck goes to a Mexican restaurant in Italy, but when cravings call they need to be fulfilled. It was surprisingly really good and hit the spot! After dinner we came home and let our food digest in order to make some room for gelato! After a weekend full of lots of fun now it is time for bed in order to prepare for the second week of classes which begins tomorrow!