The wonderful, the magical, The Cinque Terre!

Buona Sera!

It's been far too long since I've written & I'm sorry for my absence from the blogging world.  To my credit, we've had sporadic internet this week - but still.. my trip to Cinque Terre was so incredible I could have written a 5 page letter to each of you about it. (I'm sure your thankful I held off on that idea...)  HaHa! :)

Last weekend we had a trip with API (my program) to Genova & Cinque Terre.  Genova is a seaport that used to be a thriving and popular city back in the day!  Now, even the residents aren't shy about stating that it's aquarium is about the only thing that brings tourists into the area. None of us were too sure why the trip included an afternoon in this city, but we tried to make the most of it. The aquarium was fun and a great way to spend a cloudy, chilly afternoon.  We searched for some fresh seafood but were somewhat unsuccessful in this quest and we ended up at a cafe that we're still not sure if it was supposed to be Indian or Italian... so yes - somewhat of a strange lunch. 

After a tour of the harbor, we were off to a beach town called Santa Margherita. We were able to walk along the beach, climb on some rocks, wander the side streets in search of gelato (successful wandering!) and just bask in the sunshine on the beautiful coast.  I describe it as the most uniquely beautiful place I've ever been - because the combination of European buildings and crystal blue water was breathtaking.

Even though Santa Margherita was wonderful, I really had no way of knowing what was to come. On Sunday morning we were up early and taken to a boat that drove us along the coastline all the way to another coastal town called Porto Venere. We toured the narrow streets, tasted the famous pesto, and climbed up steep stairs to a church on the side of a cliff that is used specifically for weddings. (Imagine the scene from Mamma Mia with the candles lining the stone wall all the way up to the church.... ) Seeing as how my favorite hobbies include stalking weddings, asking people about their weddings, and being generally creepy about weddings.. the morning was a hit for me!  The inside of the church was breathtaking as well and we spent some time climbing around for all the best views of the water.

We boarded a boat again and were headed to the first of the 5 villages of the Cinque Terre. I've been told this area has become an increasingly popular vacation spot, and I HIGHLY encourage all of you to try to take a trip here one day.  The trend is to hike between the five towns which can be done in one day. Since we were with approximately 100 other students,  our trip included boat and train travel between the villages. In each place we had a few hours to shop, eat, sit on the beach, and stare at the gorgeous coastline.  This "Genoveve" Region is famous for their pesto  - so that was what we sought out for lunch. I had crunchy bread dripping with olive oil, pesto, and salty cheese... is your mouth watering yet?  Everywhere we looked around us was pure, natural beauty - and one day in this place was definitely NOT enough!

We ended our trip to the Cinque Terre with a short hike along the most popular of the paths - "Lover's Lane". With the number of students I mentioned above you can imagine how romantic this was for us.... but still, I appreciated the view and the graffiti all along the stone wall with the names of various couples.  Another romantic tradition includes couples placing a padlock onto the metal fence that lines the path  and throwing the key into the water.  This of course signifies their everlasting love! This became a popular practice after a teen movie sensation sparked the act all across Italy.  In Rome, Florence, Naples, and of course on "Lover's Lane" the padlocks cover sections of fence and create a sort of art form. I have some pictures of the locks to share, so I'll try to get those posted as soon as possible.

I hope my description of this magical place can spark some of you to type Cinque Terre into Google or Trip Advisor and get planning! :)

This trip was last weekend & I'm already another week into this great adventure. Classes have been going great and we've had some fun times with friends this week. 

I promise to blog about this weekend's adventures in a more timely manner :)

Love to all at home,

Ciao!

Katelyn