This weekend was my very first away trip! My roommate Lauren and I decided spur of the moment last week that we were going to take a day trip to Cinque Terre, about a two hour train ride from Milan. So, at approximately 6 o'clock yesterday (Saturday) morning, I hauled myself out of bed and we hustled down to the train station to catch our train which would bring us right to the first town along the coast, Monterosso. Now, some people choose to hike between the five villages, which takes somewhere between five and seven hours - Lauren and I bought a train pass so that we could hike the short trips and take the train the rest of the time.
In Monterosso, we decided that it simply wouldn't do to start our monstrous journey without some sustenance, so we ordered some food at the local foccaria and ate our weight in Italian food. Lauren had a tasty slice of margherita pizza, and I chose a thick slice of foccacia bread smothered in green pesto and drizzled with light olive oil. It was probably the best thing I've eaten so far. I was still beaming about it when I woke up this morning.
We walked along the shoreline for a while before deciding that it was time to move on, so we hopped on a train to the next town - Vernaza! Vernaza was equally beautiful, and had the added bonus of a long strip of cute boutiques and locally-owned shops.
From there we took the train from Vernaza to Corniglia and then Corniglia to Manarola, both of which were equally stunning in views. We then decided we could probably pluck up the energy to hike from Manarola to Riomaggiore, the final town on the Cinque Terre coastline, and I was so glad we did! The walls of one of the pathways were lined with graffiti and I later learned that this was what the locals called "The Lover's Path" - couples had been scrawling their names and anniversaries along those walls for years.
Once in Riomaggiore, we decided it was time to do some swimming, because you can't just walk around the Mediterranean for an entire afternoon and not think that's the best idea you've ever had. We climbed onto some rocks along the shoreline at the edge of the town and met two 12 or 13 year old girls named Marina and Antoinella, who encouraged us to come jump off some of the lower cliffs with them because "Don't worry, be happy!" Neither of the girls spoke any English, apart from that tiny phrase. With a little encouragement from them, Lauren popped right on into the water but I still wasn't sold on the idea. While all of this was going on, however, two French boys not much older than me had been watching the scene unfold and decided there was no way any of us were leaving without jumping in. So, with much poking and prodding (alright, let's be honest, it didn't take that much coaxing. They were two beautiful french guys, and had they been holding a baguette, I would've been in the water before they'd even said a word), I jumped in and was so glad I did.
We had the best day in Cinque Terre and I was so exhausted by the time I got back that I took a shower, vegged out on the computer, and then dragged myself to bed where I had the most delicious nine hours of sleep I've had since I've been here. It was a beautiful day! The only thing that could've made it perfect would to have had my best friends there with me. I guess we'll just all have to come back someday soon!
Foccaceria in Monterosso.
Monterosso Beach
The entrance into Vernaza's main street
Graffiti along the hike from Manarola to Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore from the shoreline
The view of Riomaggiore from the sea.
Here's the little cove where we swam and went cliff diving! Some of the men were jumping from the highest peaks, but we stayed with the younger kids and played it safe.
Dinner was lasagna! The woman at the ristorante prepared it so hot that it practically burned, but every bite was worth it.
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