Europa III - Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre was one of the most breathtaking hikes that we've ever been on. Five villages separated maybe 8 miles apart, these towns sit on the mountainous coast of Italy.

We started the day by arriving bright and early in Riomaggiore - the first of the five villages. Our hostel was up a hill - a nice, large, long, steep hill to boot - and we made the trek through the picturesque village to our room. Each of the towns didn't seem real, as if it was taken from a movie set. The cobblestone streets were scattered with shops, fruit stands, and cafes. You couldn't help but feel like you stepped back in time a few hundred years. The trail itself cut right across the mountain ridge, jetting up and down the landscape. At one point we were on a beach, and the next thing we knew were were so high up that people on the coast looked like ants. Needless to say, it was tough hiking.

The first stretch was fairly easy, on our way to the second town (Manarola), known throughout Italy for its olive oil and wine. You could see the vineyards and olive gardens lining the mountain ridges, and even see people working. It was real nice to be in small villages and experience the old Italian world. Not that it necessarily felt authentic - it definitely felt touristy.

To the third town! We made a stop by the water to relax for a short time - sunbathed and just say with our feet over a ledge. This part of the trail was a little steeper, especially the 300+ steps at the beginning of the third town (Corniglia). We stopped for lunch for a while and took a break from the pretty intense sun.

As we started to the 4th town, we decided on whim (aka Charlie saying "let's go!" and making a turn) to take a detour down a very steep slope and through some pretty intense trails to a secluded beach. It was about 20-25 minutes each way. The beach itself was really nice - I mean, how often can I say that you were on a secluded beach in Italy? Once. We had to walk through vineyards and an abandoned train tunnel to get there, but it was totally worth it. There was only one problem: not too far from us was a nude beach. It was weird and real awkward, mainly because the people bathing made sure to turn right at us and stare at us coming down the hill, but it was all good because we weren't all that close. We stayed at the beach for a while, then hiked back up. I felt like I was doing squats at some points of the hike up because of the steep steps and the hiking bag on my back.

We continued onward on our hike, realizing pretty quickly we were exhausted already and started to get weak from lack of food. We were saved almost immediately by a small stand that sold Snickers, Powerade, and water - just enough energy to make it to the next town, where we grabbed drinks on the water in the wealthiest town (Vernazza).

The 5th town and last town (Monterosso al Mare) was the largest of the five, and felt like a typical beach town. We grabbed some seafood dinner and more gelato (do you see a pattern?) and took the train back to our town. We crashed at 10:00 - but that's when you know it was a great day. The beautiful hike was over. Even this long after the trip, I still can't believe this place is real. If you ever go to Italy, you have to go here.

Europa Part II - There's a Fire in Florence!

Stop 2 was set for Florence, the city of the Renaissance. Known for Michelangelo's David, the Duomo, and gelato (we'll get to that), Italy's artistic capital did not disappoint.

Florence is quite different from Rome in many different ways. The center of the Renaissance, Florence's architecture was more modern - as in 1500's instead of BC. The buildings and churches, especially the Duomo, were breathtaking.

We started the day off by seeing one of the greatest pieces of art in the world - Michelangelo's David. It was amazing. Simply put: a-ma-zin-g. The amount of work and attention to detail below me away. Once again though, his works of art were under a strict "no photo" policy, so we didn't get any pics from the site. We tried to after seeing about 20 others snapping away, but of course we were the ones that security decides to stop, not the guy next to us with three cameras around his neck. I guess Christine fit the mold of "Tourist who's going to sell photos of the Statue" mold. True Story.

After the museum, we climbed 414 steps straight up a steep staircase to the top of a tower in the center of the city for some spectacular views of the city. The Italians of the 1500's were obviously trying their best to honor God in their work here. I can't believe some of the architecture. It was a different world back then, and you can tell they valued their beautiful landscape and tried to cherish it and preserve it in the architecture.

We crossed a river that splits the city in two over a bridge with jewelry and gold shops and houses, built in the 1300's. It started as a place for butchers and other food vendors, but the king in the 1500's wanted to flaunt his wealth, so he changed the shops to high-end jewelry, which it still is today.

After crossing the river, we hiked upwards to the Piazza del Michelangelino, where the original statue of David stood, and now a replica stands. Here were the best views of the city. Florence was picturesque in every way, as you can see.

After a day of hiking and exploring around in the sun, we cooled off at a wine bar near a main square sipping on Lemoncello - a fave amount the area - while the rain sprinkled down. It was perfect. Another pizza and wine dinner closed down the evening, along with a late-night gelato run, where we found literally the best gelato in the world. Seriously, it was so good.

Stay tuned for the next posting (which will be this week, I promise!): We visit the most beautiful place on earth - Cinque Terre!