Some Places in Italy

Oh man, I am getting way behind on blogging! The reason is because none of our hostels have internet... I don't want to get too far behind, so I am writing these in Word and will post them all later. So yesterday we did the 9 km Cinque Terre hike that connected all the villages. We took the train to Montorosso (on the opposite end) to tackle the most treacherous leg of the journey first, and I am so glad we did. The first section from Montorosso to Vernazza was constant stairs. Whether it was upstairs or downstairs, it did not matter because there was NO BREAK FROM STAIRS. But it was absolutely gorgeous and SO rewarding. The hike between the towns ran through hilled, small farms of olive trees or vineyards and grand vistas of the blue Mediterranean. We spent a fair bit of time poking around the villages themselves.

Here is a rundown: Montorosso was most substantive with an open-air market and resort, even an old castle; Vernazza was my favorite with an adorable harbor and colorful buildings (and delicious tiramisu gelato!); Corniglia was the least exciting as it was up on a hill and rather small; Manarola was child-friendly and connected to Riomaggiore by a Via del' Amoure, or Lover's Lane where lovers between the two towns would meet. The hike took us a total of 6 hours, including dawdle time, and we arrived in Riomaggiore sweaty and exhausted. We hopped right back on the train to Montorosso to swim on the only sandy beach in the Cinque Terre. We found our dinner there at a local pizzeria, and headed back to Riomaggiore to clean up and get some cocktails. It was an absolutely perfect relaxing day in the Cinque Terre.

Which was good. Because the next day, we got ready to leave only to find that Sergio was charging us double what we thought we would pay. I was worried about this too, and checked that he wanted 30 euro per person for two nights, and he said "yes, yes, haha, ees fine!" Well, we fretted about this for a while, but determined that Sergio's services such as cooking our food, laundering out clothes, packing our lunches, and providing free Cinque Terre cards outweighed the extra costs for the apartment. Really, it was a wonderful stay, and I am happy we did it. We have been doing so well at saving money with our hostels and Eurail Pass, I don't feel too bad about it.

Our next stop was Pisa, where we spent a mere hour. We got off the train, headed immediately to the leaning tower, took the stereotypical "holding it back up" picture (along with several other hundred tourists), looked around at the other large, pretty buildings without bothering an enterance, and headed back. It was exactly the surface, quick-stop visit I wanted, and p.s. Pisa is hot. Also, for some reason, I can't say the word "pisa"... I keep calling it "pizza!"

The train to Florence was short but HOT. We were happy to get off of there, particularly because there was some drama with the police. We quickly found our WONDERFUL hostel, run by a friendly Dominican man. Despite its being one of the cheapest hostels in Florence, it just so happens to be the nicest! He poured us some cold water, upgraded our room from dorm to private at no extra charge, and walked us through the main sights and best deals of the city. We collapsed for a brief respite from the hot sun, and headed out for a long evening walk through a bustling market and through the enclosed streets of Florence. This town has an immediate Renaissance feel that is impossible to not love. I wanted to get lost in the winding streets, and without even trying we ran into the Duomo along with several other main sights. The best part, however, was when we stopped for an absolutely delicious dinner at a family-run trattoria. Mike had truffle oil pasta and I had a spinach and cheese ravioli with a tomato and ham sauce. Both were mouth-watering. We shared a home-made tiramisu, and licked every inch of our plates. It was amazing authentic Italian cuisine. I am glad we didn't eat out in Barcelona or Nice. It feels like we were waiting for the food capital of the world before we really ate well. This city just feels so old; I am excited to dig deeper into its history.