Ciao from Roma... I don't even know where to start when explaining this past weekend! Friday came so fast, but we were all so ready to start the weekend. Friday night started out great I met up with Tim and Garrett (Graphic Guys) and headed over to some girls apartment to get ready for the night out. We drank some wine and then hit the town. We ended up at this little pub called Bros over in my neighborhood Trestavere it was a blast... it was kind of a late night considering I had to wake up the next morning at 6:00.
Saterday morning was an early one, my roommate Kelly and I woke up at 6:00 ready for an amazing journey to Cinque Terre, a set of 5 little villages on the northern west coast of Italy. The 5 guys (Tim, Matt, Ian, Dylan. & Chris) we were traveling with as well met us at our apartment at 6:30 to head to Termini the train station. It was a 4 hour train ride to the coast full of laughter and plenty of sleep. When we arrived in Cinque Terre we got set up with a pass that would allow us to travel from village to village throughout the day. Cinque Terre is actually a Natural Park with trails for hiking and plenty of beaches. We started off in the first village Monterosa for some lunch and the beginning of our long journey. It takes about 5 hours to hike from the first village to the last. We didn't have any idea what we were getting ourselves into when we started off on our first trail. The first hike was from Monterosa to Vernazza and was 2 hours, I can't even begin to tell what the hike was like. It was rough terrain, so many stairs I couldn't even count, bridges, narrow paths, cliffs, vineyards, beaches, and not to mention how sweaty I was when it was all over. But amazingly enough it was by far the most wonderful thing I had even seen so far while living in Italy.
After finishing the first hike which was a task within itself we continued on to the next which was from Vernazza to Corniglia and that hike was 1 hour and 30 minutes. It wasn't quite as hard as the first trek but definitely up there. I thought when we got done with the first hike that it would get easier, but I guessed wrong it was just as tough. The water was so blue and instead of sand they had pebble beaches, the water was so transparent you could see the pebbles about 10 ft into the water. At the end of each hike was the little village with colorful houses tucked into the cliff and all with a small port or beach access.
The third hike was from Corniglia to Manarola and was about 1 hour and 10 minutes. This hike wasn't as bad, a few stairs that weren't just rocks sticking out of the cliff face ha, which was nice for a change. It was funny to me how hard this trek really was but I felt so good after each one. It was a huge accomplishment and a great feeling when you finally made it to the next village. After we reached Manarola we then finished up our journey with a 20 minute walk to Riomaggiore. This walk is called Via dell' Amore (The walk of love), but unfortunately I was unaccompanied, but we did have a great time walking as a group. It is a small jaunt through a covered walk way on the cliff side looking out into the Mediterranean . One spot along the way there is a small bench and behind that a railing and if you are "in love" you place a pad lock of some sort on the railing and you and your "lover" keep the key. Along this passage you can sign your name in the hall of love. It was neat to see just how many have put a lock on the railing. After the Via dell' Amore we reached our final destination and it was great to look back and see just what all we had accomplished in literally a day. We reached the last village around 8 in the evening and found a nice little restaurant on the ocean to eat, pesto originated in Cinque Terre so I found it necessary to order the Pesto Lasagna, which was amazing.
We had a few hours to kill before our train arrived in La Spezia to take back to Termini, Rome. Some other fellow classmates were staying in a Hostel in Cinque Terre so we hooked up with them and hung out until our train arrived at 1:30 am yes am!!! Let me tell you 7 people in a 6 person train cabin equals bad idea! It was soooo crowded and uncomfortable but we made it work for the 4 hours and 30 minute ride back home. It was an interesting experience riding the train that late at night and one that I hope I won't have to do again any time soon. We arrived at the Termini station at about 6 in the morning and I have never wanted to see my bed so bad.... after a short bus ride home from the station my dream came true and our trip had finally ended. Our trip to Cinque Terre is a memory that will last a lifetime and one I will definitely never forget. Until my next journey or exciting excursion Ciao!!!
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