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Vernazza-The Fourth Village

On Saturday some friends and I took a day trip to Cinque Terre, the five hillside villages located on the western coast of Italy overlooking the Meditterranean Sea. After missing our train in the morning (the Italian transit system can be quite complicated) we boarded the next train out and took the two and a half hour ride through the Tuscan countryside. Cinque Terre is a national park and you are able to hike between the various villages. The towns are stunningly beautiful and truly picturesque. We decided that since we got off to a late start we would only hike between the last two villages: Vernazza and Monterosso (which has a big beach). The hike took about an hour and a half and was pretty vertical. Some parts were strenuous but on the whole it wasn’t too bad (I did the whole thing in my Rainbow flip flops).  We hiked along the coast the whole way and seeing the blue water below made me really want to jump in (unfortunately it was about a three hundred foot drop). When we finally got to Monterosso I changed quickly and jumped in the water, which felt amazing after the long hike. After the beach we ate on the deck of a seaside restaurant before boarding a train and heading back to Florence. It was a really great day and well worth the train hassle.

Having lived here for a while now, I feel ready to start talking about the city and it’s quirks and to relate some of my experiences here so far. Florence is unlike any other city I have been to. I have yet to figure out the walking pattern of the people who live here and for this reason I constantly find myself bumping into people. Also, I have tripped and fell twice now, because there are poles with chains everywhere for no apparent reason. I have oriented myself pretty well within the city, yet I still have a hard time finding some things (I can never seem to find but always stumble upon a place called Santa Croce, which I have decided is like Narnia in that its only there when you’re not looking for it). People here say the word “Prego” ALL the time. I’ve figured out that it’s the opposite of the how the Eskimos have so many words for snow: it is one word that means so many things. There are no dryers here, so I have to dry my clothes outside, which is always unsuccessful because it has rained both times I have tried (the two days it rained since I’ve been here). I am constantly dodging mopeds with 14 year old Italian kids maneuvering to avoid me. The city is pretty expensive. I ate at McDonald’s one time and it cost me like 12 bucks. However, right around the corner from our apartment is a Euro store, which has provided me with one Euro bottles of wine more times than I can count.

Monterosso-The Beach We Swam At

In short, life here is very different from life in the United States. However, I wouldn’t say that I’m experiencing “culture shock” but rather it’s Bushian counterpart “culture awe”. I’m learning to live here and becoming a little Euro myself (I recently bought a blue kafiyah scarf) and each and every day I’m experiencing what life in Italy is truly like. This weekend I am heading to Interlaken, Switzerland for a weekend of fun, sun, and extreme sports.

Ci Vediamo!

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