Beautiful Cinque Terre

How crazy to think that I have been in Italy for almost three full weeks; This semester is flying by! School has definitely started picking up, and the coursework has begun getting heavy. This past weekend I was able to go and visit one of the most beautiful places, Cinque Terre! There were a little over forty of us that went on this weekend trip. It was such a sight to see, and the buildings are as beautiful, if not more, than the pictures you see online. I kept thinking how amazing it was that individuals actually live there, and probably took for granted the beautiful scenery that they get to look at each day.

Saturday was a gorgeous day filled with a lot of adventure, and good food. We went to three of the five towns, which we took the train to get to and from. First, we went to Riomaggiore, which is the highest town. We walked around the mainland, shopped, and went cliff jumping! Cliff jumping is probably the most adventurous thing I have ever done in my entire life. Along with being one of the scariest, it was so exhilarating. The hardest part was definitely jumping off of the cliff and freefalling into the water, which seemed like it lasted for five minutes.

 

Next, we went to Vernazza, which is known for its picturesque view. It definitely lived up to its high standards, and was absolutely stunning! We walked through the town, and went to the edge of the village, which is right on the water, and gives an amazing view of the colorful town. As for the food aspect, a group of us ate at a restaurant that specialized in serving local food. So of course, they had incredible seafood, and wonderful Italian dishes. Last, but not least, we stopped for gelato three different times. It is definitely true.. Italy has the most delectable gelato you will ever find. I have even stated a few times that I could live off of gelato for the next three months, and I would be perfectly content!

Another new occurrence I experienced this weekend was staying at a hostel. I have to admit, it was a whole lot better than I had expected it to be. I am truly so happy that I had the chance to visit Cinque Terre and see the beautiful land that I was always thought of as “the village with colorful buildings.” As for this upcoming weekend, almost our entire class is headed to Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest, which is supposed to be one of the greatest events. I am extremely excited, and cannot wait to travel to another country.