Cinque Terre

School has ended. My summer has begun. Moved out of my apartment and said my "goodbyes" to those who have gone back to their homes. Then I left for a few days to Liguria, to Cinque Terre. A perfect vacation full of sun, relaxation, excellent food, and beautiful towns. The 5 different towns are: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso that are all lined up along the Ligurian Coast and accessible to one another by foot, train or boat.

I stayed in the perfect place in Riomaggiore in a room situated right on the beach. One would literally walk out the front door and the water was right in front of your face. Who could of asked for anything better. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks was so peaceful and relaxing. A great change from the bustleing traffic and sound of horns in Florence. The air was so fresh my lungs were very happy.

The water was so green and clear it was if the boats were floating on a transparent surface. I took a boat one day from my town Riomaggiore to Monterosso, the largest of the five, it was so much fun to be by the ocean again. I forgot how much I missed large bodiesof water. Another day, I hiked through all five of the towns. Left early in the morning with sun behind us, and explored them all and at the end of the hike relaxed on the beach, went swimming and took in some sun. That day we encoutered little blue sail jellyfish, being washed ashore. They freaked me out. So I wimped out and didn't want to go into the water, in fear of being stung by these little buggers.

I have to say Cinque Terre may be my favorite place in all of Italy. It was a perfect end to getting out of school and enjoying the beauty of life.

(Left: Riomaggiore-the town I stayed in Right: Manarola-a 20 min walk away from Riomaggiore)