Cinque Terra

Catching the 1.5 Euro bus down ot Riomaggiore, Emma and I decided to chill out... it seems like so many people run from one thing to another but never get to experience it- only see it and run on to see the next thing and snap a lot of photos. That is something we have determined on this trip- simply, to let it go and ensure we are experiencing our adventure. We talked with the locals, caught crabs with Angelica (5 year old Italian who doesn't speak English), swam on the beautiful rocks that protected the harbor full of fishing boats. The towns were stunning with their red, orange, cream, peach, and brown colored houses climbing up the stunning hills and cliffs. It was absolutely beathtaking.

We layed on the beach the entire first day (I was in the shade as several points in my attempt to not be fried by the Italian sun). For dinner Emma and I decided to relax on the rocks after buying a half loaf of bread, 2 Euro wine, grapes, and jam. We relaxed so much to the point where I fell asleep listening to the water crash into the rocks I was laying on. It was an absolutely perfect day that ended with our playing the "Wolf and Fruit" game with the family sitting next to us with Angelica and sharing a bottle of wine with the older brother and his friend, two Italian locals, and our friends, Niccolo and Alesandro. Much to our relief we knew they were good guys who simply expected nothing but good conversation and laughter. It was a wonderful day.

Our second day in Cinque Terra was fun as well. We decided to see all the 5 islands, as the locals call them. Although we ultimately decided Riomaggiore was our favorite, I could honestly see myself living in any of the beautiful villages. All I know is that it is a life far different from any one I know- a place that is incredible because of its natural landscape and the people who live there. We woke up and went to the second town and went swimming immediately. The little cove was incredible and the water was incredibly clear to the point where you could see the bottom over 15 feet down. We were swimming with our roommate, Minta (26), who now teaches English in Barcelona, Spain. There we jumped off a cliff and considered ourselves badasses for doing it local style. The rest of the day we spent with our friends, Nico and Alesandro, swimming in the Med and laughing all day long. For dinner we thought of going out to a restaurant, but instead they wanted to make us spaghetti the real way (note: both had girlfriends and were only friends). Despite the spaghetti taking forever to cook, the food was awesome, the shooting stars were out, the music was fun, we learned how to say "the pen is on the table" and "the cat is on the window," and also how to moon walk... We had so much fun just hanging out and overcoming our language barrier- it was hysterical and we were sad to leave our friends.

Today we arrived in Rome, and have already seen the Collesium!!! IT IS HUGE! Unbelievable, truly unbelievable. Tomorrow we hope to see the Vatican (or Tuesday) and other parts of the city... tonight we had a glass of wine with our new friend, Jessie from California who lives to love and loves to live... I find that important to me. I can't wait to see what else Italy has to offer...