Gates at Via D'Amore
Back: Carolann, Chad, Mario
Front: Kimberly, Me
This weekend I planned a trip to Cinque Terre: five villages on the coast of the region of Liguria with four other students--one from Loveland, one from Wisconsin, one from Philadelphia, and one from Mississippi. We took the train to Riomaggiore, the southernmost village and spent our night in a hostel within the small town. Immediately upon leaving the train, we noticed the humidity from the sea and walked into town to find a place built on a hill that rivals those of San Francisco. I got us checked into the hostel with only a little lost in translation, and found some quick dinner and wine.
The next morning we woke up and went out into the town to find a little breakfast, some espresso, and to buy our tickets into the National Park of Cinque Terre. The first part of the trail is a casual path called Via D'Amore because it is so beautiful and really easy to walk. The 25 minute walk took us along the coastline from Riomaggiore to Manarola where we found some focaccia (one of the local specialties) with olives and tomatoes. It was good that we made sure to have a snack here because the next part of the path was quite an adventure. The original trail ended up being closed, which means that most people end up taking the short train ride to the next town. I am not most people. I opted for taking a longer trail that goes up above the coastline and into the hills, and the others in the group were up for it. It was easy to follow the trail, once we found that actual trail, and the extra work was well worth it. We were able to see a much more secluded part of Liguria with lush hills of vineyards and olive groves. It extended our hike by about an hour, but was completely worth it.
Trail above Corniglia
We finally got from Manarola to Corniglia, after a fight I had with my tailbone and a large rock (in which the rock won). Everyone was pretty tired after the two and a half hour stretch, especially since no one apart from me is at all accustomed to hiking. We took a lunch break in Corniglia and then set out to Vernazza, now back on the main trail. Apart from some rain near the end of the trail, all went well into Vernazza. However, once we got there, everyone was officially tuckered-out and we decided to take a five minute train to our last stop in Monterosso al Mare. Monterosso is the largest of the towns and the only one with anything in the way of a traditional beach--although it is still a rocky beach. Most Italians, we've found, are very snobby about their beaches and only accept crystal clear water with the finest white sand for their vacations, but for us, it was lovely.
Vernazza
Here, a couple girls took a swim in the ocean, and we all shared a bottle of wine from the supermercato, then got dinner at a restaurant recommended by one of the Italians we came across. We got
risotto and
spaghetti ai frutti di mare, overflowing with mussels, clams, and shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce. We also talked with an American couple from Kansas who were away from their four girls and three boys (!!!!), and, because we reminded them of their children and because they were such kind people, they bought paid for part of our dinner. Finally, we caught the train back to Riomaggiore where we spent our last night before heading out on an early train on Sunday.
I really loved the natural beauty of Cinque Terre as well as how the Italians have built their city to accentuate the nature. I couldn't be happier with the choice to take the upper trail and get to hike through dense vineyards, an even smaller village, and Ligurian forest. My only complaint, however, was the people. Cinque Terre is home to an ENORMOUS amount of tourists, even in September, which actually was quite a culture shock coming from Ferrara. I saw too many Americans not even trying to order coffee in the language and expecting everyone to be accommodated to their ways, which makes makes me sad at this misrepresentation of my country. It was also sad to me that a few inhabitants had decided to take the route of becoming anywhere from disinterested in the visitors to outrightly rude, which really took away from the inherent beauty of these towns.
Spaghetti ai frutti di mare
Every semester, the program takes the students on a four day trip somewhere in Italy. Next weekend is going to be our trip (I know, I live a hard life here). We will be going to the regions of Umbria and Tuscany, specifically to Assisi, Perugia, and Siena. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and report back on the sights and tastes!
Thursday, our group took two vans from Ferrara south to Magione, a small town right next to Lake Trasimeno in Umbria. There, we found our accommodations for the next two nights at an agriturismo--farm property with accommodations as well as a restaurant. The restaurant usually uses food grown on the property.
