When coming to Italy I didn't know what I was in for. I didn't know what I would be doing, where I'd be going, what I'd be seeing and most of all how I'd feel about it all. I was definitely nervous the first bit here in Italy. Now, the Italian in me is starting to come out. Over the past 3 weeks I've been able to figure out where I belong: by a lake surrounded by grass and trees.
This past weekend I was able to go to 2 places. The first: Venice! Now for those who might not know, Venice is on the North-Eastern side of Italy. It is a place where the term automobile doesn't exist. It's a place of trade and splendor. It's also a place that's sinking. Oh Venice, the city with water streets. It's a place you always hear about sinking and that they use boats for transportation, but to me, you don't quite understand what that means until you in a taxi crusing down the canal with you standing up in the back peaking out looking at all around you as if you are travelling through New York City standing in the limo's sunroof window. It was an experience, that's for sure. After getting to the only Piazza on the islands, our tour group was able to see a glass blowing demonstration first hand. It was spectacular! Apparently, it takes 25 years to become a master of glass blowing. The glass that they make is emaculent and naturally colored. Also, pretty well at becoming close to indestructable when dropped. After our demonstration and Murano glass, we ate lunch and walked around the islands. To cross the canal again, we took a gondola! No the gondoliers didn't sing to us, but they both were really nice. We didn't really do much else besides walking around. Some of the streets there were small, single file pathways between houses. They couldn't of been much wider that maybe 4 feet, just enough for people to pass. Every little while after we walked, we'd have to go on a bridge to go over the water streets where they parked their watercrafts. It was just an eye-opening expereience!
Next stops on my weekend was Cinque Terre, which translates to 5 towns. I can't remember off what what all 5 towns are but we did visit them all. Now what's special about Cinque Terre is that 1) they are located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 2) they are kind of in the mountainous area, 3) there is a trail or pathway that connects all 5 of the towns together. We took about a 3 hour train ride from Florence to the first town on the list. Met some nice Italians on the train, however the language barrier had us communicating a bit slowly and with hand gestures. Upon arrival at the first town we set off on the first path, also known as the lover's trail, which was the easiet hiking of the day. As we all found ourselves at the second town we waited for the whole group of like 100 of us students of our tour group to show up. After we all were present, we had to catch another train to go to town #3 because the trail was still closed. Now picture this: 100 students, many other tourists having to get onto a semi-small train that already had passengers on it. Let's just say personal space was an extinct idea at this point. My friends and I shoved our way onto the train to make sure we got on, however we were in the middle place when you walk right into the door that had a innumberal amount of people. We were almost closer than shoulder to shoulder. It was hot, smelly and a touch closterphobic. Luckily, the train ride for us was only about 3 minutes, unfortunely, it tooks us about 10 minutes until the doors shut and we started moving. Once we shoved our way off the train at the next stop we got ready and started our hike. The first was stairs. Angled stairs carved into the side of a hill basically going up and up and up. It was okay, once we found out what came after. But before we continued we had lunch. It was about noon now and we needed energy to continue on our next segment of the trail. After ordering lunch, we started up again. This part was difficult, though it was only a moderate path according to the pamphlet we got. We went up. And up. And up some more. These were not wide trails. As we walked we were lucky there was room for others to pass. There were about 80 of us from the group that chose this instead of the beach. It was a lot of work climbing up, and walking on edge, edge of the path that is. There came a point though that it went down hill. This part was good. Now they told us to keep up our pace and not take many pictures, we were trying to figure out how we could take any pictures because if we didn't look at where we were stepping it was likely we'd trip. Now it took us about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours to complete. Not too shabby for college students. In the 4th town that we arrived in they had a let's say rocky beach.
Now this is me and my experience with the sea: They were big rocks. Rocks to jump off. It was a bit difficult at first. Peering over the ledge seeing vivid blue water, with more rocks under neath, but far enough down you wouldn't hurt yourself unless you really tried. Stepping back a bit, calculating how far to jump across those rocks just in case how deep you thought they were was off. Repeating in my head: "jump! jump! jump! You are only at the Mediterranean once right now in this point of your life. Don't you want to say you swam in there?" Encouraging words from sunbathing friends pushes me to take a leap of faith, literally. Plunging into the water was an instant chill of relief. I bobbed up so quick I grasp a breath of air and realize it's okay. Now what am I going to do? I didn't think that part through. Well a few friends are on the far rocks over there let's see if we can make it. I climbed on to the rocks closest to me. Water swirling around, it was a more difficult task then I thought, but I managed it though the muscles, on the rock not mine, made it more difficult. I manuvered my way across the dry part and climbed on top of another rock near by. I plopped myself in a dry area without any muscles to bother me. As I sat and waved at friends, they had faces of horror at me. They pointed, I looked down and there it was. Blood streaming down my leg. It was wound 1 of the day. I wasn't surprised I was hurt and thought nothing of it. I couldn't of made it all 4 weeks here and not have a wonund to show for it. Now I relaxed and took in the view and sun before I returned back to land. While returning back to land I followed my previous foot steps to the water to swim back to the bank to climb the steps. The first step is always the hardest. Muscles again. As I finally climbed out, I looked down and saw more blood on the ground, but not from my leg. I sat on the ledge and those muscles tore 2 lines in my foot. This wasn't as easy to cure as the knee. The day wasn't done yet. We had one more city to go. Luckily, my friend Laurel had neosporin and a bandana on hand. We wrapped up my foot and I pressed on.
Now for us to get to the 5th and final town we didn't hike the challenging trail. Instead we took a ferry! It was glorious. I would of been in trouble if I would of had to walk too much. We didn't have much time in the 5th town before we boarded the train back home. That was an experience I hope to never forget.
Now there are more experiences I want to share, but for a later day seeing as I have to get to class now. =)
