Home for the Next 2 Months

I finally made it to Vicenza. After traveling and living out of a suitcase for well over a month, I am unpacked and settled in my home for the next two months. It's crazy to think of all the things that have happened, the things that I have seen and experienced, and the memories that I have, from only the last month. Vicenza is great. I really like it so far. The apartment is awesome, and is going to be difficult to leave once the quarter is over. My room is on the North East end and over looks a courtyard. It's a bit of a walk from studio, but I can't complain.

Final Day on the Italian Riviera

Today was my last day in Levanto. I did some hiking through the Cinque Terra, laid in the sun at the train station and ended the day with wine on the beach. Couldn't have been any better.

Vernazzia

Vernazzia is one of the towns in the Cique Terre. This past October, there was a lot of rain. Because of this the town experienced some landslides. There was a lot of damage to the city. This is probably the most photographed of the 5 cities, and so I was very excited to visit. It was surprising to see the amount of damage. Everything on the bottom floors of buildings was under renovation and being fixed from the slide that came through town. The water is muddy along it's coast. As we hiked to the next town we came across a house that had been washed away by the creek the ran past it. Half of the house was gone and the half still there was untouched. Clothes were still in the closet, books on the shelves, and pictures hanging on the wall. Although the city had quite a bit of damage, it was still beautiful. 

Hike Through the Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre has been on my bucket list for a while. I'm so glad I got to visit. It definitely did not disappoint. The Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I would recommend everyone add it to their bucket lists. The five cities sit along the coast and are connected by a series of hiking trails. They trails themselves vary from very flat and easy to walk, to others that are definitely hikes, and can be pretty steep. It's worth the trip.

Leaving a Mark in the Cinque Terre

Hillside Rescue

As we hiked between Vernazia and Monteroso in the Cique Terre, we heard a helicopter circling. We didn't think much about it. We hiked further up the hillside, and come across a group of people, who were trying to flag down the helicopter. They asked us to help and we waved our arms and stuff trying to catch their attention. They say our group and circled around and found a place to drop 2 people down by wire cable. As the two rescuers ran down the hill, they ran towards us, and past the woman that needed the help. We had to redirected them back up the hill. About 5 rescue workers ran up the hill, a hike that was very difficult and steep. We were stuck on the trail for the entire rescue. A woman and a second person were air lifted off the path. 

Every Dish is Prepared by the Moment

I spent the day in the Cinque Terra. We started in Riomaggiore, the southern most town of the five. It rained a lot. We got completely soaked. Cinque Terre has a series of paths that link the 5 towns. The paths wind through the cliffs on the coast. In Riomaggiore we stopped to get a snack. The sign on the door of the pizza place was roughly translated to English, Every Dish is Prepared by the Moment. I do believe that may be the secret to cooking amazing pizza and focaccia.