Ciao Everyone!
Italy has been treating us so well that we have not been at a computer yet (that and the fact the internet cafes are charging a small fortune). It has been a busy 10 days since we arrived in Torino last Monday, so I will try to include some of the highlights here.
Milano was very beautiful with lots to see and do, and buy (if you are a millionaire). Our hotel was great, just ab
out a 20 minute walk to the historic center of the city, through some nice
residential parks, bars, and restaurants. The Duomo is wonderful during the day and even more beautiful lit up at night. We spent most of our time in Milano cruising around this historic area (although I was too chicken to go into most of the shops - I think you needed an appointment) and the nearby public gardens and parks where we actually got locked in one night and had several Italian couples asking us for directions out - like we knew! The social atmosphere of Milano as a whole is really exciting and unlike any other city we have travelled to: on any given night (not just the weekend) people of all ages spill out of the restaurants and bars into the streets chatting and laughing and dancing - children, couples with babies, people in their 20s, 80s, all together.
out a 20 minute walk to the historic center of the city, through some nice
residential parks, bars, and restaurants. The Duomo is wonderful during the day and even more beautiful lit up at night. We spent most of our time in Milano cruising around this historic area (although I was too chicken to go into most of the shops - I think you needed an appointment) and the nearby public gardens and parks where we actually got locked in one night and had several Italian couples asking us for directions out - like we knew! The social atmosphere of Milano as a whole is really exciting and unlike any other city we have travelled to: on any given night (not just the weekend) people of all ages spill out of the restaurants and bars into the streets chatting and laughing and dancing - children, couples with babies, people in their 20s, 80s, all together. Minus the hookers, Venice reminded us both of Disneyland at first. With a little bit of effort however we were able to find some very beautiful off-the-beaten-track neighborhoods with some excellent galleries and exhibitions. We walked through the Jewish quarter of the city where we were very warmly welcomed, it turns out the small neighborhood is a very popular place of pilgrammage as we later learned. 
The small island of Murano to the northeast of Venice was wonderful and we 
ended up spending an entire day there watching glass being blown, looking at some amazing glass sculptures, and perusing the jewelery stores of the various local artists, which even the men on the island (Kevin included) seemed to be entertained by. The island of Burano was a bit smaller but just as beautiful (we decided it must be a rule that no two houses can be painted the same color) and was full of friendly locals, including an adorable 4 year old girl who found it hilarious to spray Kevin with water from the fountain outside her house.
The small island of Murano to the northeast of Venice was wonderful and we 
ended up spending an entire day there watching glass being blown, looking at some amazing glass sculptures, and perusing the jewelery stores of the various local artists, which even the men on the island (Kevin included) seemed to be entertained by. The island of Burano was a bit smaller but just as beautiful (we decided it must be a rule that no two houses can be painted the same color) and was full of friendly locals, including an adorable 4 year old girl who found it hilarious to spray Kevin with water from the fountain outside her house. After saying good-bye to Venice we took four trains to reach Cinque Terre, 
a national park 
comprised of 5 fishing villages built on the cliffs of the northwest coast of Italy. It was most definitely worth the effort, words cannot describe how beautiful this area is, and we tried hard to see as much of it as we could. We arrived in Vernazza, the second most northern village, and checked into a room on the top floor of a 13th century building, before spending the rest of the afternoon swimming and reading. That evening we set up shop with a bottle of wine and some plastic cups on the rocky cliffs near the sea and watched the water crash into the cliffs and the night fishers - 
I know it sounds too good to be true and that is exactly how it felt. We set off early the next morning to hike to Monterosso, the next village north, deciding to take the high routes because they were free and less crowded, soon discovering there is good reason for this. Lets just say we got good practice for Mantracker or Amazing Race because finding our way along the paths was more like a combination of bushwacking and treasure hunting. All was forgotten after climbing over 2,500 feet however, because the views from the top overlooking the villages were just spectacular. With the money we saved by hiking 8 hours over the mountain twice, we treated ourself to a very large and delicious meal by the sea.
a national park 
comprised of 5 fishing villages built on the cliffs of the northwest coast of Italy. It was most definitely worth the effort, words cannot describe how beautiful this area is, and we tried hard to see as much of it as we could. We arrived in Vernazza, the second most northern village, and checked into a room on the top floor of a 13th century building, before spending the rest of the afternoon swimming and reading. That evening we set up shop with a bottle of wine and some plastic cups on the rocky cliffs near the sea and watched the water crash into the cliffs and the night fishers - 
I know it sounds too good to be true and that is exactly how it felt. We set off early the next morning to hike to Monterosso, the next village north, deciding to take the high routes because they were free and less crowded, soon discovering there is good reason for this. Lets just say we got good practice for Mantracker or Amazing Race because finding our way along the paths was more like a combination of bushwacking and treasure hunting. All was forgotten after climbing over 2,500 feet however, because the views from the top overlooking the villages were just spectacular. With the money we saved by hiking 8 hours over the mountain twice, we treated ourself to a very large and delicious meal by the sea. Too sore to hike the third day, we opted for some beach lounging 
instead, 
before giving the mountain a try again the next day, this time attempting to reach Portovenere from Manarola. The hike started out very easy, our confidence was high as we were passing fellow hikers in our flip flops and we got some good Cranium Humdinger practice in. It didnt stay that way for long as we were soon lost (are you sensing a theme here yet) and climbing rocky stairs to the top of the mountain again in an attempt to meet up with the right path. 
We likely spent more time lost as opposed to on the right track over the following 6 hours, climbing down rocky cliffs, finding several dead ends, and avoiding the dangerous wild boar problem of the area, but the views from the top were absolutely worth all the scratches, burns, and bruises. We were definitely relieved to reach Portovenere, and opted to take a boat ride back to Manarola to hose off the layer of dirt we were covered in before finding a wine bar on the cliffs of Riomaggiore (next village over) where we watched the sunset and said good-bye to the Cinque Terre.
instead, 
before giving the mountain a try again the next day, this time attempting to reach Portovenere from Manarola. The hike started out very easy, our confidence was high as we were passing fellow hikers in our flip flops and we got some good Cranium Humdinger practice in. It didnt stay that way for long as we were soon lost (are you sensing a theme here yet) and climbing rocky stairs to the top of the mountain again in an attempt to meet up with the right path. 
We likely spent more time lost as opposed to on the right track over the following 6 hours, climbing down rocky cliffs, finding several dead ends, and avoiding the dangerous wild boar problem of the area, but the views from the top were absolutely worth all the scratches, burns, and bruises. We were definitely relieved to reach Portovenere, and opted to take a boat ride back to Manarola to hose off the layer of dirt we were covered in before finding a wine bar on the cliffs of Riomaggiore (next village over) where we watched the sunset and said good-bye to the Cinque Terre.We arrived in Firenze this afternoon, and are happy to say have not gotten lost yet... although its not even 8 yet.
Ciao!
Korinne
xoxo
Awesome photos and stories. I checked out exactly where Cinque Terre was on a map and discovered that it's not that far from a place called Levanto. Levanto is where one of my former classmates had a ridiculous beach house. If only I had known I was so close to absolute paradise ... keep enjoying everything!
ReplyDeleteCinque Terre sounds absolutely awesome. Even though we've been having an awesome summer in Vancouver, I'm still jealous. I wish I was traveling this summer!
ReplyDelete