We got the wireless back at Villa Bonelli right before dinner tonight. It was a crazy, mad dash to grab up laptops once word got out. The first thing I did was go through all three of my email accounts and finally read everything. Dinner interrupted my reunion with my beloved laptop, though. Dinner was good. We had the garlic pasta again but pork for the second course instead of pizza or chicken. It was a good change for once and really enjoyable to eat.
But, to start with the beginning of my day, I had history class. My last history class in Italy with Luciana. After going over what will be on the final, we went to the Roman Ruins in Fiesole. We have been waiting to go there ever since the beginning of the semester but it just opened at the beginning of March. It was only 6 euro to get in and well worth the cost. There is a Roman amphitheater, ruins from a Roman bath, and ruins from an Etruscan and Roman temple. It was all very cool to see the history preserved in this place. I could tell where the rooms in the bath were, where the swimming pools and dressing rooms were. I could tell where the Etruscan Temple was in comparison to the Roman Temple that was built over top it. It was just an amazing experience to behold and I would gladly pay 6 euro to see it again with my camera, which I forgot in my room. After class, Luciana gave each of us her business card in case we are ever back in Fiesole. It felt sad to be saying goodbye because she is such a great teacher.
In language class, we went over the practice test, figured out what sections would be on the actual test, and then watched more of the movie. Chiara gave a burned copy of the movie to Courtney so we would all have the opportunity to watch it. As our last language class, I didn't feel the same as with history. We did our normal "Ciao" after class and walked out of the classroom.
After class, a few of us went downtown to take care of a few things. Betsy, Eldon, and I went to this embroidery stand near the Stazione. We bought an apron and had Lorenzo's name embroidered on it for his birthday. It's sooo cool because it also has 'King of the Grill' embroidered on it as well. The five of us that are traveling this weekend all chipped in to buy it since we will not be here for his birthday on Saturday. The three of us then went to the hotel we're going to be staying at for our last night in Florence and in Italy and booked a room for Eldon that night and a room for me on the 20th. They asked for no credit cards so if I don't make it it's not a big deal.
Afterward, Betsy and I went to the place where we are supposed to be able to get our taxes back on purchases. Unfortunately, you can only get taxes back on purchases over 150 euro and only if you have the special invoice that the store is supposed to give you. So, I don't know if we'll be able to get taxes back on our small purchases or not. We then walked through on of the markets and Betsy bought jerseys for her brothers. Upon arriving at the bus stop near the Duomo, we met up with Lorenzo and his sister and cousin who came over to visit him.
I'm now needing to pack for this weekend, pack to leave Fiesole, and figure out what to do with my schedule. UGH!!!!! Too much to do in sooooo little time. Got to go! Ciao!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick’s Day. Two days before my mother’s birthday. A Tuesday here in Italy.
I had my literature class this morning. None of us knew what we were going to do for class since she pushed back the final to next week. So when we arrived in class we were surprised with a movie of one of Machiavelli’s works. We get about 30 minutes into the movie before it stops working. Chiara was frustrated with it because she had purchased the movie and it wasn’t working. So instead, we talked about a contemporary of Machiavelli before calling class 40 minutes early. That was our last literature class. I didn't realize that until later that day. It's kind of weird to think about it, that we're that close to being done with our semester abroad.
Those of us in literature went back to Villa Bonelli to wait until Language class at 11. What we found upon returning to class was most of the guys already drinking in lieu of St. Patrick’s Day. Did I mention that most of the group was wearing green? It was weird to see all the various shades of green everyone was wearing. Freaky weird. But, it is a major day in America and the Irish Pubs in Italy go all out for it too.
In Language class we watched part of a movie as well. This time it was on purpose though. We had a little assignment dealing with the beginning of the movie and then we watched the first part of the movie for the rest of class. “A Beautiful Life” is the title of the movie, in English, although we watched it in Italian with English subtitles. Before we left class, Chiara handed out a practice test for us to work on as our Italian final is also next week. The practice test was not so difficult once I focused on it but everything was in Italian and I’m not the greatest at understanding the language yet.
The rest of the afternoon was spent doing laundry for me. With the dryer broken, I had to hang everything up. There were clothes all over the bathroom, the room, the window and the shutters. Any possible place for me to hang something, there was a piece of clothing on it. But my laundry is done now and I will have the pick of my clothes for the Almalfi coast this weekend.
I still haven’t heard from Dr. Minnerath yet but I’m hoping tomorrow I’ll get a response back. My whole schedule is a mess due to the switch in the Honors course. I’m thinking of taking Analytical Chemistry but the lab interferes with my Micro lab. As it is I’m sitting at only 13 credits and I need 15 for my scholarship. I don’t know what Bio Research to sign up for if Minnerath is not teaching next semester. She really needs to get back to me so I can finalize everything. Ugh!!!!
On the brighter side, though, Bob thinks that Wi-Fi maybe up tomorrow. One can only hope at this point, but I’m not holding my breath. It’s off to bed with me now. Ciao!
I had my literature class this morning. None of us knew what we were going to do for class since she pushed back the final to next week. So when we arrived in class we were surprised with a movie of one of Machiavelli’s works. We get about 30 minutes into the movie before it stops working. Chiara was frustrated with it because she had purchased the movie and it wasn’t working. So instead, we talked about a contemporary of Machiavelli before calling class 40 minutes early. That was our last literature class. I didn't realize that until later that day. It's kind of weird to think about it, that we're that close to being done with our semester abroad.
Those of us in literature went back to Villa Bonelli to wait until Language class at 11. What we found upon returning to class was most of the guys already drinking in lieu of St. Patrick’s Day. Did I mention that most of the group was wearing green? It was weird to see all the various shades of green everyone was wearing. Freaky weird. But, it is a major day in America and the Irish Pubs in Italy go all out for it too.
In Language class we watched part of a movie as well. This time it was on purpose though. We had a little assignment dealing with the beginning of the movie and then we watched the first part of the movie for the rest of class. “A Beautiful Life” is the title of the movie, in English, although we watched it in Italian with English subtitles. Before we left class, Chiara handed out a practice test for us to work on as our Italian final is also next week. The practice test was not so difficult once I focused on it but everything was in Italian and I’m not the greatest at understanding the language yet.
The rest of the afternoon was spent doing laundry for me. With the dryer broken, I had to hang everything up. There were clothes all over the bathroom, the room, the window and the shutters. Any possible place for me to hang something, there was a piece of clothing on it. But my laundry is done now and I will have the pick of my clothes for the Almalfi coast this weekend.
I still haven’t heard from Dr. Minnerath yet but I’m hoping tomorrow I’ll get a response back. My whole schedule is a mess due to the switch in the Honors course. I’m thinking of taking Analytical Chemistry but the lab interferes with my Micro lab. As it is I’m sitting at only 13 credits and I need 15 for my scholarship. I don’t know what Bio Research to sign up for if Minnerath is not teaching next semester. She really needs to get back to me so I can finalize everything. Ugh!!!!
On the brighter side, though, Bob thinks that Wi-Fi maybe up tomorrow. One can only hope at this point, but I’m not holding my breath. It’s off to bed with me now. Ciao!
March 16
Another day in Paradise. Today was a gorgeous day out. I sat up on the main landing of Villa Bonelli, out in the sun, for a good 3 hours this afternoon. Courtney, Adam, Eldon, and I played cards while sitting in the sun. We periodically switched seats to change the angle of the sun on each respective person. I know I got a little burnt because at the end I was feeling a little sore. I was out in the sun too long because when we came back inside I got an instant headache. Too much sun with too little water to hydrate me.
In Global Issues today, Bob scared us with a little speech saying that he assumes we read everything thoroughly and that’s how he is going to test us. He also warned us about bringing in guests to the hotel. Some people have been doing that and that is illegal and Bob said the next time it happens, said person will be going home the next day. He was very upset and I was embarrassed sitting in class having to listen to it because the situation never should have gotten to that point.
I wanted to do laundry today but the dryer is out of commission so I’ll have to do laundry tomorrow, not that big of a problem. The wireless internet is down at Villa Bonelli. The router apparently blew and they might get it fixed by this weekend but who knows. This is really a bad time for the internet to be down because class scheduling starts this next week and we are all still trying to plan our after stuff.
Ania and I officially booked our apartment in Krakow. We now just need to find our way from Prague to Krakow and I need to book a flight back to Florence. I also need to book a room for that night because Betsy and her family don’t come back to Florence until the 21st and I’ll be back on the 20th. I’m going to ask Villa Bonelli otherwise I’ll find something in town.
We leave for Rome next Tuesday so I have to start thinking about what I’m going to take with me. I know I’ll have a backpack and a suitcase but I need to decide what clothes and other stuff I’m bringing with me. I also need to figure out how to secure everything I’m leaving here at Villa Bonelli in my broken suitcase.
The rest of the day went pretty well. We had a different type of pasta for dinner, yeah variety!!!! But otherwise, I found out that my Honors course switched days so now my schedule is off. I cannot take radiation biology because that’s when Honors is now. I cannot take Analytical Chemistry because the lab is the same time as my microbiology lab. I cannot take Physical Chemistry because the class runs over into another class of my that I’m taking for the St. T’s Institute. Dr. Minnerath is going on Sabbatical so I don’t know what I’m going to do about research and everything. She hasn’t gotten back to me regarding my emails and now they’re useless because of the Honors change. I don’t know what other courses I should take. I’m going to have to really take the time and figure it out but without internet access on my laptop it will take some maneuvering to figure out. I’m over stressing the situation, I know, but I register on Monday and I’m the type of person who stresses out about something until it’s finalized or over with. It’s just who I am, especially since I’m an ocean away from those I need to talk to and those that I can talk to.
I’m just going to call it a night early. Try and sleep and hope for the best.
In Global Issues today, Bob scared us with a little speech saying that he assumes we read everything thoroughly and that’s how he is going to test us. He also warned us about bringing in guests to the hotel. Some people have been doing that and that is illegal and Bob said the next time it happens, said person will be going home the next day. He was very upset and I was embarrassed sitting in class having to listen to it because the situation never should have gotten to that point.
I wanted to do laundry today but the dryer is out of commission so I’ll have to do laundry tomorrow, not that big of a problem. The wireless internet is down at Villa Bonelli. The router apparently blew and they might get it fixed by this weekend but who knows. This is really a bad time for the internet to be down because class scheduling starts this next week and we are all still trying to plan our after stuff.
Ania and I officially booked our apartment in Krakow. We now just need to find our way from Prague to Krakow and I need to book a flight back to Florence. I also need to book a room for that night because Betsy and her family don’t come back to Florence until the 21st and I’ll be back on the 20th. I’m going to ask Villa Bonelli otherwise I’ll find something in town.
We leave for Rome next Tuesday so I have to start thinking about what I’m going to take with me. I know I’ll have a backpack and a suitcase but I need to decide what clothes and other stuff I’m bringing with me. I also need to figure out how to secure everything I’m leaving here at Villa Bonelli in my broken suitcase.
The rest of the day went pretty well. We had a different type of pasta for dinner, yeah variety!!!! But otherwise, I found out that my Honors course switched days so now my schedule is off. I cannot take radiation biology because that’s when Honors is now. I cannot take Analytical Chemistry because the lab is the same time as my microbiology lab. I cannot take Physical Chemistry because the class runs over into another class of my that I’m taking for the St. T’s Institute. Dr. Minnerath is going on Sabbatical so I don’t know what I’m going to do about research and everything. She hasn’t gotten back to me regarding my emails and now they’re useless because of the Honors change. I don’t know what other courses I should take. I’m going to have to really take the time and figure it out but without internet access on my laptop it will take some maneuvering to figure out. I’m over stressing the situation, I know, but I register on Monday and I’m the type of person who stresses out about something until it’s finalized or over with. It’s just who I am, especially since I’m an ocean away from those I need to talk to and those that I can talk to.
I’m just going to call it a night early. Try and sleep and hope for the best.
March 15
Today actually started at 12:30 am for me. That was when everyone came back from the bars and beach after leaving the guesthouse after dinner. When we finally woke up for good, we all packed up our bags and paid Manuel for our stay. We also told him about the broken plate and glasses and offered to pay but he said it was fine. So we hopped on the train from Monterosso to La Spezia.
In La Spezia we found out that there was no direct connection to Firenze so we bought our tickets and headed to Pisa. From Pisa we got on a train to Firenze not more than five minutes from getting of our first train. After arriving in Firenze we were lucky enough to have the #7 bus waiting for us at the station and rode it all the way up to Fiesole.
When we arrived at Villa Bonelli we found out the internet was down. Not good after most of us hadn’t called home in a while. We all, at least Betsy and I, called it an early night due to exhaustion and lack of internet to amuse us. Another very lazy Sunday.
In La Spezia we found out that there was no direct connection to Firenze so we bought our tickets and headed to Pisa. From Pisa we got on a train to Firenze not more than five minutes from getting of our first train. After arriving in Firenze we were lucky enough to have the #7 bus waiting for us at the station and rode it all the way up to Fiesole.
When we arrived at Villa Bonelli we found out the internet was down. Not good after most of us hadn’t called home in a while. We all, at least Betsy and I, called it an early night due to exhaustion and lack of internet to amuse us. Another very lazy Sunday.
March 14th
Today we hiked Cinque Terre. We bought our ticket at Monterosso, grabbed a map, and hopped on the train to the first of the five cities. Our ticket included our passes onto the trail, bus and train transport to and in the cities, and many other things we weren’t aware of until we got back to Monterosso.
We took the train from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, where we then hiked the Via dell’amore or lover’s lane, the first part of the five hour total hike. Unfortunately for us, that was the only part of the Coastal Paths that was opened. But the path was a gorgeous to walk along and I took many pictures that I will upload as soon as possible. We picked a beautiful day to hike because it was sunny and warm and the views were postcard perfect. We stopped many times along the way to just look and soak up the sun.
When we got to Manorola, the 2nd city, we walked along the coastal path as long as we could before turning back. Before we did that, though, we walked out onto these rocks in this cove area and sat and enjoyed the view and the sun. I have a fair share of pictures, even though my battery threatened death multiple times throughout the day. From the 2nd city we took the train to the 3rd city of Corniglia. Here we climbed 328 steps to the top of the cliff where the city is at. I bought some earrings to match two of my necklaces: one I bought in San Gimignano and the other I got for my birthday, the Lia Sophia one. I also swear I saw Robert Patterson driving in the city but I might have been mistaken. We then walked back down the 328 steps to catch the train to the next city.
We decided against stopping in the 4th city of Vernazza today because it was 5:30 before we got on the train. When we were back in Monterosso, our first order of business was finding the meat we were grilling tonight and the pasta we were cooking. I split from the group to head back to our ‘guesthouse’ as my contacts were killing my eyes. On the way I stopped at this little corner store right before the steps up to our guesthouse. I bought these caring for 1 euro each. One was of two dolphins and the other was a turtle. The turtle’s shell came off so it’s like a little jewelry holder or some other such thing.
We are now grilling and cooking our food outside, preparing for dinner. Whew!!! Dinner was an event. There was no stove so everything was cooked on the grill. Three different types of pastas had to be cooked before Lorenzo even got to the meat. It was a great time, great party, and everyone way enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, one plate and four glasses were broken during the night. Tomorrow, we will fess up to the owner when we pay fro the rooms. But, we cleaned up everything: washed all the dishes, pots and panes, glasses, and silverware we used and didn’t use; we cleaned the tables and all the cooking areas; and we put everything back to where it was when we found it.
I am now sitting in my bed, finishing writing this. I feel the sun I got today on my face and arms. When I wake tomorrow I’m sure I’ll be slightly burnt. I cannot wait to get back to Firenze and Fiesole though. This weekend was a great trip with all of us but…well but. There seems to be always a but on our trips. For this trip, it’s the fact that I don’t like to get drunk. I don’t like to lose control of myself that much. People say they don’t like to lose control of themselves yet still get drunk, but that’s not me. I’ve never been falling on the floor, puking my guts out, cannot remember what I did last night drunk, and I don’t ever want to be. Some people on this trip must don’t understand that about me. I feel like I need to be the sober, responsible one when everybody else is drunk. I don’t mind it, taking on that responsibility. I like to feel useful and needed, and if filing that position is how I can do that then that’s fine with me. I’m not going to apologize for not being drunk and making a fool of myself by being loud and running on the beach. I’m not sorry that I don’t do those things. I have fun my own way and that’s just not it.
We now since I’ve vented, I’m going to bed. Very therapeutic, venting is. Good for the body and soul. Bonanotte! Ciao!
We took the train from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, where we then hiked the Via dell’amore or lover’s lane, the first part of the five hour total hike. Unfortunately for us, that was the only part of the Coastal Paths that was opened. But the path was a gorgeous to walk along and I took many pictures that I will upload as soon as possible. We picked a beautiful day to hike because it was sunny and warm and the views were postcard perfect. We stopped many times along the way to just look and soak up the sun.
When we got to Manorola, the 2nd city, we walked along the coastal path as long as we could before turning back. Before we did that, though, we walked out onto these rocks in this cove area and sat and enjoyed the view and the sun. I have a fair share of pictures, even though my battery threatened death multiple times throughout the day. From the 2nd city we took the train to the 3rd city of Corniglia. Here we climbed 328 steps to the top of the cliff where the city is at. I bought some earrings to match two of my necklaces: one I bought in San Gimignano and the other I got for my birthday, the Lia Sophia one. I also swear I saw Robert Patterson driving in the city but I might have been mistaken. We then walked back down the 328 steps to catch the train to the next city.
We decided against stopping in the 4th city of Vernazza today because it was 5:30 before we got on the train. When we were back in Monterosso, our first order of business was finding the meat we were grilling tonight and the pasta we were cooking. I split from the group to head back to our ‘guesthouse’ as my contacts were killing my eyes. On the way I stopped at this little corner store right before the steps up to our guesthouse. I bought these caring for 1 euro each. One was of two dolphins and the other was a turtle. The turtle’s shell came off so it’s like a little jewelry holder or some other such thing.
We are now grilling and cooking our food outside, preparing for dinner. Whew!!! Dinner was an event. There was no stove so everything was cooked on the grill. Three different types of pastas had to be cooked before Lorenzo even got to the meat. It was a great time, great party, and everyone way enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, one plate and four glasses were broken during the night. Tomorrow, we will fess up to the owner when we pay fro the rooms. But, we cleaned up everything: washed all the dishes, pots and panes, glasses, and silverware we used and didn’t use; we cleaned the tables and all the cooking areas; and we put everything back to where it was when we found it.
I am now sitting in my bed, finishing writing this. I feel the sun I got today on my face and arms. When I wake tomorrow I’m sure I’ll be slightly burnt. I cannot wait to get back to Firenze and Fiesole though. This weekend was a great trip with all of us but…well but. There seems to be always a but on our trips. For this trip, it’s the fact that I don’t like to get drunk. I don’t like to lose control of myself that much. People say they don’t like to lose control of themselves yet still get drunk, but that’s not me. I’ve never been falling on the floor, puking my guts out, cannot remember what I did last night drunk, and I don’t ever want to be. Some people on this trip must don’t understand that about me. I feel like I need to be the sober, responsible one when everybody else is drunk. I don’t mind it, taking on that responsibility. I like to feel useful and needed, and if filing that position is how I can do that then that’s fine with me. I’m not going to apologize for not being drunk and making a fool of myself by being loud and running on the beach. I’m not sorry that I don’t do those things. I have fun my own way and that’s just not it.
We now since I’ve vented, I’m going to bed. Very therapeutic, venting is. Good for the body and soul. Bonanotte! Ciao!
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th. Supposed to be an unlucky day or a day filled with superstition. For me, Friday the 13th is just another day in Italy/MN/WI/where ever I am. This is the 2nd Friday the 13th this year, the first being last month. Kayla was the one to actually remind me of this little fact.
So today we went to Cinque Terre. I woke up like I normally do, 8 am, and started to pack. When Betsy and I went to eat breakfast we found a bottle of Champagne outside our room from ‘Bob.’ Bob doesn’t acknowledge these little gifts: flowers for Valentine’s Day, flowers for Women’s Day, wine for birthdays, etc. We know they’re from Bob and thank him accordingly but he always insists they’re not from him.
After catching the bus down to the station, we all got on the train to La Spezia. Close to 3 hours later we disembark the train at La Spezia, purchased our tickets to Monterosso, and hopped back on another train. When the train left La Spezia, it went through a lot of tunnels before the landscape changed. After leaving one tunnel, instead of hills and tress and homes, we saw water and waves and rocks. All or most of us gasped and ran to the windows on that side of the train. Pictures were taken, heads were stuck out the window, and the excitement began.
We passed through the first four of the five Cinque Terre towns. Each time we stopped at the town, we marveled at the views. It was gorgeous to see. I believe Bob told us it is the Adriatic Sea, but it is really the Mediterranean Sea. It was just amazing to see and amazing to behold.
Upon disembarking the train in Monterosso, the fifth town, we walked along this boardwalk type place on our way to Manuel’s Guesthouse, the place we are staying at. Many stops were made along the way for more pictures. We met up with Manuel at this wine bar, where Betsy said he’d be waiting, and walked up the 132 or so steps to our place for the weekend.
We had four rooms, each with a different number of people occupying them. The guys shared a room with two queens and two twin beds. Courtney and Michelle are in a room with a queen bed; Nikki, Bailey, and Jill are sharing a triple room; and Betsy, Ania, Allyson, and I are sharing a quad. We thought we were getting two triples and 2 quads but this way worked out better for us all.
After dropping our stuff off in our rooms and taking care of paperwork, we headed out to explore the town. Wine and food was bought for the weekend and it was decided that we would eat out tonight and grill our tomorrow. We then found the restaurant to go to for dinner. It was right near the beach and had a good variety of dishes. Then came the beach.
We walked down to the water and behaved like tourists. Many of the group, not me though, rolled up their pants and took off their socks and shoes and walked along the shoreline. I did walk out near the water and put my hands in. It was pretty cold water, definitely not warm enough to swim in. But that did not stop Lorenzo from taking a little dip. Betsy accidentally pushed him into the water so he went in totally figuring ‘why not’ since he was mostly wet already. It was a great relaxing time since most of the day was spent traveling and being uncomfortable on the trains.
We went back to the hotel/Guesthouse to prepare for dinner. Allyson straightened my hair and Ania did my make-up. We just had fun dressing up for dinner; Betsy even wore a dress. Maybe I forgot to mention it, but we came to Cinque Terre because it’s Betsy’s Birthday tomorrow and because we wanted to see these cities. We’re killing two birds with one stone in a sense. So this weekend is a celebration for Betsy since she’s turning 21.
Dinner was fabulous. Ania and I shared spaghetti with seafood for our first course. The dish had octopus, clams and mussels in it along with a tomato sauce over the spaghetti. It was a delicious meal that was very filling. Unfortunately we didn’t think it was going to be that much so we also ordered Grilled sea bass for the second course. OMG!!! It came out Grilled but looking like a fish. Our waiter proceeded to clean it for us at the table. It was really amazing to see. He skinned the top, took away the spine and head and left us with a great fish dish. With lemon squeezed on top and a little salt, we both ate our fish right up. Did I mention it was a whole fish; the size of like a woman’s size 8 shoe. A pretty big fish. Thank goodness it was good otherwise I would have regretted the bill. Overall it was a pretty expensive meal for Ania and I but we both don’t plan on spending much more this weekend since we brought food with us to tide us over and because the grilling out tomorrow night.
Monterosso is a beautiful city and I cannot wait to hike to the other four cities tomorrow. It is going to be a great weekend and a memorable birthday for Betsy. I hope for no drama but it’s bound to happen. But, I’m off to bed. I need to rest to build up my strength for five hours of hiking tomorrow. That’s how long it’s supposed to take to hike through all five of the cities, not including browsing the individual cities. I’m going to get postcards here to send home and to keep. Maybe I’ll even find some gifts for people.
So today we went to Cinque Terre. I woke up like I normally do, 8 am, and started to pack. When Betsy and I went to eat breakfast we found a bottle of Champagne outside our room from ‘Bob.’ Bob doesn’t acknowledge these little gifts: flowers for Valentine’s Day, flowers for Women’s Day, wine for birthdays, etc. We know they’re from Bob and thank him accordingly but he always insists they’re not from him.
After catching the bus down to the station, we all got on the train to La Spezia. Close to 3 hours later we disembark the train at La Spezia, purchased our tickets to Monterosso, and hopped back on another train. When the train left La Spezia, it went through a lot of tunnels before the landscape changed. After leaving one tunnel, instead of hills and tress and homes, we saw water and waves and rocks. All or most of us gasped and ran to the windows on that side of the train. Pictures were taken, heads were stuck out the window, and the excitement began.
We passed through the first four of the five Cinque Terre towns. Each time we stopped at the town, we marveled at the views. It was gorgeous to see. I believe Bob told us it is the Adriatic Sea, but it is really the Mediterranean Sea. It was just amazing to see and amazing to behold.
Upon disembarking the train in Monterosso, the fifth town, we walked along this boardwalk type place on our way to Manuel’s Guesthouse, the place we are staying at. Many stops were made along the way for more pictures. We met up with Manuel at this wine bar, where Betsy said he’d be waiting, and walked up the 132 or so steps to our place for the weekend.
We had four rooms, each with a different number of people occupying them. The guys shared a room with two queens and two twin beds. Courtney and Michelle are in a room with a queen bed; Nikki, Bailey, and Jill are sharing a triple room; and Betsy, Ania, Allyson, and I are sharing a quad. We thought we were getting two triples and 2 quads but this way worked out better for us all.
After dropping our stuff off in our rooms and taking care of paperwork, we headed out to explore the town. Wine and food was bought for the weekend and it was decided that we would eat out tonight and grill our tomorrow. We then found the restaurant to go to for dinner. It was right near the beach and had a good variety of dishes. Then came the beach.
We walked down to the water and behaved like tourists. Many of the group, not me though, rolled up their pants and took off their socks and shoes and walked along the shoreline. I did walk out near the water and put my hands in. It was pretty cold water, definitely not warm enough to swim in. But that did not stop Lorenzo from taking a little dip. Betsy accidentally pushed him into the water so he went in totally figuring ‘why not’ since he was mostly wet already. It was a great relaxing time since most of the day was spent traveling and being uncomfortable on the trains.
We went back to the hotel/Guesthouse to prepare for dinner. Allyson straightened my hair and Ania did my make-up. We just had fun dressing up for dinner; Betsy even wore a dress. Maybe I forgot to mention it, but we came to Cinque Terre because it’s Betsy’s Birthday tomorrow and because we wanted to see these cities. We’re killing two birds with one stone in a sense. So this weekend is a celebration for Betsy since she’s turning 21.
Dinner was fabulous. Ania and I shared spaghetti with seafood for our first course. The dish had octopus, clams and mussels in it along with a tomato sauce over the spaghetti. It was a delicious meal that was very filling. Unfortunately we didn’t think it was going to be that much so we also ordered Grilled sea bass for the second course. OMG!!! It came out Grilled but looking like a fish. Our waiter proceeded to clean it for us at the table. It was really amazing to see. He skinned the top, took away the spine and head and left us with a great fish dish. With lemon squeezed on top and a little salt, we both ate our fish right up. Did I mention it was a whole fish; the size of like a woman’s size 8 shoe. A pretty big fish. Thank goodness it was good otherwise I would have regretted the bill. Overall it was a pretty expensive meal for Ania and I but we both don’t plan on spending much more this weekend since we brought food with us to tide us over and because the grilling out tomorrow night.
Monterosso is a beautiful city and I cannot wait to hike to the other four cities tomorrow. It is going to be a great weekend and a memorable birthday for Betsy. I hope for no drama but it’s bound to happen. But, I’m off to bed. I need to rest to build up my strength for five hours of hiking tomorrow. That’s how long it’s supposed to take to hike through all five of the cities, not including browsing the individual cities. I’m going to get postcards here to send home and to keep. Maybe I’ll even find some gifts for people.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Internet is Down
The internet is down at Villa Bonelli. The wireless router blew on Sunday and might be fixed by this weekend. Until then, communication will be limited. I'm going to the Almafi Coast this weekend so hopefully on Monday I can get my past blogs up.
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