Rain rain go away, come back another day

Friday — April 13

It may be Friday the 13th, but in Italy that's not an unlucky day, so I tried to keep that in mind. We woke up and went upstairs for our free breakfast which consisted of a couple croissants and juice. There's a reason it was free, but it was something to start off the day at least. 

We met everyone in the lobby at 8:15. The tour guides were going to lead us into Sorrento to the Marina. Today was supposed to be filled with a lot of beautiful outdoor activities, but unfortunately it was icky and rainy. I didn't know what to expect from today.

As I was walking with the group down the road, I was having a war with the wind and my umbrella. It popped inside-out a few times, but I was persistent and didn't want to get wet. 

When we were getting close to the marina it got windier. I had to close my umbrella when we walked down a plethora of stairs because it was just way too windy. 

When we finally got to the marina, we hopped on a ferry which took us to Capri. I was exhausted and fell asleep on the 30-minute ride.

When we got there I was really excited to see the place, despite the fact on how cold it was and how rainy it was. I have always wanted to come here after seeing pictures. This place also holds one of the seven wonders of the world, which I really, really wanted see — the blue grotto. 

We all piled off of the ferry past people waiting to get on it to go back to Sorrento. We went to a souvenir shop in hunt for ponchos and Michelle for a sweatshirt. 

Lydia asked me if I wanted a pull-over one or a button up one. I said the button up one would be fine. Mistake. When I put it on, I buttoned the wrong ones and then when I tried fixing it I ripped one. 

So since the hood of my poncho wouldn't stay up, it was kind of pointless, but oh well. 

The first thing on today's agenda was to take an island boat tour around the island, and if it was nice enough out we would be going into the blue grotto. They told us right off the bat we weren't going to get to see the blue grotto because the water was too high because of the waves and rain. They said even when the water is calm you have to lay down in a tiny boat for four people to get into it. 

When we saw what boat was taking us on the tour we wall laughed. It was small and it looked like we were going to have to stand outside and it was raining. This was going to be interesting. 

The first boat took the first half of the group and another boat came, which Michelle, Lydia and I got on. Thankfully, there was enough room under a hood where the entire group of people could sit and not get wet — not that we weren't wet enough already.

When the boat pulled out, the ride wasn't too bad. It was still raining and the water looked a bit mean and intimidating, but I didn't think much of it. Despite the fact that it was really icky out, I could still see how beautiful this island was. I could see how blue the waters were and how pretty it was. 

-Lydia and Michelle-

A little into the boat ride, things got a little rocky...literally. The waves were getting more rough and I grabbed onto a pole. I was doing fine, a little nervous, but I was doing fine until the boat seemed like it was basically on it's side. There were times when we went right into a wave that crashed on us. There was one point when a wave came on my side and crashed into us, tilting the boat. 

Michelle and Lydia were having a blast, taking pictures and enjoying the excitement. I as having fun, however, I was brainstorming how to swim back if we went under. I was clearly not having as much fun as them. There were times Lydia snapped pictures of me that weren't even posed:

It was definitely a ride of a lifetime.

I figured though that the drivers knew what they were doing and we wouldn't be out there if it wasn't safe. The driver was pretty impressive too because on top of his skills, he was still talking about what we were seeing and passing. There was one point when the waves crashed so hard that I ended up in a guys lap. I started laughing because this was getting ridiculous. I sat down and held on for dear life after that. 

Thankfully on the other side of the island, the waters were much calmer. I'm not sure why, but they were. The driver showed us where the blue grotto was, which was really cool, but I was really bummed we couldn't go in it. I could see why though you can't go in if the water is too high. The entrance is so tiny!

On our boat ride was also passed this beautiful waterfall that spilled into the sea, which was gorgeous. 

When we got back to the mainland, I was thrilled to be on land. We were led to an incline which took us to the top of the island where there is another part of the city. From up top the view was gorgeous. You could see how blue the water was in some points. I could also sense how high up we really were because we were basically in a cloud!

Since we were up higher, it was obviously much more windy.

Since it was raining, the tour guides found something for us to do inside. They said there was a perfumery in Capri called Carthusia, which was supposed to be interesting. We weren't required to go here, but we wanted to be inside for a bit. 

On the walk I had to fight with the wind again. I finally gave up because it was pointless and I allowed myself to get soaking wet. By the time we got to the perfumery I was dripping. I felt so bad for walking into the store like this, but then I realized everyone and their mother looked just like me. 

The perfumery smelled AH-MAZING, of course. It was really cool to see the bins where the perfumes were made. We tried a bunch of different scents. They all smelled so natural and pretty, but I didn't want to get anything because it was super expensive. 

When we were there Michelle ran into her boyfriend Ryan and his friends. I knew a few of them, so we all hung out after that. We went in hunt for food after the perfumery. When we were walking a man sort of summoned us in and told us we could have pizza for €10. I had packed my own lunch, so I wasn't planning on getting anything beside a drink. We decided to stay and he led us upstairs. It was Lydia, Michelle, her boyfriend Ryan, and his friends Dan and Ryan, who I knew already. Dan and I lived on the same floor sophomore year and Ryan lived with Carolyn here in Florence. 

We all felt kind of awkward sitting at the table because it was super quiet and it seemed like it was a really expensive place. And that it was. I ordered a €5 hot chocolate because I was so cold. I thought the price was ridiculous, but I needed warmth. 

We stayed inside as long as we could because it was so cold and rainy out. Ryan, Michelle's boyfriend, made fun of the people outside because they were getting rained on and then Dan said we would be those people soon enough, and that we would.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon we tried staying inside cafes and stores to stay dry. It was kind of depressing because I really wanted to see the beautiful island like I've seen in pictures, but the weather was not permitting it. 

We had a lemon cello tasting at 3:00 that Florence For Fun had set up. We had accidentally stumbled upon it earlier in the day and ended up staying there until then. I'm not a huge lemon cello person, but I figured I'd give it another try. There were other flavors too like strawberry and mango, but I still didn't like it. The after taste is just so icky. I don't know how mom loves this stuff. At the tasting though there was a lemon chocolate that we tried and I fell in love with. It was soooo good and so different from things I've had before. Lydia and I ended up splitting the cost of one bar. 

After the tasting we ventured around for a bit and then found a cafe to sit at. I ordered a cappuccino, which was expensive again. I was quickly learning that Capri was a bit pricey. We ended up staying there for an hour and a half to kill more time while trying to dry off a bit. 

-Dan and I-

We were supposed to meet the guides at the Capri marina, where we started our day at, at 6:00 p.m. At 5:30 we walked to the incline and took one down. We ended up getting down there earlier than we wanted, but we saw a ton of people from Florence For Fun waiting in restaurants and such. 

We walked in and out of souvenir shops to kill time while we waited. Finally we went to check in and get our ferry tickets. After another 15 or so minutes of waiting the ferry finally pulled in. While we were waiting these old Italian women pushed through us quite rudely. I was surprised because they were grandmas and you imagine them to be friendly, but these women most definitely were not. I was thinking calm down women, there are plenty of seats on this boat for everyone.

During the ride back to Sorrento, I wasn't as tired as the ride in to sleep. I watched some girls from Florence For Fun be obnoxious and pass a bottle of alcohol around. They were clearly wasted and a lot of people were watching them shaking their heads. No wonder some people think all Americans do is party. 

When we got back to Sorrento, we had to walk a little bit, but thankfully the busses were there to drive us back to our hotel. I didn't want to walk all the way back because it was ll down hill this morning, which would mean I would have to walk up hill the entire way home. Plus my shoes were nothing bu puddles of water, so I just wanted to get home as fast I could. 

When we got back I changed into my yoga pants and sweatshirt. I had never been comfier. We went upstairs for our free dinner that the hotel provided for us. It was a two course meal with dessert, which I was excited about because I was starving. 

The dinner was quite filling, but of course I saved room for dessert. When I tried mine, which was white, it was good, but different. There was a chocolate looking pie that Michelle got and the waiter must have heard me say something about it because he brought a piece out for me. He was too kind, but I tried telling him I was way too full to eat two pieces of pie. But it made me smile.

After dinner I was pooped. My body was so tired from shivering all day and being wet, so I just relaxed in the room with Lydia and Michelle. We watched Crazy, Stupid Love before falling asleep, which made me quite happy. 

Off I go!

Thursday — April 11

Today I only had two classes, and then I packed, went shopping for snacks and relaxed during the day. My plans for the weekend started tonight at 6:30. 

This weekend we were going to the Amalfi Coast with a travel group called Florence For Fun. We were going to do it on our own, but it ended up being more expensive and tiresome to plan, so we chose to go with the group. It was going to be Lydia, Michelle, and I. I was really excited for the trip because I have been looking forward to going to southern Italy all semester. 

Michelle came over to our apartment around 5:30, and Lydia and I finished getting ready. We decided we would save ourselves the trouble of lugging our suitcases across town to the train station, so we called a cab, which ended up being only a couple euros a person. It was definitely worth it. 

When we got to the train station we walked over to the Pharmacy where we were supposed to meet. There were a plethora of college-aged students waiting as well. We ended up seeing a lot of Kent State students, which we weren't expecting. Michelle's boyfriend was coming too now, which Lydia and I didn't know, but the more the merrier. 

Finally after 15 minutes of waiting, a Florence For Fun guide came up to the massive group and had us check in. There were so many of us and only one person. I was surprised it wasn't as organized as Bus2Alps was. After we checked in, we learned what bus we were on and were led to where the busses were waiting. 

When we go down there, the busses ended up not being there, so we had to wait another 15 or so minutes. Jess and Kate ended up passing us on the way to their bus. They were going with another travel group, so they weren't going to be with us. 

Finally, our busses came, we threw our luggage under, and found seats. It was different because it wasn't just American college students on the bus for the trip. There was an Italian family with two teenage daughters and there were college-aged Italians on it too. It made sense that the travel group was opened for everyone, but we weren't expecting it. 

We finally pulled out of the train station ready for our 8 hour bus ride...yipee! 

We made two stops along the way, one was an hour stop for dinner around 9 and another was a quick potty break. During the ride we watched Batman: The Dark Knight (one of my favorite movies) and The Wedding Crashers. It definitely made the drive go much faster. 

I could sense that we were almost at the hostel in Sorrento because the roads were getting extremely windy around the hills and I could see the sea out in the dark. I was getting anxious to get there too because I was so tired and wanted to sleep that I was starting to get nauseous. 

We pulled in around 2 a.m. and were given the keys to our room. We were on the very bottom floor, but our room was seemed pretty nice for a 3-start hotel. 

I was pretty whooped, so I laid on the bed an crashed until morning. 

They're gone.

Wednesday- April 11

This morning I woke up with knots in my stomach, and I knew exactly why. I already missed my family. They were now at the Frankfurt airport and not here, but I knew I’d be seeing them soon. 

I only had two classes today, so I was planning on relaxing and blogging, however something came up. I was planning on getting out money and going grocery shopping after my Genius class, but I couldn’t find my debit card. I figured I had misplaced it, so I went to class. When I cam back I started looking for it and I still couldn’t find it. 

I tore through everything in my bedroom and scoured the apartment and still couldn’t find it. I’m usually calm when I lose things and I know things will usually turn up, but I freaked out. I really thought it was with my mom in her wallet and freaked out because I knew I had no way of getting money out. I was leaving for a trip tomorrow night and needed money. I had no way of asking mom if she had it because they were currently in the air.

Since I knew there was nothing I could do, I chose to watch TV on my laptop to take my mind off of it. I texted mom, Ali and Jon asking them to let me know when they land.

Around 7, I went in my bedroom and I don’t even know how, but after praying to St. Anthony a plethora of times, my card appeared. It was in my band aid box and I immediately remembered I put it in there to carry home from their apartment the night before. I could have kicked myself, but I was just happy to have found it. 

Around 8 I started getting dressed up, grabbed my laptop and headed to the school. I was a bit nervous, but I knew I would be fine. I had an interview with Pittsburgh Magazine for an internship. I was thrilled that someone finally wanted to interview me because I was starting to get nervous I wasn’t going to have an internship this summer. 

I logged on to Skype and waited for Kristina, who I had been emailing back and forth for a week, to call me. I didn’t tell anyone about the interview because I wanted to keep it to myself. I was afraid I would jinx myself if I told others. 

The interview ended up going really well, or at least I thought so. We didn’t turn on the video with skype and the connection occasionally cut out, but I had my fingers crossed I would get it. This way I could stay in Pittsburgh for the summer and work to save money. She said she would let me know Friday, at the latest Monday, and that she had a clear idea of what she thought, she just had to talk to other people in the house about it. 

When I got home I asked Lydia if she wanted to go to the Lion’s Fountain, a bar near our place. All of our friends were going there tonight because Bethany’s parents had surprised her today by visiting her in Italy and she wanted us to meet them. Plus I wanted to celebrate having an interview. 

Lydia asked me how it went and I was confused on how she knew, but then I remembered Jess and Kate asked me why I was dressed up on my way out and I didn’t want to lie to them.

When we got to the Lion’s Fountain, I was even more confused when everyone asked me how it went. Kate must have told them because I had only told two people — her and Jess. It was nice though that everyone was asking about it and were excited for me. I unfortunately missed meeting Bethany’s parents because they had headed back to their hotel already. She was so cute though and so happy they had come. I thought it was the cutest thing. 

She said she had randomly looked across the street and saw her parents standing there. She said she couldn’t really grasp the fact it was them, but when it clicked she screamed, “MOM!” and ran across the street without looking and ran into her parents. She said her dad said her face was priceless when she first saw them. I was so happy for her. 

Later that night I got a text from my family saying they had landed safely in Philly. I was happy because I hadn’t heard from them all day, so I figured they had luck with a taxi in the morning and didn’t have as many difficulties in Frankfurt as they did the last time. 

I told mama I had found my debit card and she was thankful for that. As was I. 

It's their last day here...

Tuesday- April 10

Today was the last day my family was going to be here. That was such a weird thought because I feel like they had just gotten here, but I after I thought about it we really got to see a lot. I hoped that they enjoyed themselves because I know I did.

I met up with them after I had two of my classes. We went to Fratellini, the delicious sandwich joint right outside of my school. Mom loved it, so she wanted to go there one last time. After we all got out sandwiches we walked to Palazzo Signoria, where we tried to find somewhere to sit, but it was too crowded. 

They had mentioned in passing a few times that they wanted to ride a horse carriage throughout the city before they left. So after we ate lunch, we walked up to the drivers of the carriages who were hanging out in Palazzo Signoria. Mom asked them if we could take a carriage from here and they said of course!

We all hopped in — of course Ali and Jon snagged the prime seats — and we were off! 


The woman driver told us some history of the city as we passed some buildings. Some of it I had learned in class and other information was new to me. We went down tiny streets and through some piazzas. It was a different kind of view being pulled on a carriage by a horse. I wanted to do this with my friends too, but I was glad I got to do it with my family too. Despite Ali and Jon’s bickering, it was a fun experience. 

We ended in the sam place we started, and mom asked how much time I had until my next class. I had about 20 minutes, so I took them to Grom, a very well-known gelato place, which was near my school. Thankfully when we got there it wasn’t crowded. It’s usually a hit or a miss with crowds, but when it’s crowded, there’s no room to move and people pour out into the streets in a line. 

We walked right in and ordered. It was delicious, as usual, and mom, Ali and Jon liked it too. They walked me back to the school and I told them I’d meet them at their apartment at 6:15 after I got out of class.

In my practicum class today, I unfortunately learned I had used the broken mic to record the voiceovers, so I had to redo them with Glen. After we got all of that done, we ended up finishing our documentary by the end of class, which was a huge relief. Our friends in the two other groups said they weren’t close to being done, so I was glad I was in the group I was in. 

We ended up staying in the classroom longer than expected, so instead of going home first I went straight to my family’s apartment. When I buzzed to come up, no one answered. I waited a few minutes and buzzed again. Right when I was about to leave I turned around and Ali came in through the main door. She gasped because she wasn’t expecting me to be there, which made me laugh because I scared her.

They said they ran into Lydia, who I was just with. She had gone the opposite direction of me, so I thought that was funny. 

We went up to their apartment for a little bit and then went out for dinner. A few days ago when we were walking back from somewhere I finally saw the restaurant I had eaten at my very first night here with Lydia, Jess and Kate. I couldn’t believe it, so we decided to go there.

When we sat inside, it reminded me of my first night and how exhausted I was. I remembered I had fallen asleep from noon to six without realizing it. Now, three months later, here I was with my family.

This time around I knew water wasn’t on tap for free, you had to order bottles and share, you could always ask for more, and you had to ask for the bill. Oh what I’ve learned in the past three months.

Dinner was delicious. I ordered the same thing I ordered my first night, and it was as good as I remembered it being. My family really liked what they had got too. We also ordered bruschetta for an appetizer, which was scrumptious just like the first time I had it. 

After dinner we went back to my apartment for me to pick up the clothes and shoes I wanted to send home with them. 

Afterwards, we hung out in their apartment while they packed for their travels the next day. I wasn’t sure if they were going to successfully fit all of my stuff, but somehow they managed. Now we just hoped that they would be able to make it past the weight limit at the airport in the morning, since they didn’t have a scale here. 

We all decided that we were craving some of the hot chocolate we had the other night at the bar, so we started walking to the place we were at the other night. Unfortunately, it was closed because it was past 8:00 and it was a weekday. 

We walked to the main part of town because I figured there might be some places open. We walked into a gelato place that also served coffee. I asked if they had hot chocolate, but unfortunately they didn’t but they told us Piazza Republica may have some places open with it.

So we ventured that way. There was a bar with seats under a tent. We asked them if they had hot chocolate and luckily they did! The waiter led us to a table near a heater, since it was a little chilly outside. 

He brought us the menus. We think he thought we were going to order actual food, but we really just wanted drinks. After looking at their dessert menu though, we decided to venture into that too. 

The waiter was very kind and entertaining too. The dessert was delicious and the hot chocolate was good, but not as good as the other ones I’ve had. Mom felt the same way. 

We sat and enjoyed our last few hours together. On our way home we saw a man doing a magic show in the street. The crowd was slowly getting bigger, so we stopped. The old man was hilarious and had the crowd in the palm of his hands. 

At one point he was looking for people to pull into the crowd. He came in our general direction. I thought he was going for Ali because he was looking at her, but she turned her head, and then before I knew it his hand pulled mine into the middle of the square. I didn’t even have time to think about what I had just gotten myself into. I don’t like attention, so this was going to be fun.

He had me, a little girl and an older man in the square. I couldn’t stop laughing. Every time I looked over at mom, she didn’t help either. She was bright red from laughing and her laugh always makes me laugh harder. Jon and Ali were laughing too, which didn’t help.

The magician had me where a funny hat and had me take my sweatshirt off, so I was standing in just a t-shirt. He had us do funny things like waddle and help him blow up balloons. I was probably out in the middle of the crowd doing crazy things for 30 minutes. Mom has it all on film, so I plan on uploading it to here, because words cannot describe what it was like. 

All I know is that I couldn’t stop laughing and all I can picture is mom’s face from laughing so hard. 

When we got home, it was all we could talk about, and we couldn’t stop laughing. What a perfect way to end our night. 

I hung out at their apartment until 12:30 or so and then they walked me back home. Before we left, mama got a little teary eyed, but I told her I would be home in 3 weeks, which would fly by!

When we got up to my apartment, I took all of the food they gave me inside and then went out to hug them goodbye.

I had given mom directions on how to call a cab. I wrote down everything she needed to say in Italian. She was a little nervous to do it, but I knew she would be okay. I told her though if she ran into any problems, call my Piccell phone and I would come over and help. They had to get a taxi at 4:30 because their flight was at 6:30.

I hugged them all goodbye. I knew I’d be seeing them soon, but it was still sad to say goodbye. 

Cross this place off my bucket list!

Monday- April 9

Today we had an early morning because we were going to Cinque Terre, which translates to five cities. It's about three hours north of Florence. This place has been on my bucket list, and I decided to not go with my friends a few weeks ago because I wanted to go with my family.

My alarm sounded off at 6:15, and no one was awake. Mom said last night she was going to wake up at 6 to shower, so I went into her room to wake her up. I laid back down until 6:30 when it was my turn to shower, and then Ali and Jon did after.

I had to research yesterday what times the trains were running to Cinque Terre and how much they were because Lydia had told me it could get a little pricey because sometimes you have to switch up to three train lines to get there. 

Somehow I found a train that left at 7:45 and went directly into the five towns, so we would only have to go on one train. I also needed to look into trains to see how often they were running because I was told that the trains weren't running as often because it was a holiday, which was why I didn't have classes. 

We left in time so we didn't have to completely book it to the station. We got there in time to get our tickets, find the platform and hop on the train. The train was pretty crowded, but luckily we found four seats together that Jon spotted. 

The train ride seemed to take a while. There was a group of teenage boys, probably about Jon or Ali's age, who were really loud, but kept laughing. They were in mom's eyesight and every time I looked over at her she was laughing. 

Thankfully about halfway through the ride they hopped off, but unfortunately another group of teenagers got on. After that stop, so many more people kept getting on at other stops. It was so busy that there were a ton of people standing. Never have I ever seen it so busy. I guess a lot of the Italian families and couples and teenagers decided to take a day trip to Cinque Terre too for their holiday. 

I knew we were nearing the five towns because we passed the last train stop before the first city. After we left that place, we went through a mountain and when we came out on the other side, you could see the beautiful coast and blue waters crashing into the rocks. The entire car of people immediately said, "AHH!" which made me look out the window. 

It truly was a beautiful sight. We went in and out of another mountain and every time we came out we all looked out the window to see the view.

A lot of people got off at the first town, Riomaggiore, but Lydia and others had told me to go to Monterosso because it was the only one with a sandy beach. It was the last stop of the five towns, so we waited to to go through the next four stops. Every time I saw a view, it was just gorgeous. 

When Monterosso came up, we hopped off of the train. Mom needed to go to the bathroom, so she went down to where the restrooms were where there was a tremendous long line. 

In the meantime Ali, Jon and I waited near a cafe. Jon was playing with a toy that he bought the other night. It was one of those squishy toys that's filled with liquid and every time you throw it down it looks like it splats. It was really funny when he bought it because I told him my friends and I always laugh at the toy because no one ever buys it — of course he does. 

Anyways, he was playing with it and throwing it on the ground. All of a sudden I hear Ali laughing her butt off. I looked over to Jon. He must have thrown his toy on the ground like he had been doing, but this time it popped. Ali said his face was priceless because he was so shocked and upset that it broke. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself either. Other than that, I felt kind of bad for him.

Of course when mom came over to us, Ali decided she needed to use the restroom. She couldn't have made this decision before when mom went before? Of course not. 

Mom started telling me about the bathroom, and I was really glad I didn't have to go to the bathroom anytime soon. She said the toilet was literally a hole in the ground. You can imagine how you go to the bathroom doing that....

I've heard of those toilets here, but I've never experienced them, and I hope to keep it that way!

After Ali came out of the bathroom with a disgusted look on her face, we walked down the stairs of the station and it dropped us out on the main road of the little town. The view of the beach was gorgeous. It wasn't the prettiest day outside, but I was still thrilled to be here.

We walked along the road that led to a sandy beach. Ali noticed there was a sculpture that was carved into the rock at the end of the beach, which was really interesting to see.

While we were observing the view, a tiny, tiny puppy was running along the beach with it's owner playing with it. It wasn't the cutest thing Id ever seen, but it was so cute to watch it run in the sand and fall because it was so tiny. 

Mom was hungry so we went on a chase for food. We stopped into one place, but they were only open for coffees until 11:00 when they would serve lunch. We had a half hour and mom was hungry, so we decided we would go find something else. 

We found a place that seemed busy, and we walked inside. It smelled delicious and I saw bread everywhere. Mom and I got what seemed like pizza bread. I had olives on mine and mom had green olives. The were SO good.

After we ate, we walked around for a bit and then Jon and Ali were hungry, so we went back to the restaurant we stopped at the first time. It was after 11, so they were serving more than coffee at this point. A really nice guy led us to the back porch for us to sit down. It was a beautiful view, with it being right on the beach. Despite the fact it was a little bit chilly, the view was wonderful. I will always be a beach girl at heart.

Mom ordered a cafe latte and I a cappuccino, but Ali and Jon got real food since they hadn't eaten yet. Since we had gotten there before Italian lunch time, it was pretty empty, but towards the end of the meal, the restaurant was hoppin. I felt bad because it seemed like there was one waiter and one runner, but the waiter kept himself together and still helped us.

After lunch we started walking up the hill towards a tunnel we had seen. We were curious of where it would lead to because people were coming in and out of it. Along the way we saw this massive rock that a lot of people were climbing.

 I looked and watched the water crash into it. The water was a beautiful sea green, something I've always dreamed of seeing. Greece was beautiful with it's water, but this was something different. 

We walked through the tunnel, which led us to the other side of Monterosso. There was a lot more civilization on this side, whereas on the other side we were just at was more of a beach town with restaurants and souvenir shops.  

We walked through the town and ended up stumbling upon a church. Mama lit a candle when we walked in. It was a beautiful church. I could tell it was a gothic-styled church because of how extravagant it was on the inside. Thanks to Rocky, my Italian Art class information was actually rubbing off on me.

We peaked into another church next door and I was surprised to see how a mess it was. The inside had dirt and mud everywhere and seats were everywhere. In October, Cinque Terre had a mudslide that really hurt the towns, but really hurt one of the main attraction towns, Vernazza. I didn't know Monterosso was still recovering too though.

When we walked around the city there were posters on the walls of what that part of the town looked like in October 2011. I couldn't get over it. There was a car standing upside down in mud that was higher than me. I could see the town was still recovering because they had wood planks throughout the roads and there was still dried mud along some of the walls and stores.

After we walked around the town for a bit, we crossed back through the tunnel to get back to the train station because we were going to take the train to Manarola to walk the "love walk" to Riomaggiore and catch a train from there to home.

You could technically walk to all of the towns through hiking trails, but due to the mudslide, it was very difficult to walk from Monterosso to Vernazza because the trail had fallen a part with the mudslide.

When the train pulled up, Ali and Jon got excited because it was a double-decker train. I had been on one before and they were fun to ride. We all walked up to the second floor and found seats.

When passed two towns and got off at the third stop. We walked under a very long tunnel and when we got out, there was a beautiful little town on a hill. We walked up the hill and we saw a little gelato store. Of course we decided to get some. I saw this type of bread sandwich that they could put gelato on. I was intrigued, so I tried it and it was so good. It was a lot different than other things I'd had before, but it was good.

We proceeded to walk up the hill. Mom asked where the "Love trail" was at and I said I thought we had passed it earlier. We decided to keep walking up anyways to see if we could see a view before we headed back down. There were trails above us and I told mom the trails might be like that. She said she wouldn't be able to do it if the trails were that skinny because she would fear she would fall off. I tried to ensure her she would be fine, but she's too scared of heights. 

We also ended up finding a view that was really beautiful. I could see the sea and the little houses sitting on the rocks. It's a really cool thing to think about that these towns were all mostly built on rocks. No wonder it's so touristy. 

Of course, mama sniffed out another church, so she went in to see what it was like. It was a smaller, suburban church. I could tell it was really old. 

We headed back down the hill and saw signs for the love walk, which led us back through the tunnel to the train station where we had started 30 minutes ago.

Ali led the way because she saw signs.

Mom asked if we had to pay for the walk and I said no. However, when we reached the trail, we quickly learned we had to pay. It was only a couple euros a person, but I was surprised we had to pay because I thought it was just a nature trail. I figured though the cities needed the money after the natural disaster, so I wasn't too mad about it.

The love walk — Via dell'Amore—  is just something that Cinque Terre has become famous for over the years. It connects the two cities, Manarola and Riomaggiore.  Many couples will come here with lock with their names on it and hang it off of a rock or a line. There are a plethora of locks that line up along the rocks. It's really cool because it's something different.

There's also a part of the walk with a white wall where people will write their love for each other — mostly initials. I tried finding my friends' writings because they had all come a few weeks ago, but there were way to many. I had come prepared with my red pen and wrote down Kory and my initials, my best friends, and my family's. That way we all left our mark.

The view all over was gorgeous. Poor mama couldn't get too close to the edge to see how pretty the blue water was crashing on the rocks because the heights freaked her out too much.

It would make me giggle when we would get too close to the edge and mom would tell us to not get too close because it wasn't safe, even though I knew we were fine. Moms will always be moms.

The walk lasted about 30 or so minutes. The man who sold us tickets said it was a 20 minute walk, but because we stopped so much, it ended up taking longer.

After the walk ended we were in the town of Riomaggiore, the final town where we would be taking our train home. We had about an hour and a half until the train was coming. We went down to the ticket office to buy our tickets and then we went up to a restaurant we had seen on the hill.

We sat up on the deck, and the sun had finally made it's way out. The view on the terrace was gorgeous and it was a wonderful way to end the day. We enjoyed our time there for about 40 minutes or so. We were all talking about how we couldn't believe they only had one day left in Italy. The time had gone by so fast.    

What a more perfect way to end their trip though with a trip to the beach.

After dinner we ventured down to the train station. Our train was supposed to come at 6:45. We were worried it was going to be super crowded like last time and that we would have to stand for a long time. I went into the ticket office to check the times to see how many trains were supposed to come before ours. When I came back out there was a train there and my family was ready to get on. I didn't think it was our train so I went up to a conductor to ask.

Mom said there was an American family who said they asked someone and said it was the right train to Florence.

I still asked the conductor and he said no, it was the next train. I was glad I listened to my gut. The American family that was on the train already booked it off as fast as they could.

We ended up talking with the for a little bit and learned they were staying with friends in Germany and were visiting Italy for a bit.

Our train finally came and of course it was crowded. We had to stand for 10 minutes of the ride and at the first stop Jon and I pushed through to the seats and snagged some. Mom and Ali sat in a different part together, but we all had seats at least.


It was a wonderful day and I was glad I got to spend my holiday off of school with them. 

Easter in Florence

Sunday- April 8

Since I spent the night at my apartment instead of my family's, we had decided we would meet at the side entrance of the Cathedral at 10:30. 

I ended up running a little bit behind schedule because I was worried about finding the right outfit to wear. I wanted to wear this yellow dress I had recently gotten, but I was afraid it was going to be too short for the dress code. Then I wanted to wear this other dress, but I couldn't wear tights and boots because it hurt my foot. With time running out, I threw back on the yellow dress and put on flip flops. It wasn't the best day for flip flops, but I had no choice in the matter. 

Of course as I was walking to the Cathedral it started down pouring too. So by the time I got to the church I was a wet mess. I found Jon standing inside avoiding the rain. He led me to where my family was sitting. The church was a lot more crowded than last week, which I figured would happen. I was glad mom was able to score seats though. Mass was supposed to start at 11, so we sat and waited patiently for it to start while people filed in. 

Then the organ started echoing through the church and priests started filing in with banners and the choir following behind. 

I wasn't paying all that much attention after they all got to the front of the church. A few minutes later I heard a funny noise and then looked up and saw a fake dove on fire moving along a zip line from the front of the church to the back. 

I watched it zip on past me and toward the entrance of the church. As soon as it exited through the doors fireworks went off like crazy!

It was incredibly loud as it echoed through the church halls and had caught me by complete surprise. The dove zipped back inside without the fire on it and went back to the front of the church.

Here's what it looked like from outside of the church:

Click here

The fireworks continued to go off for what felt like forever. It definitely topped our fourth of July. 

I knew what was happening though after it started. Nicoletta told us in class last week about how they set off fireworks to celebrate Easter. They call it the explosion of the cart because that's exactly what it was. I thought for some reason that it was tomorrow at 11 not today, but I was glad i got to see it. 

The mass ended up lasting a really long time, but it was beautiful, even more so than last week's. It was a real blessing to be in Florence, Italy on Easter with my family. 

After church, I went home to change into some dry clothes and head back over to my family's apartment. As I was walking home every time I passed someone selling umbrellas, they hounded me because I didn't have one and tried selling. They were probably so confused as to why I didn't want one. It just water for goodness sakes!

When I got over to their apartment mom had set out croissants she had bought from Astor. I had a delicious one filled with chocolate. Ali ended up laying down on the couch the relax and fell asleep. Before I knew it, we were all taking naps. I planned on sleeping for maybe an hour, but soon enough mom was waking me up at 5. I was appalled I had slept so long, but I must have really needed it. 

Ali baba made dinner for us. She made us chicken parmesan, which was delicious. After dinner we had some of the Easter cake we bought. In Florence, Nicoletta told us of a cake that is very popular to have on Easter, so we figured we would try the tradition. It was good, but now the best I've ever had. It had the texture that was like an angel food cake. 

We all lounged around afterwards enjoying our time together. They were already leaving in three days, which was a crazy thought because it felt like they just got here!

After sitting around for a bit, we decided to go out in hunt for Florence's infamous hot chocolate I had told them about. 

I wasn't sure if anything would be open because Nicoletta said many places close on this holiday, but surprisingly there were a lot of places open. We went into a cafe near their place. Mom, Jon and I ordered the hot chocolate and Ali got a cappuccino. Mom and Jon really liked the hot chocolate. Mom liked how thick it was, which is what I love most about it too. Hot chocolate at home will never be the same. 

It was a wonderful day with my wonderful family. I knew the next few days were going to fly by, so I was trying to enjoy every minute I had with them. 

Merry go round!

Saturday- April 7

This morning my alarm work me up again five minutes before nine since Alessandro said he would bring breakfast to the room at nine. I laid in bed and he didn't end up coming with the breakfast until 9:45. Before he knocked on the door I really thought he forgot about us, but when that knock came on the door I popped out of bed. 

Check out was at 10, and my family was already getting ready and packing up, but I knew there was no way we were going to be out in time. 

My coffee and crossant were good and gave me that boost I needed to start my day. It was about 10:10 or so when we were all ready to check out, but Alessandro was no where to be found.

"There he is," Ali said as she pointed out the window. Mom went over to look and he was crossing the street and went into a cafe. I guess Italians just do things on their own time.

He eventually came back maybe five minutes later and we told him we were ready to check out. He was so cute and was asking how I was with my foot. He was geniunely worried, and it showed. 

After we paid for our stay we tried giving him more money because of his hospitality and kindness, but he refused to take it. He had even lent us his fridge because we needed to keep something for Jon's insulin. 

We thanked him for his help for the past two days and wished him well, then left. We decided to go get some food because we had about two hours until our train. 

We went to the place where Jon and mom had bought desserts Thursday night. We had forgotten the bowls that the desserts were in to return to them, but they didn't remember. It was a little dead inside, but they were open for coffee and breakfast if we wanted.

Jon ordered bread to snack on and Ali and I got cappoccinos and mom got her cafe latte. 

We relaxed there with our luggage for about an hour or so. The staff there was very friendly. 

Around noon we decided to head over to the closest metro to take to the train station instead of walking. When we got to the station we had to walk underground for a bit until I saw a sign that led up to the station. There was a mini mall of some sort that I had never seen before. When we surfaced to the top, we went to look at the departures board to make sure ours was on time. There was a weird symbol next to our train which I had not seen before. I looked to see if others had the symbol too and I realized it meant our train was behind a bit. 

We went to Chef's place, where I always get something to eat when I'm waiting in Rome for a train. Mom and I sat at a table while Jon and Ali went to go get something. I snacked on some crackers mom because I wasn't in the mood to spend money. 

It was really busy in the place, which I hadn't seen before either. Maybe it was the time, but it was something new for me too. 

We then went to our train and saw it was pulled in. We went on and found our seats. Luckily, we had a table this time and the seats were extra comfy. I could tell this was a fancier train than our last one. They're all so much nicer than the slow trains, but different brands of fast trains are nicer. We had three seats together and one across the isle. Ali sat with two other people and the three of us sat across from her. We told her she could move over and ask the person who had the seat next to me to switch her, but she said she was fine. After 10 minutes into the train ride, no one sat down next to me and we told her she could move over. She didn't want to because she didn't want to get in trouble. I chuckled a little bit because I knew she wouldn't get in trouble. 

When we got back into Florence I went back to my apartment for an hour or two to shower and relax for a bit. Around 5 I went back over to their apartment. We relaxed there for a bit and then went out to dinner at the Gatto, where we went the first night they were here. We were going to go out to dinner with Kate and her parents, Lydia and her parents and Jess, but they ended up going later, and we were hungry. 

Dinner was ascrumptious, as it always is at the Gatto. I went back to their apartment and we all lounged around. Mom and Ali went on a walk for a bit and when they came back they asked if we would want to go to midnight mass at the Cathedral. Mom said she was talking with a guard at the church and he said the mass was going to be in English. There were supposed to be fireworks at 11 and Easter mass at midnight. I had already had plans to go out for Jess's 21 birthday, so I unfortunately had to say no. 

I told them they were more than welcome to go without me, but mama said no. They walked me home and the three of them went to go see the parade and fireworks at the duomo. 

As I was walking home I saw Lydia and Jess leaving. I told them I was still coming out and that I would meet them over at the apartment with the six girls. I went upstairs and got ready, and then went over to the apartment.

When I got over there, there was our CCI group mixed with other people from Kent. We were all hanging out for an hour or so and then we decided to head out to the bar.


On our way there we decided it would be a wonderful idea to ride the merry-go-round in Piazza Republica. We were all dressed up and all piled on and the best part was it was only €1! We got some snobbish looks, but hey, you only live once and we won't see those people again.

When we got to the bar, we were downstairs for a bit and then we were led up to the VIP room like the last time we were there. Either someone there or the owner sent over a pretty expensive champagne, that was absolutely delicious. The night was filled with a lot of dancing and we had a lot of fun laughing and such. 

Lydia and I unfortunately had to leave early because my blister popped and I didn't want to get in infected. When we got home I was really surprised to see that it was already 2 in the morning! Time had flown by. 

Thankfully my foot didn't get infected, so I got ready for bed and then curled up under the covers after a long day.