Hellooooo Lemoncellooooo

Ahh! I don't think I'll ever be able to fully keep my blogging up to date while I am here... there is simply too many wonderful things going on! Just when I think I've seen the most beautiful city Italy has to offer, I'm surprised yet again by another spectacular sight. It's nickname "Il bel paese" (The Beautiful Country) is well deserved! I don't know if I'll be able to choose just one city here as my favorite by the time I leave. In the meantime, I'll let you know what I've been up to in the past few weeks... (WARNING: Long blog post ahead!)

Siena & San Gimignano

Buildings in the Piazza del Campo in Siena

Some of the marble flooring
inside of the duomo

Inside of Nannini Bakery

Inside of the Piccolomini Library

Two Saturdays ago, I went on another school organized day trip to Siena and San Gimignano. What wonderful cities! They have a much more low-key atmosphere than Florence does, yet still so much to offer!  In Siena, we first went to a delicious bakery called Nannini for some Paneforte- a Sienese specialty. It was so good! We also got a little tour of the city, including the Piazza del Campo area where the Palio races are held every year. I think this is my favorite part of the city because it was really cool to see everybody (many locals, too!) hanging out on the sloped brick pavement chatting and picnic-ing and whatnot. I would love to see what it is like there during the Palio races! We also got a look inside of the Duomo and it's spectacular marble flooring. Since it is so intricate and delicate, it is usually covered up for most of the year, but we happened to be there on one of the very few days it was uncovered to get a peek at it. It was incredible! Inside the cathedral, we also got a look inside the Piccolomini Library where all of the original choir books and beautiful frescos are housed from centuries ago. The original books were so cool to see, it was my favorite part of the Cathedral. Before we left, we climbed to the top of part of the Cathedral walls to look out at the countryside surrounding the city. Pictures don't do it justice! It was absolutely beautiful.

Looking out over the buildings in Siena

Duomo in Siena

Best gelato ever!

After Siena, we went straight to San Gimignano to enjoy some of the world's BEST gelato (it was soooo good... and I have tried many a gelato since I've been here!) and some original, old fashioned medieval architecture. I really liked how cute and simple this town was, and the views were spectacular! We pretty much had time to wander and explore on our own for a while in this town, which was really nice. I loved just walking through the streets and looking at the cute houses and gorgeous views. It had a very home-y feel and it's a town I would definitely like to return to for a longer visit sometime.

Some of the views from San Gimignano!

Cinque Terre

Along Via dell'Amore

Beautiful blue water along the coast

I was soooooo excited for the day trip we took to see Cinque Terre- it was on the top of my list for places I wanted to visit while I am here. And it did not disappoint! For those that don't know, Cinque Terre means Five Towns, and that's exactly what it is... five small towns that started as fishing villages along the coast (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterrosso al Mare). The only ways to get between the towns are to take a train or to hike, and I would say that hiking is the better option of the two! The first hike was more of a walk between the first two towns from Riomaggiore to Manarola, called Via dell'Amore, or Pathway of Love. All along this walk, there is graffiti covering the walls from people signing as they pass through, and rows of padlocks hanging from every crevice with couple's names etched on them to seal their love forever. So cute! :) I loved hearing people play accordion music as we passed through, and not to mention the spectacular views around every corner of the beautiful ocean ahead of us.

Locks of Love!

Best focaccia bread and pesto ever!

Along the hike!

A view of Vernazza from the trail

The next two trails we actually had to skip and take a train- they were closed down because of a landslide last year... But we got back to hiking again to go from Vernazza to Monterrosso after a quick stop for some focaccia bread and pesto- two things that Cinque Terre is famous for, and I am certain it was the best focaccia bread I have had since I've been here! I want more! The second hike was longer and took about an hour and a half, but it went by so quickly and I wish it went on forever! It was so beyond beautiful and I just couldn't get enough! The hike itself was great- it was so nice being outdoors in the beautiful weather and getting to be a little active to burn off some of those carbs! Plus, after every twist and turn you could see out to the ocean and also to the surrounding towns. We were able to see Vernazza when we looked back at it through the first half of the hike and the approaching Monterroso during the second half. I could have stayed up there and looked out at the scenery forever! Crystal blue water, clear skies, and the colorful patchwork of buildings that Cinque Terre is so famous for. Gorgeous! But, at the same time, we were very excited to get to the beach where we spent the rest of the day swimming, sipping Pina Coladas, and relaxing near the water before heading back home. It was one of my favorite days here by far, and I would love to go back there again before I leave!

We made it!

Amalfi Coast

The Natural Arch in Capri

Inside of the Green Grotto

Just this past weekend I went on a trip to the Amalfi Coast to visit the Island of Capri, Positano, and Naples! It was such a wonderful weekend. I absolutely LOVED the island of Capri- it was so gorgeous, and there was so much to do! We got to the island by ferry, and then straight away went on a boat tour of the Island. I really love going on boat rides, and this one was even more fantastic because it took us to some of the most beautiful spots around the island. Unfortunately, the Blue Grotto was closed the day we went because it was too wavy... but we were still able to see the Green Grotto and the White Grotto, which I can only imagine are just as beautiful as the Blue Grotto. The water was so clear and bright! The boat tour also took us to see the famed natural arch in Capri and even drove us through it. Apparently it's also called the "Lover's Arch," and you get good luck if you kiss your lover while driving through it. Why does everything in Italy have to do with love...!?

Spremuta!

When we got back on the island, we got these drinks called spremuta which were SO good! It is like this freshly squeezed, lemony-orange slushy thing. Nothing better on a hot day! Then we had time to explore the island for a while on our own, and I was drooling over all of the beautiful gold, turquoise, and coral jewelry they had in all of the shops there. There was also a shop that we visited where this cute little old man makes custom hand-made sandals... Once again, I was drooling over how beautiful some of them were, but was able to resist. In that same shop, they also had Lemoncello tasting, which of course is what the Amalfi Coast is the most well known for! That's one thing that I wasn't quite able to walk away from ;) I also tried their Meloncello which I had never tried before, and it was really good! I may even like it better than the lemon. Afterwards, we ate at one of the best restaurants I've been to so far, (and I had some of the best fish I've had to far!) and we went on a chairlift ride over the island and got some of the most spectacular views. I think I really am obsessed with all of the gorgeous views Italy has of the ocean... I never realized before how green and tropical it could be! Those are the places here that have really been my favorite to visit... at least from what I have seen so far! :)

The next day we spent at the beach in Positano. It, too, was lovely! We went on another boat ride along the coast, and it took us cliff jumping and cave swimming in the crystal blue water! It was so much fun. Other than that, we mostly just spent time lying around on the beach. That night, we went to this bar that was on the roof of one of the Hostel's where people were staying- it was so cool! Since we were so high up, we were able to see the surrounding towns (including Naples!) all lit up, and we even saw some fireworks. It was really awesome, and now that I'm 21 I can't wait to find places like that to hit up back in Arizona! :)

On our last day there before heading home, we stopped in Naples for a few hours. Most people chose to take a tour of Pompeii, but since I am already going there with one of my classes in a few weeks I decided to hike Mt. Vesuvius instead. It was more like a steep, 20 minute uphill walk than an actual hike, but it was definitely worth it! We got to see all the land surrounding where the volcano erupted on centuries ago... it's crazy to imagine! At the top you could also see the massive crater left from the eruption... it was really awesome to see! All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, and past few weeks for that matter... I can't wait to see what other wonderful places Italy has in store for me to see!

Standing in front of the crater at
Mt. Vesuvius