Finally Stumbled Upon the Money Wall!

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is one of Italy’s most beautiful destinations. It’s difficult to describe exactly: five lovely little towns, full of colorful houses, clinging to the hillside. It doesn’t feel like anywhere I’ve ever been, Italy or elsewhere. 

The entire region has a Disney-esq. quality. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that Walt came in and designed the five towns himself. However, Cinque Terre has been around much longer than the Disney dynasty. The towns feature castles and watchtowers dating back to the Middle Ages. Tourists of all ages hike between from one town to the next, exploring the lush landscape of waterfalls, exotic flowers, and scenic ocean views.

Unfortunately, we were rained out and returned home sooner than planned. Even still, it was a good weekend. And don't worry, I took plenty of pictures :)

Bonus fun fact: Cinque Terre is the birthplace of pesto. So obviously, I tried to work pesto into every meal (from pesto omelets, to focaccia, to pasta).

The hike! So many stairs.

There was a landslide a few months ago...

Just in case you were thinking about embracing going in nature...

Why, yes. That is a little boat sticking out of that house.

Result of the recent landslide.

This is the rest of the house. 

Cinque Terre was one of the first places in Italy where lovers attached locks to seal their eternal love.

Spumante is a local white wine produced in Cinque Terre. 

Slightly off English translation, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Without doubt, the most beautiful cemetery I've ever visited.

Summer is Just Around the Corner

Born and raised in southern California, I’ve never really experienced a true winter. (Although, some may argue that I still have yet to experience one, seeing as it doesn’t snow in Florence.)

For the first time in my life, I lived in a place where it was consistently cold for months on end. I had to dress in layers upon layers of heavy jackets, sweaters, and scarves daily. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I am most comfortable in shorts & a tank top, living as close to the beach as I can afford. Never have my legs gone so long without feeling the warm rays of the sun. In fact, when I went to Greece, I noticed that for the first time, I had entirely lost all traces of tan lines.

But now, it’s getting warmer. I can wear skirts, dresses, sandals, and the like. Everything seems more alive when the sun is shining. People are friendlier, happier. Italians and tourists alike sit out in the piazzas enjoying espresso or a glass of wine. Musicians fill the streets and vendors materialize everywhere. The city is coming to life before my very eyes.

Amalfi Coast

The weekend adventures continue! I just got back from the Amalfi Coast, where I visited Sorrento, the island of Capri, Positano, Pompeii, and Mount Vesuvius. During our stay at the “Spicy” Hotel in Sorrento, we took day trips to Capri, Positano, and Pompeii. The first day, we took a ferry to Capri. During a breathtaking boat ride around the island, where we saw the rugged cliffs of Capri, we stopped at the Blue Grotto, Green Grotto, and White Grotto. The most amazing was the Blue Grotto. We got into little boats and went into a little cave opening, which opened up to an enchanting cave, 80 meters deep, with glowing turquoise waters. While circling the cave, the Italian men rowing the boats began to sing, their voices echoing throughout the cave.

All the boats had to fit in that tiny cave opening! All the passengers had to lay down to get through.

After the boat ride, we went to have lunch overlooking the water, where I had the best spaghetti of my life. The Amalfi region is known both for their lemon and tomato production. After lying out on the beach for the afternoon, we went back to do a lemoncello tasting before returning to our hotel on the mainland.

Capri is beyond gorgeous. Look at that clear blue ocean!

The next day was primarily a beach day. We drove to Positano and were blessed with perfect beach weather. The ocean was warm enough to swim, and the water was clear blue. At lunchtime, we got a local specialty, mozzarella wrapped in lemon leaves. It was a heavy meal, basically consisting of solid cheese, but it was delicious!

Positano Beach. I would love to live in one of the houses on the cliff here.

There is a little shop in Positano where we got custom made sandals. The shopkeeper custom sizes each shoe, and you can choose any style and color that you want, and then pick up the finished product at the end of the day. 

This talented man custom made my sandals!

After two days spent relaxing on the beach, we headed to Pompeii. It was amazing to see such an expansive town, preserved for over a thousand years. Even the brilliant reds and yellows of the ancient frescoes remained much as they had been almost 2000 years ago. We spend a good deal of time in what was once the red light district of Pompeii, where there were self-explanatory pictures explaining the different services offered.

Our lovely Pompeii tour guide

Ancient pedestrian crosswalk

Even the illiterate can hire a prostitute.
All you have to do is point to a picture!

City center of Pompeii

After the tour, we all enjoyed beer and pizza...the classy way. We even had forks and knives! 

A little different than Domino's and Blue Moon

Next, we headed up to climb the still-active Mount Vesuvius. Once at the top, we could look down into the crater and see parts steam coming from rocks inside the volcano.

Note the steam. This one's still active.

Climbed to the top! 

Budapest: City of Spas

I spent this past weekend exploring Budapest. The entire trip was amazing and packed full. I barely had time to sleep and still wanted to do more. We toured the city with WSA (which I highly recommend). After flying in at 9 am, we met Bogi, our tour guide, and the group for breakfast before the tour seeing the city.

We took a bus up to the castle in Buda (the rich side of the river). It was like a fairytale castle, complete with turrets and towers, courtyards and statues. At the top of the castle, there were entertainers and venders walking around in medieval dress—some playing music, some selling food, and others with a giant hawk for people to take pictures with.

We all tried chimney cakes (typical Hungarian street food) and went to Hero’s Square, where we saw famous Hungarian leaders through the ages, before heading to the Szechnyi Baths. Budapest is famous for it’s thermal baths, so of course this was a must. After a long day of walking, soaking in the warm baths was just what we needed! There was a sulfur bath (which smelled as awful as you would think), some kind of red mineral bath, steam rooms & saunas, and my favorite—the whirlpool bath, which literally created a whirlpool in the center of the pool.

After heading back to the hostel too late to squeeze in a nap, we got ready for dinner, and then headed out for a night of bar hopping! We explored the Jewish Quarter and the Ruin pubs in Pest. Ruin pubs are old, abandoned buildings that have been turned into pubs. The best way I can describe Budapest is eclectic. It has been taken over by countless empires from all directions in the past and has influences from all over. The Ruin pubs are characteristically eclectic. My favorite was Szimpla Kert, which Lonely Planet rated the 3^rd best bar in the world. Each room was filled to the brim with random art and décor. Nothing was what you would expect, so just walking around the enormous pub was an adventure.

Day two began with a trip to the Grand Market. We bought souvenirs and tried Hungarian crepes—so good! In the afternoon, we headed back to Buda to go caving. We climbed, slid, and army crawled through the caves in the hills of Budapest for two hours. It was an unforgettable experience, and I came out with a decent number of scrapes and bruises as temporary souvenirs.

That night, we went to the Magic Bath with a group from our hostel. It was absolutely crazy! Every Saturday night, one of the thermal baths opens as a club, complete with a bar, DJ, and light show. 

The last day was my favorite. Nicole and I got up early and took the metro to the market for an early Sunday brunch at an outdoor cafe. After we returned to the hostel, we met up with the WSA group and headed to the Szimpla Market (which turns into the Ruin pub, Szimpla Kert, at night). Our last stop as a group was to a local jewelry market, before we all went our separate ways. Some went to catch flights, some went to museums, and others headed to the opera. As for Nicole and I, we did some serious shopping, then stumbled upon some live music. We got fresh potato chips and (slightly warm) beer and sat out in the sun listening to music for over an hour. It was basically all locals, so few people spoke English there. It was a perfect afternoon to end our trip.

That night, we got some hummus and falafel and a bottle of wine and took a bus back to the castle. We ate our dinner on the castle steps and enjoyed the view of the city lit up over the river.

I sincerely wish I could have stayed longer. Budapest is a wonderful city and everyone we met was so helpful and friendly. If you ever get the chance, go to Budapest. You won’t regret it.

Scandicci: Livin Like a Local

After all the crazy adventures in Greece, I decided to stay in Florence this past weekend. The rest of April, I’ll be traveling every weekend, so it was a much-needed break. My campus has weekly activities to keep us active in Florence. I’ve already done a few, including the Gelato Making and Pasta Making, which I’ve blogged about.

This past Saturday, I experienced A Day in the Life of a Florentine. Two LdM staff members took us to a suburb of Florence for a very informal tour of the neighborhood of Scandicci, where they both grew up. The intent was to give us an idea of what a normal Saturday might consist of. It was a beautiful day to explore, and we were able to see so much.

The morning started off with a tram ride out of the city center. As we saw all the crowded city buildings disappear behind us, we drove through parks, fields, and outlying shopping centers and suburbs. We arrived in Scandicci after about 20 minutes and went straight to the market.

It was basically a giant outdoor flea market, with everything a person could need, including rows and rows of clothes, a few odds and ends, and plenty of delicious street food. While some were brave enough to try the lampredotto, a type of tripe popular in Tuscany, I found a stand that specialized in deep-frying. Not the healthiest option, but it was pretty damn delicious! Anything that could be fried was fried. They had fried potatoes, zucchini, corn, rice (both sweet and savory), several varieties of doughnuts, and my favorite—fried pizza dough!

Emma (our activities director) was a great tour guide. She kept pointing out places and programs that she was very proud about. It was really a great experience to see her point of view. She even pointed out where her parents live, and where she lives now! We saw a youth center, where teens and 20-somethings can come and have a creative space to paint, write, practice with a band, or even host competitions. 

Next, we had a brief tour of the local library. It had recently been converted from its former use as a primary school established during the fascist period. The library was huge for the small size of the town, and a very modern and comfortable place to study.

There was a volunteer center where we learned that all non-emergency ambulances in Tuscany are operated fully on a volunteer basis. It is a popular volunteer activity for people living in the area of all ages, especially high school students.

Our last stop was seeing the Scandicci Castle, now owned by the Scandicci community. It has been restored by volunteers in the community, and sits in the center of a beautiful, expansive park where we sat out and took in our surroundings in the sun, while enjoying a few snacks we picked up from the market.

The entire community of Scandicci was so different than Florence. It was much more laidback. There was a very strong sense of community and the people really took pride in the neighborhood. Although geographically close to the city center of Florence, it felt worlds away.

Of course no tour in Italy is complete without gelato, so before leaving, we had to stop at Gelatando for Scandicci’s finest! In the summer, the line here gets so long they actually have a ticket machine to distribute numbers. We were told that on a hot day, the line can get to be well over 100 people long. I tried their signature flavor, gelatando, a flavor similar to tiramisu—so good!

Greece Spring Break

Traveling can be expensive, and doing a 10-day tour group quickly racks up a bill. So, my roommates and I set off to travel to Greece on our own. It took a bus, plane, taxi, 2 ferries, and a shuttle, but we got there!

The entire route from Florence to our destination in Corfu took about 32 hours. It was not the smoothest itinerary, but as soon as I arrived in Greece, things started to get better.

When we stepped off the first ferry in Greece at 5 AM, I literally followed the smell of fresh baked pastries until I found a bakery full of fresh-baked goods, where we bought our first meal in Greece. I got a delicious pastry filled with fresh feta—still warm from the oven. The sun started to come up, and we got on our next ferry to take us to Corfu.

By the time we arrived at the Pink Palace, we were beyond exhausted. Luckily, the sun was shining. Lying out and getting some much-needed vitamin D was a must. After spending my life never living more that 15 minutes from the ocean, I hadn’t realized how much I had truly missed the beach until I saw it. It was love.

We had flown Ryan Air, and therefore had only a backpack to last us through the trip. Needless to say, we needed to pick up a few things. After exploring the town a bit, it became apparent that Corfu heavily relied on tourism, and we were visiting in off-season. Basically, not much is open in the spring. Although our hostel was right on a beautiful beach, it was on the opposite side of the island of the main town. It ended up being a bit inconvenient, but it was interesting seeing the island in the spring. It wasn’t overly crowded and it was truly beautiful beyond belief.

Along with the typical spring break activities, including a toga party, a booze cruise, an ATV safari, and cliff diving, we also went on several hikes and spent time in Corfu Town. Everyone I encountered in Corfu was so friendly. Life was much more relaxed than in Italy. It felt more like home. Every time we were out hiking, I was constantly amazed at the scenery all around us.

In town, we filled up on fresh pastries, frappe, and Greek salad. There was no better meal than sitting in a little outdoor café in Corfu Town, overlooking the park where children were playing in the sun and driving miniature cars, while enjoying stuffed vine leaves, wine, and a Greek salad with the freshest feta I’ve ever had in my life. Normally, I don’t even like feta cheese, but it was so incredibly fresh in Greece, I couldn’t get enough.

Every Saturday night at the Pink Palace, there is a giant toga party. Everyone dresses up in bright pink satin togas (making the night feel a bit like a cheesy 80s movie) for a night of traditional Greek dancing, plate smashing, and ouzo.

The highlight of the trip was the ATV safari. Both weekends during our stay at the Pink Palace were swarming with tour groups. Everywhere was a mess of overly excited Spring Breakers looking to shout YOLO at every opportunity. During the week, things slowed down a bit and we were able to relax. We strategically signed up for the ATV safari on a day during the week, and ended up going with a small group of 6 people. We rode all over the island for 5 hours, stopping at different vantage points to see all the best views from Corfu. We even got to see Albania in the distance!