Cinque Terre & the Mediterranean Sun

Cinque Terre = 5 towns nestled away on the mediterranean coast of Italy. Gorgeous regardless of the season. Definitely worth going to.

From Camucia this meant 3-4 trains, and about 4 hours of travelling. Since we wanted to make the most of every day we planned to wake up early Friday morning and catch an 8am train. Torn between walking down to the train station and catching a last minute bus, we waited long enough to see if the bus was even coming. Buses in Italy seem to be rather unreliable and unpredictable. When it became apparent that the bus was either excessively late or not coming at all, we glanced at our watches and turned to RUN down the hill to Camucia. I am so not a runner. But, we needed to catch that 8am train, so I ran anyways. My muscles had warned me of the consequences last weekend when we walked up and down that very hill. Clearly I hadn't learned my lesson.

We still missed the train. By two minutes.

The next adventure was catching the last train to Monterosso, the northern-most town of Cinque Terre. The fine print that we hadn't read upon purchasing our ticket, was that this train was an inter-city train. NOT a regional train. The difference, you may ask? Intercity trains are faster and more expensive. Oops. We ended up paying the supplement on-board... at least we were not fined.

One of the biggest attractions of Cinque Terre is the walking paths between each town. These walking paths were the reason we planned to spend two days in Cinque Terre. What we did not know is that there had been landslides, and most of the paths were closed. The only other way between each town was by train. Trains that only took 3-7 minutes each. Darn.

The sight of the beautiful blue Mediterranean made it all worth it. Oh the crisp smell of saltwater, the warm unrelenting sun...

Highlights of each town:

Monterosso

A beautiful, wide, sandy beach. I can see this being one of the biggest tourist attractions in the heat of summer.

Vernazza

This is where we had booked a room to stay the night. Had we done the walking path, it would have taken us 2 hours to get here from Monterosso. Instead we spent those hours sitting on rocks near the water, watching the sun set into the Mediterranean.

Other highlights of Vernazza: Wine and cheese appetizers in our cute little apartment and a typical Cinque Terre seafood dinner.

Corniglia

Waking up the next morning, my muscles quickly reminded me that I am so not a runner. Good thing those walking paths were closed and we had no choice but to take the train... oh darn. Corniglia is the least coastal in the sense that it is nestled highest into the cliffs. Easy to access by the cliffside stairs though, I might add. Stairs are not so much fun when you're already sore. Biggest highlight of Corniglia was the seafood pasta we ate for lunch. Penne with Crab Meat. YUM! We also spent about 40 minutes basking in the sun while we waited for the next train. The heat was unbelievable considering it is only February.

Manarola

Manarola had the cutest little cove, with the most inviting turquoise water. Oh how I wished it was summer and that I had my swimsuit. As hot as it was this weekend, it wasn't swimming hot yet. Just below the surface of the water we could see sea urchins on the rocks! I've always wanted a sea urchin as a pet!

Riomaggiore

The last of the five towns, and the only town accessible to us by a walking path. Via Dell'Amore. Only twenty minutes, and by far the easiest walk (as we've been told). Called the "Lover's Path", along the walk there were many spots covered in locks. Not locks as in blocked off paths, but locks as in the symbol of everlasting love. Quite common in Italy, romantic locations are often covered in locks from couples who have visited and "locked in their love." The other highlight of Riomaggiore was the beach. Not a wide sandy beach like Monterosso, but a rocky beach. Regardless, we had time to take off our shoes and socks and feel the crisp water on our feet.

Spoleto, Siena, & More.

Okay this is going to be a big post, so you've been warned in advance. First, I'll give you some pictures of Erin's and my adventures in the park...

Last week there was also an antique market in Piazza Signorelli, so Erin and I wandered through briefly. I found some gorgeous copper jewelry, but did not have my purse with me. I still haven't decided whether that was a good thing or an unfortunate thing. Erin and I tore ourselves away from the prospect of shopping, and wandered through the park. The park is one of the few locations in town that is FLAT. It makes for a rather pleasant walk. This day was right after Cortona got SNOW, so it was still rather chilly... the fountain even had icicles! Another discovery was the probably that the amphitheatre style steps bordering one side of the park are used for an outdoor movie theatre in the summertime. Perhaps the screen frame and projector room gave that away... Regardless, the steps are a fun photo-op! Especially when you figure out how to use the self-timer on your camera effectively. Haha. Along our walk we also found the outdoor Cortona swimming pool. Appeared to be closed. Maybe that has something to do with the season? I am convinced it is the lifeguard in me that draws me to water... On the way back the sun was slowly setting, and we attempted to wait outside to catch some good pictures. We almost made it, but our outermost appendages threatened to freeze and fall off...

Antique market

This past week I also made an effort to take pictures of every single dish at every single meal... to show you how spoiled we are at suppertime. To see the full album, go to my profile on Facebook. Below are just a few examples...

Spoleto - Friday

Erin and I went on a day trip to a typical Roman town that the history class had taken a field trip to the previous weekend. After seeing a few pictures I concluded that perhaps I needed to explore this town for myself. So off we went, bright and early on a Friday morning. We even packed sandwiches. Once we stepped outside, we were immediately concerned by the high speed winds and chill in the air. We continued to be concerned as these winds followed us on our journey. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find Spoleto warm and sunny. Yesss! Erin had been on the field trip the previous weekend, so we depended on her memory and navigational skills to get us to the photo-worthy sites. I believe the first saving grace was the instinct to go uphill... you know, towards the big castle on top. Seemed logical. Luckily we stumbled across a familiar piazza and found a green park for lunch.

Hunger satisfied we continued uphill towards the castle, stumbled across a rather odd staircase with elevator music playing, and found ourselves inside the outer wall of the castle. The view of Spoleto was incredible. On the other side of this hill there is an old aqueduct from the Roman times, that has been converted into a foot bridge across the valley. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the trails in the hills on the other side. I am so fascinated by Roman ruins and having learned a bit more about the history behind them, they continue to leave me in awe. Green foliage and incredible views don't hurt either.

Having missed a train back home by 5 minutes, we wandered back into town for some food. We were baffled by so many shops being closed, since it was not siesta hour! (Siesta is between 1pm and ~4pm, during which time everyone goes home for a nap. I told you I loved this country for a reason.) Siesta can be inconvenient at times, but the logic behind it is impressive. Soon we realized that restaurants were not open for a few reasons: (1) It's not suppertime yet (2) It's not a huge tourist town, so they have no reason to operate on hours other than those typical of Italian culture. Our other dilemma was trying to locate a gelateria. We found a few shops called gelateria's... none of which actually sold gelato. It took us a few minutes to figure out why. It's WINTER. It might be outstandingly warm for us Canadians, but it is still winter, and not logical to sell gelato in a non-touristy town. Darn.

When we finally boarded a train home, I had a rather graceful moment that clearly distinguished me from all Italians. Not that my curly red hair hadn't done that already. I tripped going up the steps and FLEW across the train, momentum stopped only by the closed door on the other side. Positive note - we met a charming American girl as a result. She deduced that my apparent lack of gracefulness was enough evidence that I was not Italian, and introduced herself. I love Americans. The conversation for the remainder of the train ride was, at the very least, amusing.

Siena - Saturday

Getting up early one morning was clearly not enough. This time joining a different group of girls, we woke up even earlier and WALKED down to the train station, in order to catch an 8am train. Unfortunately, Saturday was much colder than Friday was and I should have worn mittens. At least the trek downhill warmed me up. Siena was beautiful, and I think I'll have to head back there with Mom when she comes. The duomo bared a slight resemblance to the one in Florence, though the actual style was quite different. I think it was the usage of white AND coloured marble. Fun fact: Italy only has white marble. So anytime you see coloured marble, it has been imported. The choice to use coloured marble was a display of wealth and a symbol of the vastness of the Roman empire. After wandering some more and shopping a bit we headed home. Upon arriving in Camucia, we discovered that the next bus up to Cortona was not for another hour. Being with a group of rather ambitious people, we decided to just hike up instead.

What. A. Workout.

I woke up this morning feeling rather stiff and sore from the activities of the last few days, but it is a good feeling. Sunday will be spent relaxing and studying... and NOT getting up any more than necessary.

An International Food Affair

In agreement with this past weekend's cooking adventure, I'll be (hopefully) taking pictures of each dinner course throughout this week. I say hopefully because even though my camera may be present... sometimes I get SO excited to eat that I forget to take a picture until halfway through. So you'll understand if some pictures are incomplete. I'll post these pictures next weekend. In the meantime, I thought I'd give you a little sampling of some of my favourite things:

• Bread and Olive Oil. The BEST olive oil in the world is made right here in Tuscany, and it is served on just about everything.
• Pasta, pasta and more pasta! Every meal consists of three courses: prima, secondo, and dessert. Prima is always pasta (although sometimes we'll get garlic toast beforehand), secondo is always salad with a meat dish, or sometimes a Caprese salad. Dessert is.. well absolutely amazing.
• A favourite prima dish: Penne with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and olive oil. Who knew amazing food could be so simple? I think the key here is FRESH tomatoes, FRESH mozzarella, and TUSCAN olive oil. Regardless, I may have to try making this at home sometime.
• Fresh mozzarella - in salads, in pasta, in sandwiches. LOVE! Caprese salad is just salad with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella slices. When I say fresh mozzarella, I mean something way better than those bricks you buy at Extra Foods. Fresh mozzarella is unbelievable.
• Dessert... tiramisu, panne cotta, gelato... need I say more?
• Pizza. Again, need I say more? One of my favourites is actually a Pizza Bianca - meaning white pizza. It has mozzarella, fresh arugula, tomatoes and parmesan cheese... but NO pizza sauce. YUM!
• It is January, but the fruit here is still fresh. I often stop at the fruit cave and grab a snack after class... Things really do just taste better in Italy.
• We've found a little restaurant that we like to go to for birthdays. Probably because it can hold a large group of people (surprisingly difficult to find around here), and the food is good. Something I'm going to need to try the next time we go... veal with rosemary. Again with the simplicity: medium rare, seared with salt, pepper, olive oil, and rosemary. (Try THAT with a Caprese salad on the side)
• Chocolate... a wise Cortona Alumni once said "Don't get your parents to send you chocolate from home. Rather, get them to send you money to BUY chocolate. An Aero bar is still an Aero bar 1000s of miles from home. Besides, the BEST chocolate is made in Europe." He was right.

Well if I don't have you drooling at this point, I think maybe you should go to the doctor for a checkup. I'm drooling as I type this. I'm also thankful for that hill I have to hike every day to and from class.....

A Snow Weekend.

Forgive me for being quiet for the last week. There really isn't much to say when each day is basically the same! Weekends have the potential to be much more exciting... although the snow (Yes SNOW!) has made this a stay inside and stay warm weekend. I had hoped to do a day trip to Siena, but it's cold. I had hoped to get some good pictures of the market, but it snowed.

So basically it has been a "Snow weekend". Equivalent to Canada's "Snow Day", in which students don't have to go to school. Everything shuts down. The market was minimal, although I did manage to find the necessary ingredients to make hashbrowns. Perfect comfort food for a cold day. The ironic part? We are Canadians. Therefore we should (theoretically) be able to power through any kind of weather. So rain or shine, we have school - classes, field trips, and everything. Good thing there is an abundant supply of hot chocolate and cappuccino's! On that note, I would like to comment on hot chocolate...

Canadian hot chocolate = usually a powdered mix that creates a delicious beverage that is still the consistency of a liquid.

Italian hot chocolate (version 1) = Consistency and flavour of heated chocolate pudding so that it is liquid enough to drink. Except better.

Italian hot chocolate (version 2) = Consistency and flavour of homemade chocolate heated to a liquid form. Pretty much a party in your mouth.

This past week it has also been determined that the food is SO AMAZING that it needs to be documented on film. Luke was in charge of this past week, and I'm in charge of this next week - so I'll show you next weekend. However, since we are responsible for our own meals on weekends, a few other students went out and bought ingredients to make supper for everyone. (Costs divided between everyone fed - about 5euros a plate). This past weekend they made Fuscilli with a Truffle Cream Sauce & Chicken Caesar Salad. Homemade everything - even the croutons. My job in this escapade was to document every step in the process.

Adding the Truffles ^^