L'amore e il mare

I love the ocean.  I think you all knew that.  But it's true.

Monterosso

This weekend I went to Cinque Terre, five seaside towns in northwestern Italy.  On the train ride in, I got glimpses of the ocean and freaked out a little bit, so excited.  And when we got off the train, smelt the salty air and saw the ocean up close, I felt at home in paradise.  The only problem was that no one else seemed very excited (which is crazy), so I wasn't able to express my happiness by jumping up and down.  I know I am more obsessed with the ocean than the average person, but this landscape was magnificent.  There were lush mountains dropping down into the sea and a bright sun shining down on us.

Vernazza

Vernazza

Vernazza

We started the day with a hike from Monterosso to Vernazza which was steep and had narrow paths but not that bad.  It took about an hour and a half, and that's when I realized the lack of enthusiasm was because I was traveling with people who weren't outdoorsy types.  Personally, I couldn't get enough of the sights.  Oceans and mountains and colorful towns in each glance.  There was even a vineyard near the mountaintop.  The hike was a workout but it is the type of thing I would want to do everyday.

My first swim in Italia

I enjoyed lunch by the water in Vernazza and then went for a long swim.  It was my first time in the Mediterranean (or maybe Ligurian?) Sea and I noticed that it is a lot saltier than the Atlantic.  I was the only one who wanted to swim, so I just floated and swam up to the colorful rowboats, relaxing.  I felt at peace, at home.  The water was warm compared to Massachusetts during the summer, but the air was a little chilly, so I had no reason to leave the water.

Adorable child along Via Dell'Amore

Monterosso's beach is supposedly the best one, so after a gelato, we returned via train.  Of course, we got to the beautiful sandy beach and found it to be chilly and windy.  Dana, Lucy, and I still wanted to hike a bit more, so we chose an easy trail from Manarola to Riomaggiore.  Turns out it was a paved stroll right on the coast.  It was the Via dell'Amore, street of love; couples put locks all around and throw the key into the water as a symbol of a love that won't be broken.  I should have brought a lock for me and the ocean.

Locks of Love