Saturday, May 4
We woke up to a beautiful day in Manarola, especially with the view we had from our terrace. There were storm clouds in the distance, but they never touched us. We hopped on the ferry just as it was leaving at 10:45am for the half hour ride to the last of the five towns, Monterosso al Mare. Like in Amalfi, we had great views of the other towns from the boat. We explored the town a bit then got lunch at Gastronomia San Martino just as it opened at noon. I got pansotti (a type of ravioli) with walnut sauce. So good, and the alley we were seated on was adorable. An hour later, we started the two-hour trek to Vernazza.
Every trail inside the national park was closed except for this one. It kind of bummed me out that we weren't going to be able to do more hiking, but that just means we'll have to plan a trip back here at some point. This hike was about two miles with long stretches of stairs leading up the mountains. It was pretty tiring and quite hot during the middle of the day. The trail offered spectacular views though. We walked through vineyards, along cliffsides, and on narrow pathways with a drop off on one side. Eventually we could see Vernazza in the distance! It looked beautiful with its multicolored buildings. Now for the walk down there which was definitely easier than going up the hill. I even passed a friend I knew on the trail.
We were right at the end of the trail and the entrance to the town when I dropped my phone over the edge and down into someones garden. It wasn't a very far fall, but far enough that I was worried about climbing back up after getting it. Nobody answered the door so we called Dad (who had been a faster walker than Gray and I) and he came back to get it. With almost no trouble (except a few strange looks from other hikers) Dad dropped into the garden and returned with my phone in hand. Thank goodness! I legitimately felt my heart drop when my phone did and was so nervous about losing all my photos. At least it didn't fall off a cliff! After that adventure and with the long trek and heat of the day, I really needed an ice cold water and some gelato. We explored a little, got ice cream, and sat on a pier to relax a bit. The mango/peach, strawberry, and lemon sorbetto I got was delicious! At about 4pm, we took the train the next town over to Corniglia.
When we got there, we didn't realize the absolutely insane amount of stairs we'd have to walk up to get to the actual town on top of the hill. And by absolutely insane I mean we didn't think it'd ever end. The stairs are actually called the "Lardarina" and are composed of 33 flights and 382 steps. Corniglia is the smallest of the five towns with less than 250 inhabitants, so there wasn't too much to see besides quaint little alleys and absolutely stunning views. We sat down for aperitivo at about 5 in this little outdoor seating area with a gorgeous view of the Ligurian sea. We shared a pesto focaccia, a specialty of the Cinque Terre. We climbed back down and ran to catch the train back to Manarola. We had dinner at around 8pm at Aristide where I got the pesto pasta again before headed back up to our place.
Sunday, May 5
This morning we woke up to rain. We had gotten so lucky yesterday with blue skies, but it just didn't hold out till today. We packed up our stuff, and, at around 11am, got on the train to Riomaggiore, the only town we hadn't visited yet. We walked through the tunnel from the station into town and were met with an absolute downpour. I had an umbrella already, but Dad and Gray ran to the nearest store to get one. We walked uphill against the wind and rain to look in the few shops that were open. It didn't take us long to get cold and wet so we retired at Il Grottino for lunch. Unfortunately the rain made it unpleasant to be outside, so we just ended up taking the train back to Manarola. It was disappointing that we didn't get to see Riomaggiore in all its idyllic glory, but again we'll just have to come back sometime. We headed up to a little cafe/restaurant called Cappun Magru. There were no seats inside, but the outdoor area was covered and had a heater so we sat down for a while. I got a hot chocolate and we chatted with an Australian couple for a bit before moving inside. We ended up staying there for a few hours just chilling until we had to pick up our bags and head to the station to catch our train at 4. Bye Cinque Terre!
We had an unexpected stop along the way, but I could understand the Italian instructions enough to get us on the right train back to Florence. Back at 6:30, then we met up again at 8pm for my early birthday dinner at Trattoria Za Za. There was a huge line out the door, but luckily we had reservations. We did have to wait a little bit though because they thought we were a party of one instead of three. We walked to our table through what felt like tons of rooms. This place was huge! It had a great vibe and was super cozy. We got some appetizers to start including goat cheese with tangerine jam. For the main, I got spaghetti alla carbonara with truffle sauce. They brought over my dessert (an apple tart to share) with a candle and sang happy birthday. It was so much fun getting to spend time with Dad and Gray, and it was nice knowing that I'd get to see them again in a few weeks.
Tuesday, May 7
Buon compleanno to me! I'm 21 and that's really weird to think about, even though 21 isn't as big of a deal in Italy as it is in the States because you're already able to drink here. Being in Italy was present enough, but I figured it'd be fun to do something cool as well. I did have class in the morning, but afterward at 1:30 I met up with three friends to do a paper marbling class. Florence is known for its paper and I love doing this kind of stuff, so it seemed like a great idea. It was at the Alberto Cozzi shop which specializes in paper marbling and book binding. We watched our instructor demonstrate a few techniques. First we dripped paint onto the top of the water solution. After that it was up to us. The technique I used , which is the classic Florentine style, is the peacock design. First you take the pronged stick and drag it straight through the water, then you take the more closely pronged stick and drag it through in a wave motion. This creates the design you see below. It was really fun and unique! Afterwards, I did some shopping and visited a few vintage stores. I ended up getting a ring and a bracelet from my mom, a cute red leather purse, a leather journal, and a cake! (I did end up having to pick up the cake the next day though do to some scheduling issues.) But it was still so good! That evening at 8:30, four of my friends and I went out for dinner at Trattoria Enzo e Piero. It was so fun hanging out with them and was just an amazing day overall. What on earth could top a birthday in Italy?
Thursday, May 16
I'm finally done with exams and papers! What a nightmare finals were and I am just beyond glad that they're over. With them being over though means that my days here in Florence are dwindling. Today I got lunch at All'Antico Vinaio, an extremely popular panini shop. Whenever I walk past, no matter the time of day, there are always tons of people standing outside either waiting in line or enjoying their sandwiches. The shop even had a wall of pictures of all the celebrities they'd hosted (including Channing Tatum and Lenny Kravitz). I got the "schiacciatta del boss," the boss's favorite: prosciutto crudo, pecorino toscano, and truffle cream. It had the traditionality of a Florentine panino, but the added truffle boosted it to the best sandwich I'd had in Italy. I walked a block to the Loggia dei Lanzi just in front of the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi and enjoyed my panino. It was nice people watching, and I even got serenaded by a group of Ukrainian people singing traditional songs with the bandura, Ukraine's national instrument. Despite the argument that Florence (and touristy cities as a whole) is losing its roots because of all the international travelers, it is really cool to get to meet people from other cultures all the time. Throughout my time in Europe, I've met people from all around the world, way more than I've ever met in the States. Later on that afternoon, I gathered my photography equipment and headed down to Ponte Santa Trinita. I set up at the middle of the bridge for some shots of Ponte Vecchio. The conditions weren't exactly right, but I snapped a few photos and got some polaroid shots as well. While I was there, I met an Italian guy who did photography too, but was more into analog rather than digital. I mentioned the famous film photographer Ansel Adams and he said he used the same technique as him. It really made me want to try out some old school film photography. After, I got gelato at Vivoli (pear and caramel, yum!) and did some packing.
That night, Anna and I stayed up till 2:30 and headed out into the night. It was really nice walking the lamplit streets with no one else on them. We went all the over to Santa Croce where we followed the smells to a "secret," "illegal" bakery. It really did smell amazing. There was a line out front and a sign telling us to please be quiet. These bakeries are open anywhere from 2am till 5am and work to fill the orders of the cafes and restaurants around town. They aren't supposed to sell their product to individuals, but the police seem pretty lax on their vigilance since one just drove right past. There are only two rules: stay quiet and pay up. Each cornetto only costs one euro, so I got two, both with nutella inside. They were so good fresh out of the oven. We made it back to our apartment at about 3:30am where I promptly passed out.
Friday, May 17
I slept in just a bit today in preparation of changing time zones again. At about 2pm, Anna, some friends, and I went to the Gucci Garden, which is like a Gucci museum and store. It was definitely interesting, but I also definitely felt like a pleb being surrounded by outrageously expensive clothes. Afterwards, we did some last minute shopping (no, not at Gucci). I got a sweater that said Firenze (Florence in Italian) on it, a painting, some more marbled paper, and some gifts. Anna and I met back up at our apartment, cleaned the whole place, and finished packing what we could (turns out I needed a whole other suitcase to fit all the stuff I acquired).
At 7:30 we had dinner reservations with one other friend at Osteria Cicalone. We got eggplant parmigiana to start and I had pear and gorgonzola gnocchi which was so delicious! The portions were small so I felt like I could eat a whole other bowl of the stuff. Instead of getting dessert at the restaurant, we opted to find some gelato on the way home. Turns out that we found some right across the street--Gelateria Fontana. I got hazelnut and coconut sandwiched between a brioche bun. Delicious! It felt good to try something new even on my last day in Florence. We walked back to our apartment feeling very bittersweet. We tried to take in all the streets and people and shops that we likely wouldn't see again for a long time. We had to stop and stare for a while when we got to the Duomo.
As the center of the city, it served as the go-to landmark and meeting place during the semester. I had ended up walking past it almost every day. It was strange to think about how tomorrow I'd be leaving Italy and going back to normal life in America. 111 days, 16 weeks, 3 and a half months. It was crazy knowing that my time here was up, but I couldn't have imagined doing it any differently. I filled all of my time here with fun adventures (and you know school too of course). Thinking back on everything I'd done filled me with a sense of accomplishment. I truly felt like I'd grown as a person, a change that only could've come about in a situation like this. Sure, there are more places I had wanted to go, more things I wanted to see, and more friends I wanted to make, but I'll just have to save all that for next time. We walked down our street, Via de' Ginori, one last time.
Saturday, May 18
My alarm blared at 3 in the morning. I only had four hours of sleep last night, but the excitement and nervousness of traveling pushed me to get up. I got ready, finished packing last minute items, and had breakfast before my taxi arrived at 4:45. Anna and I said goodbye and I was off. Though it was still dark, my eyes were glued to the city outside. I tried to soak it all in because who knows when the next time I'll come to Italy is. It was so strange to be leaving my second home in Florence. I got to the airport at 5am, checked in, went through security, and waited for my flight. Goodbye Florence! Thank you for all you've done for me.
The plane took off at 6:40 (where I napped the whole way) and landed at 8:15 in Frankfurt. I had five hours to spare. This is the same airport I flew into when I first got to Europe, but it looked nothing like what I had seen. I found the showers easily, saw lounge chairs and gaming zones and restaurants. I don't know where I was in January, but this part of the airport is crazy nice. I sat down in one of the lounge chairs which was a mistake because it made me want to fall asleep. I would have loved to nap, but I didn't want to get my stuff stolen. Perks of traveling alone: no one to watch your stuff while you sleep and also you have to bring everything into the bathroom with you too. Fun times for sure. It wasn't as bad of a layover as I thought it was going to be. This whole time (and while packing) I'd been nervous about bringing a carry-on suitcase as well as a pretty large backpack and a small purse. European budget airlines (like Lufthansa) are notorious for being strict on your size and weight allowance for carry-ons. I found only unreliable and pretty vague information online so I just decided to wing it and hope I could get through. While boarding the plane in Germany, the guy in front of me was pulled aside for having a backpack and a suitcase. I had tried to be sneaky and wear my purse under my coat and wear my backpack with the coat lapels mostly covering the straps. It worked! As the guy was pulled aside, I booked it into the boarding tunnel. We took off at 1:20pm. For the eight and a half hour flight, I mostly watched movies and edited photos and stuff like that. I got lucky again and had a window seat with no one in the seat next to me. By the power of time travel, our flight landed in Newark, USA at 3:45pm with a really cool view of New York City out the window. Welcome to the United States of America! It was so strange being back in my home country where everyone spoke English. My heart dropped when I saw the line for customs. I only had an hour and a half before my next flight would leave, and when I tell you that customs was a nightmare, customs was a NIGHTMARE. The line was literally hundreds of people long. I asked the people there if there was anything they could do to speed up the process for me, but they said the only thing I could do is ask the people in front of me if I could go in front of them. I felt bad doing it, but didn't want to miss my flight. However, I only got in front of a few people before some ladies said no. I was very stressed at this point, but could do nothing more than stand in line and wait. After what felt like a million years but was probably an hour or so, I made it through customs. I grabbed my bags and because I had food in it, I had to go through a secondary screening process that luckily only took a few minutes. With thirty minutes left till takeoff, I literally ran to re-check my bag. No such luck. I had missed the cutoff time for checking my bag and had therefore missed my flight. I had to talk with an agent for a while, trying to find another flight home. By this point I was exhausted, having been up for almost twenty hours at this point, and very stressed out. When he told me there weren't any more flights into either West Palm or Miami until tomorrow, I teared up a bit in frustration. He did say that there was one more flight into Ft. Lauderdale, but he wasn't sure if there was any room on it. It took him what felt like an anxiety-induced half hour on the phone to confirm that there was in fact room and that I'd get home at 11pm instead of 8:30. I was bummed that I'd get in so late, but at least I didn't have to stay the night in Newark or rush to try to get to the gate. So I meandered through the long security line and wandered down to the gate with time to spare. It amazed me that there were so many options for food, but I decided on tater tots and a milkshake. How more American can you get? The tots were amazing, but the milkshake was awful. It made me really sad how bad it was, especially since I really wanted one and the lady turned on the machine just so I could have a milkshake.
The flight left at 8pm and I was on my way home. I slept for about an hour out of three, and soon the plane was touching Florida ground. Mom met me at the baggage claim for a wonderful reunion and we headed home. It was so strange to be back in Florida and see all the street signs and palm trees. I kind of didn't know what to make of it. It was weird seeing my house again and being in my own room. And of course reuniting with Cinnamon and Oreo! It was so sad not seeing Sugar there, but a big hug from Christian (who had surprised me big time) was very comforting. I had been up for a total of twenty-six hours at this point and pretty much just passed out upon getting home, dreaming of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Thank you so much for reading this and being a part of the most unforgettable experience of my life! It was amazing to see all the love and support I got even before I left. I got to cross off so many things from my bucket list and truly grow as a person. Watch the video below to see my last trip and final days in Italy.
If you want to see more photos, check out my facebook and instagram pages or the gallery on this website! They are linked at the top and bottom of the page. Again, thank you for reading!
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