Italia!

I think I could possibly live in Italy. After spending a week and a half eating loads of pizza, pasta, and gelato I have found that I am a huge fan of this beautiful country. It was a trip that couldn’t have been better: the perfect combination of friends, family, and food all made for a time to remember. 

I arrived in Bologna after spending approximately 14 hours on en route, and I was met at the train station by Ally, Steph, and Max. We immediately went to a restaurant and talked and laughed over my first bowl of pasta in Italia. It was surreal to see all of them in Italy; it was exactly what we had always planned on doing but I was secretly surprised that it had actually worked out. We spent three days together in Bologna; two of the days we traveled to the surrounding cities of Venice and Mantua. Venice has such a different atmosphere than anywhere I have ever been; beautiful canals that reflect the lights of the cities, quaint little gondolas, and stunning buildings all make it one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Although Mantua offered many beautiful sights, the highlight was sitting on the edge of a picturesque lake with a weeping willow hanging over the water eating a delicious picnic of fruit, chocolate, and cheese.  We parted our ways at five in the morning as I dazedly found my way onto a train to Rome. 

My parents met me outside the McDonalds at the train station, and it was so great to see them all again. We spent two days touring Rome and visiting the Coliseum, Pantheon, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. For lunch we ate bread, cheese, and fruits which were always complimented with gelatos for desert. At night we went out to homey Italian restaurants, ordered different plates of pasta and all shared so that we could try as many as possible. Every single dish was delicious. 

We took off from Rome and headed toward the Cinque Terre, five little towns on the northern coast of Italy. We spent the two nights in a clean little hostel in one of the little towns and a full day of hiking in between the small villages. The scenery was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before; steep cliffs dropped straight off into the ocean, small brightly-colored houses populated the coast, and the Mediterranean Ocean stretched out as far as the eye could see. It was stunning. Although I am not a huge fan of seafood, this place knew how to do it right.

On our way back to Rome the next day we stopped in Florence, but the Punte Viejo (Old Bridge) and Duomo (Dome) failed to reach our expectations. Perhaps if we had spent more time here, we would have appreciated the sights more….also, the names were terribly uncreative. We spent our last night together in a little hostel close to the airport, laughing about the adventures of the last week and looking forward to meeting again in Kenya.

Venice!

Venice in twilight

Reunited with the family in the coliseum

One of the Cinque Terre towns