Cinque...

This past weekend my roommates and I, and a few other folks from Perugia went to Le Cinque Terre (the five towns). It was quite possibly the prettiest place I have ever seen! Each of the cities are built on the rock of the Italian west coast. It was amazing to see how the buildings were perfectly situated among the rugged landscape. Our group of eight stayed in a hostel in the southern most town of Riomaggiore. Friday night we did a little exploring and then watched a beautiful sunset over the ocean! On Saturday, we all started out in the morning to hike to the northern most town of Monterosso! It took us about 4 hours and most of the hike was along the coast. (Shout out to Kevin who did the whole hike in Adidas flip-flops) The views were amazing! One of my favorite hikes of all time. It's kind of difficult to describe the atmosphere of Cinque Terre. Each town is unique, yet they all have the same romantic, laid-back, welcoming feeling. Cinque Terre is a popular tourist destination for many people traveling through Europe. There were many Germans, Australians, French, American, Italian, and English people. It was so nice to hear some English since we hardly do in our home town of Perugia!

After the hike, we all were exhausted and hungry! We grabbed some food and beer and went to the beach in Monterosso to relax for the rest of the day. I think we all fell asleep for a while. The sounds of the waves rolling onto the beach were so peaceful! After returning to Riomaggiore that evening, we decided to go to the grocery store and pick up some food. We cooked a delicious meal! Spaghetti, garlic break, caprese and wine. YUMMM! After dinner we went out for some drinks and to sit by the water. We met some Australians and talked with them on the rocky beach till VERY late! We all had a great time and really enjoyed getting to know each other better and experiencing the breathtaking beauty of Cinque Terre!
Cinque Terre so far has been the highlight of my trip. I will most definitely go back for a longer stay if I ever have the chance!

Trip to the southern coast of Italy!

I. Love. the Amalfi. Coast. I went with a group of students to Naples, Capri, Sorrento and Pompeii this past weekend. It was absolutely gorgeous!! When we first arrived, we took a tour of the ancient ruins of Pompeii. It was incredible to see the huge city that was at one time completely covered in volcanic ash. And it was really weird to see exactly how the original inhabitants lived. There were preserved petrified people that were still in their original frightened positions. But I really loved Pompeii and learning all the history behind the city.
Next we went to Sorrento to check into our hotel rooms. We stayed about a half mile from the beach. The Sorrento coast is absolutely breathtaking and I hope I can go back someday and spend more time there. The following day, we took a ferry to the Island of Capri. It was such an amazing day! We took a little tour boat around the island in the morning. After the boat ride we went to the beach and swam in the ocean. Then we took a little chair lift to the very top of the Island. From there the panoramic views of all the surrounding water was unbelievable! The above picture was taken about half way up the island. The picture on the left was taken in the "Green Grotto". I could not believe how beautifully blue and clear the water was! The Island is a volcanic island and was formed mostly from rock. This is why the island is so tall and vertical. It is incredible to look at it from a distance. Below is a picture of the panoramic view from the top of the island looking down. And the picture doesn't even do it justice!
The next day, we left Sorrento for home via Naples! Naples didn't rank too high on my list. It was very dirty and too metropolitan for me. BUT...we did get to go to the place where pizza was invented! The place is called Pizzeria Brandi and had been in existence since 1790.
I was so thankful for the trip because in Perugia it is starting to cool off quite a bit and the southern coast of Italy is still quite warm. And the ocean water felt so great!

Pics of Perugia

The top picture was taken on an excursion to a small, local Italian farm in Passegniano, Italy; about a 30 minute train ride from Perugia. Olives, grapes and legumes are grown here. In the background is a large, gorgeous lake and the surrounding hillside was breathtaking! Italian farms are central to the culture and I was thankful for the opportunity to meet the farmer and his family. The farm has been in their family for hundreds of years, with the same crops being harvested and the same wines and oils being produced. While visiting the farm, we were taught the timeless art of making homemade pasta! When picturing the cliche Italian kitchen and preparations for an Italian feast, we often think of all the women of the household working all day to produce a simplistic, yet perfect taste in all the dishes, yelling and laughing at each other in quick, beautiful Italian. This was exactly how it was! All the women, including great-grandma, worked to serve all of us one of the best 4 course meals I've ever had! So much of the Italian culture revolves around mealtime and the gathering together of loved ones. Therefore, preparing for the gathering is a crucial part of life. From the homemade wine, to the homegrown spices and oils, the Italians' love and appreciation for life is seen in the dedication to mealtime perfection! The little glimpse of true Italy I saw on Sunday was wonderful and I hope to have many more experiences like that during my stay!

la scuola

We have finished our first week of intensive Italian classes. Next week the normal class schedule begins. I am looking forward to different classes and getting into a more normal schedule. The weather in Perugia is actually cooling off quite a bit. I love walking through the city and learning where everything is located and most importantly, where the best gelato is!! For those of you who asked, my address is:

c/o Chelsea Berry
The Umbra Institute
Via Bartolo 16
06123 Perugia, Italy

One thing I did this past week that was interesting was going for a run. Perugia is a hill town. It was built in 1200. The streets and buildings are incredibly old and not much has been updated over the years. City planners back then didn't think ahead very well when deciding NOT to put in sidewalks. Haha :) A good half of my run was with the moving cars. Many people looked at me like I was crazy. Probably because I was running in the streets and also because it was all up and down steep streets. I didn't realize how big Perugia actually was until I got lost. It wasn't too bad because I know enough Italian to ask for directions back to my apartment. If nothing else, it was a good way to get to know more of the city. The panoramic views from the top are incredible! Pictures soon to come!
Ciao amici <3

Buon giorno amici!

I arrived in Perugia! This city is so beautiful! The trip over was a little rough. I was incredibly exhausted. But I am very excited to start classes tomorrow and get into the swing of things. I am planning on making a little trip to Naples, Capri, Sorrento and Pompeii in a couple weeks. I can't wait! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I haven't had much time to take pictures or do a whole lot of exploring, but as soon as I do I will post an update! My apartment is quite old and the furniture is definitely older than I am. But the location is perfect and my roommates are very nice. There are 4 of us in the apartment and so far it's been great. The weather here has been very warm and I love the humidity! So far the locals have been very friendly and helpful. Grocery shopping yesterday was hilarious. You have to bag your own groceries. I think the cashier was a little impatient and frustrated with us when we didn't realize this. But, you live and you learn I guess. Well that's all for now,
Arrivederci!