Day 19: The Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre consists of five coastline fishing towns: Vernazza, Corniglia, Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Montorosso al Mare--all relatively small in size and the number of it's inhabitants.  Brightly painted homes are pressed together and stacked upon one another, clothing lines are strung from home-to-home, boats rest on the calm water, and locals and tourists alike take turns jumping into the pristine crystal blue sea that is so clear, it's as if it were illuminated from below.

As we take a dip in the refreshing and cool embrace of the ocean's touch, Il Gigante, Montorosso Al Mare's native Giant looms over us. A friendly giant, he holds the town together as he watches the frolicking and commotion in the water and on the beach below him.

I'm wearing the "ginger maillot" one piece from Anthropologie.

Here are some photos from my Instagram. I couldn't manage to get any post-worthy photos on my main camera (although my friend did manage to get a few shots of some tall, dark, and handsome, speedo-clad Italians, but you wouldn't want to see that now would you? ;-)
Montorosso Al Mare had to be my favorite town of the five, only because it had the most beach space, shops, and it's very own giant! However, the other towns also had beautiful hiking trails with amazing ocean views that we didn't get to experience because we were limited on time. I know the next time I go back that is definitely on my to-do list!

Getting There: Getting to the Cinque Terre is fairly simple as you can take a train to La Spezia, which then takes you directly to the five towns.
Getting Around: There's a train pass called the "Cinque Terre Card" that cost us about 7 euros and will take you from town to town. Each town is about 5 minutes apart by train. However the trains were so packed full, no conductor came around to even check our tickets! You can also hike from town to town along the beautiful coastline trails, which will take you a few hours. If you have the time, I'd recommend this venture as the views looked beautiful!

Day 13: Notre Dame, Paris

The beauty of Paris’ French gothic Notre Dame is immediately evident. Its grand spires reach toward the sky and the façade is too intricate to take in with a mere glance. After walking down the nave and getting a good view of the altar and all the beautiful gothic chandeliers and stained glass windows, we head out towards the garden. There is a man and some children holding out little pieces of bread as birds come and peck right out of their hands. Chrysanthemums, daisies, poppies, and bright yellow football mums line the outside of Our Lady. It’s a beautiful sight to behold and reminds you why Paris is often referred to as “The City of Love.”

La Vie En Rose

I was feeling pretty in pink as we explored the city of Paris, ascended up the Tour Eiffel, and enjoyed some champagne with all of the beautiful city below us.  

Quand il me prend dans ses bras 

Il me parle tout bas

Je vois la vie en rose

Bon Nuit, Paris!

We arrived at Paris at about 11 o'clock pm, and about an hour away from our hotel. The information desk at the airport told us that the RER, Paris' underground train, was closed, and the the only other option was a bus, which was apparently not safe at that time of night for two girls traveling alone. We would have to take a taxi which would likely cost us anywhere from 80-100 euros. 

Without any other choice, we talked with the taxi driver, and I asked him, "Combien pour aller a Montparnasse Daguerre?" (How much to go to Montaparnasse Daguerre?) His response was "Autour de quatre-vingt euros" (Around eighty euros).  I told him, "J'ai soixante euros" (I have sixty euros) and we began to walk away before he stopped us and agreed to take us for that amount. 

During our ride, with my little knowledge of French, and his little knowledge of English, we were able to communicate as he told me about Paris, and explained Paris' highway, the Boulevard Périphérique, or "Le Périph" as the Parisians call it, which wraps around all of Paris.

He asked me questions like how long we were staying and wondered if we wanted a tour of Paris, free of charge. We agreed, and he took us to the "Tour Eiffel," which he explained lights up in sparkling lights every hour, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and showed us Le Sienne which he said offers hop-on-hop-off tours to all the major cites in Paris for about 15-18 euros, depending on whether you want a day pass or two-day pass. All in all, it was a very informative and pleasurable experience, and our driver was nice enough to give us a great tour. I realized knowing a little french, goes a long way in Paris. Whenever we were lost I would simply ask, "Pardon, ou est la rue....?" (Excuse me, where is the street...?") and Parisians would go out of there way to help us! They were so nice and helpful! One man even asked us, "Vous êtes perdu?" (Are you lost?) and went out of his way to show us were to go. I was so grateful for their kindness and help.

Here are some pictures from our first night in Paris. The Eiffel tower was even more spectacular than I imagined it, and watching it light up in sparkling lights as we stood with our new Parisian friend on a bridge overlooking the Sienne was a wonderful feeling I will never forget.

Bon nuit, Paris!


GETTING AROUND: When  it comes to getting around Paris, you can take the RER, the underground metro/train station, or the Sienne river hop-on-hop-off tour, or you can walk. My recommendation would be to take the Sienne, as navigating through the RER could sometimes be confusing. Not to mention, with the passes for the Sienne, you get to be out in the sunlight as opposed to underground, and you save your feet a lot of walking time!

Day 11: Vatican City, Rome

Day 9: Florence