Three Days in Venice

            Venice was the last stop of our two-week trip before heading home to Philadelphia. After a confortable ride on train from Lake Como, by way of Milan, we arrived at the train station and headed for the exit. The first thing we saw when we got outside was the Grand Canal. Venice really is the city of water and bridges. My sister led the way to our hotel while I slowly followed behind with my heavy – and now broken – suitcase. We probably should have taken a water taxi but opted to walk to save money. We stayed at Hotel Mignon in the Cannaregio east section of the city, not far from the famous Rialto Bridge. The hotel was small and quaint, decorated in the tradition Venetian style.

The Grand Canal 

Gondolas going down the Canal

            After being in Italy for almost fifty days I was feeling a little homesick and exhausted from so much planning. This contributed to our lack of plans set for our days in Venice, however, every travel book and website said that this was perfectly okay. Other than seeing the top attractions, including Piazza San Marco and the Basilica, most references said to spend a day wondering the city. We ended up spending two days wondering the city, and it was fabulous. We put away our map and cell phones and started walking. We went over bridges, down alleys, and away from the crowd. Venice was the most crowded of any city we went to. Finding an area not packed with tourist was difficult but could be done. Numerous times we ended up walking into a dead end or finding our way to the edge of the water and then turning around. Along the way we found so many great stores. Venice is famous for glass, especially on the island of Murano. Most of the stores we went into sold beautiful glass jewelry, drinking glasses, and little trinkets. Many stores sold beautiful handmade Venetian carnival masks as well. Further away from the tourist attractions we found a few antique stores with great treasures. I ended up buying an amazing print of the city and my sister found an antique necklace.

Piazza San Marco

Beautiful home alone the Canal

            Getting lost in Venice was a great way to spend our last three days. I arrived back in Philadelphia feeling excited to be home, however I knew I would miss Italy. There was so much more to do and see that I could not fit into my trip. I know I will return to Italy in the future to continue the adventure. 

My last gelato in Italy.

Lake Como

            My sister and I had two wonderful, sun-filled days in Cinque Terre before heading up to the lake region of Italy. There are so many small towns located along the different lakes, but due to our time constraints we knew we had to pick just one. After doing some research we decided to stay in a small town called Griante on Lake Como. Griante is directly across the lake from the town of Bellagio, which is one of the most popular spots on the lake. Staying in Griante instead of Bellagio saved us money and also provided us with a more dramatic view, looking east instead of west. We arrived in the town of Como, which is located at the bottom of the lake, and then took an hour-long bus ride on a winding road up the west coast of the lake until we reached Griante. The sky was cloudy with a chance of rain but it did not take away from the beauty of the lake. Seeing a deep blue lake surrounded by huge mountains was a sight I had never seen before. 

View of Bellagio from our hotel window

            After a good night sleep at the Hotel Riviera my sister and I were ready to get outside and explore. Though we were both still sore from our long hike in Cinque Terre, we knew we couldn’t pass on the opportunity to hike in the mountains along the lake. From our hotel you could see white church far in the distance up the mountain, so we made that our goal. We knew there had to be a way to get there so we asked our hotel concierge for directions. The church was easier to find than we thought. It took us about an hour and a half to reach, which felt like a walk in the park compared to our hike a few days prior. When we reached the top we looked out at the most amazing view of the entire trip. Blue sky, blue water, and green mountains as far as the eye could see. My sister and I have always been a little adventurous when it comes to outdoor activities so we decided to leave the trail and climb down a side of the mountain that was much less traveled. Looking back this may have been a little dangerous, but we didn’t mind. Everything was so peaceful and so breathtaking. We could have spent all day just sitting there in the grass. After climbing back down the mountain we changed into our swimsuits and walked to the shore of the lake to lie on the rocky beach. It was a great way to spend the afternoon after an active morning.

A view I will never forget

            Since we had explored all of Griante, my sister and I decided to take the ferry across the lake to Bellagio for dinner on our last night. The ferry cost 9 euro round trip and took about ten minutes to reach Bellagio. We had researched some restaurants and easily found one at the top of our list. It was located right at the tip of Bellagio with outdoor seating overlooking the lake and mountains. The menu was a little more expensive than other restaurants we had been to but it was well worth it. We shared a traditional pasta dish as an appetizer and fresh fish from the lake as our entrée. Of course, we splurged on dessert as well. When the sun had set and our plates were clear we headed back to our side of the lake to get some rest before our next adventure.

Fresh Bronzino from the lake

Cinque Terre

            After leaving Florence my sister and I headed northwest to Cinque Terre. This is a destination that is not always on the top list of places to go in Italy, but after hearing great things from friends and family members who had been, I knew I wanted to make my way there. I am so happy that my sister and I fit it in to our two-week trip because it ended up being one of my favorite places. My only regret is that we only stayed for two nights. Cinque Terre is made up of five towns that sit along the northwest cost of Italy. To the north is the town of Monterosso Al Mare, followed by Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. We decided to stay at a hostel in the town of Riomaggiore because it was the closest town to the main train station of La Spezia.

            After a long trip from Florence to Riomaggiore, my sister and I hopped off the train and began walking up hill to find our hostel. This was when I began to regret my decision to pack over fifty pounds in my large suitcase. However, I quickly forgot about the pain in my arms and legs when I saw the view. In one direction we saw colorful houses stacked up the hill, while in the other direction was the crystal clear ocean splashing up against the cliff. Since the day was already half gone we decided to spend the afternoon laying in the sun and jumping off rocks into the warm water. After the hustle and bustle of Rome and Florence, this was the perfect place to relax and enjoy our surroundings.

Looking north up the coast

Looking up at Riomaggiore

            The five towns of Cinque Terre are all connected by a trail that takes about five hours to walk in one direction. If you go to Cinque Terre you must spend a day hiking the trail! I had heard this from other people who had gone there, and I completely agree. On our second day there we woke up at 7am, grabbed fruit and water to bring with us, and headed for the trail. In order to hike the trail you have to buy a pass. There is a daily pass that costs 10 euro but allows you to hop on the train if you cannot finish the hike. Unfortunately one section of the trail, between the first and second towns, is not accessible due to a bad storm last winter. Because of this we were forced to take the train in between these two towns, so I cannot truthfully say that I hiked the entire thing. The terrain became very difficult about forty-five minutes in to the hike. I was glad that we were warned of the difficulty so we were prepared with sneakers, athletic apparel, and a lot of water. Hiking mostly up hill for five hours in extreme heat was one of the most challenging things I have done in a long time. At the last town we felt exhausted and proud to have finished the trail without taking the easy way out. Our muscles were sore for days but we had such a fun time! It is a day with my sister that I will never forget.

Never-ending stairs

Fourth town of Vernazza

Sunset on our last night

Dublin on my mind

It has officially been 4 weeks since I have returned home to the states and Dublin is always on my mind. I miss the cool 68 degree weather, mist, tea, brown bread, grazing cows, greenery, mountains, coast, and the whole culture of music, poetry, and theatre. Here are my ten most memorable, beloved, and missed moments from my trip:

My first journal entry in Howth, my first excursion out of Dublin.

Seeing the fabulous Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kate Nash!!

Crossing an actual rope bridge in Northern Ireland...the wind made it shake.

Visiting the Giant's Causeway, the most magical place.

Entering free Derry.

The view from the summit of Bray Head...worth the tough hike!

Walking along the "peace wall" in Belfast.

Scaling the slippery, railing-less steps of Skellig Michael to see a 5th century monastery.

Two words: Silent Disco. Galway knows how to throw a dance party!

Biking through Inis Oirr, the smallest of the Aran Islands.

I wrote in my last post how I am trying to live each moment as if I'm still in Ireland, which means exploring, wandering, and not always sticking to a strict plan. This is starting to soak in, but it's definitely something I need to work on, especially as Junior year fast approaches.

My best friend is in Dublin now, which of course makes me long to be there even more. She tweeted, "Listening to Once and Glen Hansard, Walking Around Dublin in the Rain and Tea #irishtweet." Aside from her escapades, I'm constantly reliving my own adventures because Dublin is always on my mind. I've been catching up with friends before they go back to college, and the question "So how was Dublin?" keeps popping up. I think I've gotten my friends to consider studying abroad in Ireland because of the way I gush about it. Drexel in Dublin, run by FIE, was the best study abroad experience I could have asked for. It got me thinking globally, gave me a sense of independence, and took me for a wild adventure. From the warm hospitality to the wonderful culture, every aspect of my trip was a thrill. I highly recommend this trip to anyone and everyone reading this, you won't regret it!

Eireann go bragh (Ireland forever),
Danielle