A CEA Day Excursion to Cinque Terre
After traveling around Italy extensively and seeing many of the beautiful cities in this country, visiting Cinque Terre still stands out as a favorite. I had the chance to visit the Cinque Terre region when CEA planned a day excursion for our first weekend of the Fall 2010 program. This gave us the opportunity to get to know each other while experiencing one of the most beautiful locations in Italy.
Many of us had never been to Italy before and were unaware of what the Cinque Terre are all about. As we stepped off the train in Monterosso, the beauty of the place simply stunned us. Some were excited to head straight to the white sandy beaches and relax in the sun, while others were eager to explore and see as many of the “five lands” as possible.
We started off on the longest of the five trails, from Monterosso to Vernazza, along which we enjoyed amazing cliff-top views of the seas and landscape. Approaching Vernazza, we could not believe how colorful and dramatic the city was. There we stopped for lunch and enjoyed sitting outdoors at a restaurant while watching the bright blue waves crash onto the rocks. The town is simplistic and quaint yet gives you a true sense of Italian authenticity.
The train ride back to Florence had everybody buzzing about the day. It was then I promised myself I would return. Two months later my mom came to visit me in Florence and wanted to experience all the amazing things I had done thus far during my time abroad. Naturally, the first place I took her to visit was the Cinque Terre.
Laura Tuohy studied abroad in Florence in Fall 2010. She is a student at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.