Cinque Terre.

Sunset over Vernazza

Oh, Cinque Terre. Where do I begin? It has been a dream of mine to go to Cinque Terre ever since I learned about it. Needless to say it was on my “must-do” list when Ryan and I decided to go to Italy. It is better than the pictures make it look.

We fell in love.

Vernazza.

Overlooking Vernazza from the trail.

Vernazza. Pretty much the whole town right here.

Store Front

The dramatic coastline, clear water, quaint villages, great hiking and amazing food are just part of the incredible experiences we had here. I told Ryan I couldn’t wait to bring our family back here one day for a true European vacation. It was just divine. 

Monterosso

From a Cemetary on a hill in Monterosso

Sunset over Monterosso.

After dinner, harborside in Vernazza.

 The weather was absolutely incredible. Actually warmer than I had anticipated (which turned out to be tricky once I realized I hadn’t packed ANY shorts—how did I do that?). We really enjoyed hiking from town to town and exploring each quaint town. The city we stayed in was just stunning. Vernazza is known as the “Gem of Cinque Terre” and we agreed. The hundreds of stairs were a challenge after a few long hikes but it was all part of the Cinque Terre experience! 

Enjoying the "Beach"

We went on a private boat ride along the coastline. We saw a cool cave and the nude beach. (yikes)

View of Vernazza from the water. Isn't it beautiful?

Stairs.

One of the great things about Cinque Terre is how active people are and how much they enjoy nature here. Cinque Terre is a protected National Forrest, so the trails are well respected and there are so many hiking groups that take advantage of the gorgeous coastline hikes.

Ryan took this photo. I wonder why...

On a hike.

A cool bridge over a stream on our morning hike.

I was a little surprised by all the cactus in Cinque Terre.

 

The other town -- not as cute as Vernazza, right?

Vernazza is for lovers.

One of our favorite things in Vernazza was the terrace we had access to through our hotel. It overlooked the ocean on the side of the mountain and we were there as often as possible. In the afternoon and in the late evenings after dinner. Watching the moon over the water and listening to the waves crash was just unbelievable.  

On our Favorite Terrace.

Cinque Terre was so relaxing, so Italy, and definitely our favorite part of our trip. 

A few more photos: 

Did you know Pesto originated in Cinque Terre? Amazing.

My AMAZING dessert.

Ryan's favorite cannoli of the trip -- perhaps his lifetime!

 

Cinque Terre: We will be back.

Fierenze! 

Oh, how I LOVE Florence. This is another Italian city I visited with my dear friends during our Study Abroad (See blog posts HERE and HERE). We fell in love with the city, people and culture then, and it is a city I could return to again and again. I was so excited to share this city with Ryan. Our train ride to Florence was so easy. We spent the time on the train getting ready for our next destination, and before we knew it, we were there.

Our accommodations in Florence were at a quaint B&B built in a building from the 13^th century – what was then a convent. There was so much character, and our host was so gracious and kind, it was like we were old friends. In fact, her recommendation for Gelato was our favorite gelato in Italy!!

The street our B&B was on. I love the ivy.

Where we had breakfast. The brickwork is just beautiful.

 We wasted no time in Florence and immediately went to The Academia and Uffizi Galleries to soak up the art and inspiration from Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and others. 

The Accademia. Not much to look at from the outside. Also, not many photos allowed inside,  so not much to share here!

This one is titled: Charity. Just gorgeous.

The David is always an incredibly inspiring work of art to see in person.  Other favorites include The Birth of Venus, Allegory of Spring, and Madonna of the Goldfinch. 

Replica of the David in the square.

The Uffizi Gallery has an incredible roof top, so we spent a few minutes soaking up the sun and the beautiful tops of the buildings in Florence. 

We walked over to Ponte Vecchio to get our first gelato of the day and enjoy the beautiful sunset over the yellow bridge. There were musicians playing on the bridge which made it even more amazing to be there and enjoy the evening.

Tradition to secure a lock with your lover.

Soon we were hungry so we followed Rick Steve’s guide to a cute little mom & pop restaurant to go to and were lucky enough to be there when it opened to grab a table. We were seated next to a fun couple from Michigan who had just come from Rome. They loved telling us of their travels so far and we shared a few tips from Venice. The Chef in the restaurant looked like a character from a movie. We could see him working in the kitchen from our table and it was so fun to watch. We had friend bread which was to-die-for, and my ravioli’s were AMAZING. (ps. I can't believe I didn't take any photos of this place -- one of those times when you just enjoy the experience and not worry about capturing it with pictures). 

 

Day 2 in Florence was just as good as the first. We started at the Duomo. Wow, this building can only be appreciated up close. The colored marble and incredibly intricate designs are just unbelievable. I think my favorite part about this church, however, is the simplicity of the design on the inside of the building. 

Love these oversized doors.

Port Window-- amazing.

Close-up of the detail on the building.

Can we get a little more Duomo in that photo? This place was jam-packed with people.

After the Duomo, we wandered through town. We walked through the open-air market and explored other churches nearby (how many large churches does one town need?). We also took time to enjoy a siesta.

Church and market.

I loved this quiet courtyard. An escape from the hustle and bustle of a thriving city.

Enjoying Florence.

After lunch and our siesta, we grabbed gelato and made our way to the Michelangelo look out. On the way we stopped at a few places...

The lookout was one of our favorite things in Florence. Looking out over the city from the hill was incredibly beautiful. I also loved seeing the Tuscany landscape and rolling hills in the background of the city. 

A beautiful church was also built on this hill, so we went inside and heard the monks chant their service—something I had experienced before and was so cool to listen to again. 

In front of the family cemetery at the church, overlooking Florence.

The Duomo.

After spending time in the church we made our way down the hill and wandered through a part of the city we hadn’t been to before. We found a quiet square lined with restaurants and got a table in the square. 

Where we had dinner.

 It was another beautiful night and we enjoyed an incredible meal on the square. Of course we ended the night with the best gelato in Italy and enjoyed street musicians as we made our way back to our hotel. 

Yellow Bridge by night.

Street Artists.

Musicians in the square.

 Our next stop: Cinque Terre