Papal Mass, Trevi Fountain and Cinque Terre

Papal Mass

On Tuesday night we went out in the city of Rome and visited the famous Trevi fountain and ate at a little restaurant right around the corner from it.  We did the classic throw the coin into the fountain which is a tradition that says if you throw the coin into the water you are ensured a return trip to Rome.  Someone told me that they scoop out about 30,000 dollars a day which makes since because every person throws in about 10 cents and there are over 3,000 visitors a day.  

On Friday morning we went to a papal mass at the Vatican.  My parents went early to reserve seats and yes we ended up with front row seats to see the Pope Benedict!  About 8,000 people piled and into the center and about 10:45 the Pope came out from the back.  It was really exciting to be so close to such a worldly leader.  The blessing was given in six different language with a beautiful band playing from Turkey.  After the papal mass we did a tour where we were able to go under the Vatican and learn about the rich history and see the burial sights of Saint Peter himself and all of the past popes included Pope John Paul.

Late Friday afternoon we went off to the Termini train station in Rome to catch a train to Cinque Terre.  We took bus 64 and on the way there my dad almost got pick pocketed in the crowded bus.  We arrived to our hotel in CInque Terre around 9:30 at night and quickly realized just how quaint and small our town of Vernazza really was.   Cinque Terre is a remote chunk of the Italian Rivera, and is the traffic-free and there is not a museum in sight, just sun, sea, sand, wine, and pure untouched by tourism Italy.  There are five different towns they are all connected  by trails.  The entire route between the towns if you wanted to hike is about 5 hours.  However, since it was raining a few days before we came we were only able to hike the first trail from Riomsggiore to Manarola.  

We woke up early on Thursday, grabbed quick coffee ad headed toward the first town called Riogmaggiore.  In order to do this we hoped on the convenient regional train.   When we arrived we went up a huge residential hill where we saw spectacular sea views.  We were able to look over the entire Italian coast and the different cities.  The sky was perfectly clear with a couple of white puffy clouds in the sky and the water down below was a beautiful aqua blue that you could practically sea the ocean floor  it was so clear.  The town of Riomaggiore was probably my favorite towns and we were able to see true Italian lifestyle.  Riomaggiore's rugged and tiny beach is rocky but calm and peaceful.  

After exploring we went on our way to the next town called Manarola.  In order to get there we did a hike called "Via dell Amora"  which means pathway to love.  I learned some interesting facts about the hike along the way.  The Cinque Terer towns were extremely isolated until the last century.  After the blasting of the second train line in the 1920s a trail was made between the first two towns.  Happy with the trail, the villagers asked that it be improved as a permanent connection between neighbors.  It became established as a lovers meeting for boys and girls from the two towns.  Hence, why it is called the Pathway of Love.  This new lane changed the social dynamic between the two villages and made life much more fun and interesting for courting couples.  It was interesting as we were on our walk we saw hundred and hundred of locks connected to the railing (the kind of locks that you would connect to a locker).  I found out that closing a padlock with your lover onto a cable or railing is the current craze in Italy and became re popularized by a teen novel.  Manarola is tiny and piruresque with a bunch of homes on the cliff side and a fun-loving waterfront.  Manarola has no sand but offers the best deep water swimming in the area.  We were hungry for lunch and went to a cute restaurant literally right on the water called Marina Piccola.  For an appetizer, my dad got the local speciality which is accuighe or anchovies.  For my main course I ordered another local specialty.  This region is the birthplace of pesto which is made of basil, is ground with cheese, garlic, olive oil, and pine nutes.  I had my pesto on whats called trofie which is kind of like a noodle  made of flour with a bit of potato designed specifically for pesto to cling to.  After lunch we walked to the top of Manarola where we were greeted by a square faced by a church and a bell tower which served as a watch tower when pirates raided the town.  Manarola had particular interesting vineyards.  They lay on a hill side with naitivity scenes crafted by the locals spotted against the vines. 

 After we skipped the town of Capitola which was the only town not on the water and population 240.  Instead we went back to our city called Vernaza.  Vernazza is said by Rick Steves to be the jewel of Cinque Terre.  It has the only natural harbor overseeing by a ruined castle and a stout stone church.  Only the occasionally noisy slurping of the train by the mountain reminds you of the modern world.  Most of the action of the town is at the harbor where there are outdoor restaurants and a bar hanging on the edge of the castle.  Fearing the change the modern world would bring and the ideal to keep Vernaza small proponents stopped the construction of a major road into the town and region.  Leisure time is devouted to taking part in what is called "passeggiata" which is strolling lazily together up and down the main street.  This is also know as vita pigra di Vernazza which is translated to "the lazy life of the Vernazza."  It is important to note that my parents and I are getting a comply different experience going in the month of November.  The towns are extremely vacant and not many tourists are out.  However in the summer months the five cities are absolutely packed.  In the summer if you do not have a hotel reservation you will not be allowed into the town because it is so packed with tourists enjoying the sun, culture, and renting boats and kayaks.  In the winter,the population shrinks, as many people return to their more comfrtable big-city aartments to spend the money they reaped during the tourist season.  We stayed in a hotel called Albergo Barabra.  This hotel rents nine simple but clean and modern roomer overlooking the harbor square.  When we returned I went for a run around the city.  It was difficult to run because in 20 minutes in one direction I was already at one end of the city!  Running is an easy way to master the layout of the city.  

After a quick break at the hotel we went of the the last city called Monterrosse which is the most touristy of all five cities.  his is a resort with a few cars and lots of hotels, rent-able breach umbrellas, crowds, and a thriving late night scene.  The town is split into two parts ( new town and and old town).Right on the beach their was an indoor soccer field a bunch of little boys were playing a pickup game in.  I wanted to play so badly!  When your on the waterfront you can pick out each of the Cinque Terre towns decorating the coast.  After dark these towns sparkle.  For dinner we had trouble finding a restaurant even on the main strip because many of them shutdown for the winter.  Sounds like a pretty good lifestyle to me, work for 7 months and then take 5 months off to enjoy your family and just relax!  I am on the train now again on the way to Pisa and Florence!