Pictures: 1) me in Riomaggiore, 2) walking along the Via del Amore, 3) on some big wheel in Manarola, 4) with Jaqueline, 5) view hiking up the steps to Corniglia, 6) in Corniglia, 7) in Pisa walking to Maria's over the riverFriday I woke up from a very strange and scary dream where a friend had just drowned in a pool full of people who all watched it happen but did nothing. When I awoke, the Asian people who’d moved into the room the night before were all up and bustling around, so I looked at my phone and it said 9 am. I freaked out. My train for Pisa left at 9:27 and I was supposed to wake up at 8:15. I jumped out of bed, put on my clothes, flew down the stairs with my luggage, threw the keys at the receptionist, and ran for the train station (luckily quite close). I didn’t even put on makeup or brush my teeth (ew).
As I ran into the station, breathless, I searched the board for where my train was departing from. I was frustrated because they still had the departure platforms listed for a bunch of 8 o’clock hour trains…and that is when I realized it was 8:25, not 9:25. Well, I realized there was one leaving at 8:27, and since I was already there, I might as well take it, so I ran to the other end of the station to platform 1 and
jumped on. What a great start to the morning.
When I got to Pisa I was worried I might not be able to find the bus/stop that Maria (the woman I am CSing with) told me to take; but there was no problem and I found the stop just fine. When I got off it was not a far walk to her apartment, but when I got to number 37 on her street, I realized there was a locked gate. There are about 20 apartments in the building, and they have intercoms on the outside, but I couldn’t remember her last name. So I tried to call the number she’d given me, but it didn’t work (turns out I’d written it down wrong). I was at a complete lost, trying to think how I could reach her, when the gate started to open (someone was about to drive out) and I ran through. I then found Apt. L and knocked on the door. Maria’s husband, Franchesco, was just leaving for school (he’s getting his PhD in German lit). I sat down and chatted with Maria for a while, and then freshened up (putting on my makeup, brushing my teeth, and getting ready to go to the Cinque Terra). I walked to the train station (about 20 min without luggage) to catch the noon train to Riomaggiore (the first town). It was very beautiful, as always. I went immediately to the perfume shop I shopped in last time I was there with Mom and Dad to search for this perfume I’d loved; however, I couldn’t remember which one it was. Haha In the end I ended up just buying a different one that I liked the smell of for 17 euros (which isn’t bad since the perfumes are made from flowers/fruits of the Cinque Terra).
I was supposed to meet with 2 other hostel goers from Florence, Luke and Jacqueline from Canada, but I guessed they’d missed the train because I didn’t see them. As I walked along the Via del Amore (the walk of love that goes along the coast line) I randomly ran into Luke and Jacqueline. They had missed the train, but took the next one. We walked together for a couple of hours, going to Monterola, then Corniglia. They caught a train from there back to Florence, while I climbed a zillion steps to get to the town of Corniglia then back down again after seeing the
view. While I was in Corniglia, I asked an American couple to take a picture for me and we talked a little bit. They were from NY, and when I said I was from NC and had just graduated the wife said “from UNC?” I laughed in shock and said, “Yes, how did you know?” and she said “well, it’s the only one I know of in NC.” She was also a journalism major (at Columbia) and her first cousin wrote the YA novel Smash and is now working on her 3rd book (and she’s only 27) so the woman told me to “keep it up” as far as my book-writing goal goes.
After Corniglia, I took the train to Monterossa (the last town) where I had some gelato and got my feet wet in the water (it’s the only town with a real beach). I then took at 6:20 train to La Spezia where I was supposed to take another one back to Pisa. Well, the other didn’t leave until 7:10, and I was starving, so I wanted to get something quick. I decided to break down and get a “one euro” burger from McDonald’s (the only food at the station). As I stood in line I started talking to the Americans in front of me and they went to Chapel Hill and were studying in Florence for a semester. How crazy?! When I ordered a burger with only ketchup the woman
said it would cost 1.50 because it was a special order. I said fine, but then it took FOREVER for them to make it. They handed it to me at 7:10...and I RAN as fast as I possibly could for the train, which was still on the platform. The train guy was standing outside the first car (far from me but I’m sure he saw me coming). I reached the first set of doors and tried to open them - locked, then the second - locked. Then the engine started and it started to move. I was SO pissed. Clearly the doors had been locked even though the guy saw me coming.
The next train didn’t come until 7:55, and it was an express that would get me to Pisa at 8:44. However, when the train pulled up, it didn’t look like an express so I asked the train guy if it was going to Pisa. He said no, so I didn’t get on it …but he was wrong. The next train was a regional train at 8:14 arriving in Pisa at 9:30. I made that one. Needless to say, it was a LONG end of the day. To top it off, when I got to Pisa the bus to Maria’s was no longer running so I had to walk, but she assured me it was very safe.
I got there right after Franchesco got home (he’d gone to the pool) and so Maria had already eaten without both of us. Franchesco made us pita’s with ham, cheese, and tomato inside and also a salad. While Maria talked to her mom on the phone, Franchesco and I discussed Italian politics/economics/government verses those in other countries. Apparently in Italy if you are born to parents who are common workers, you can never rise above a common worker. If your dad is a banker, you become a banker. If your dad is a professor, you can become a professor. It is a very corrupt system where the rich people are in bed with the government and thus don’t pay the taxes they should, creating a large divide between rich and poor. Franchesco is getting
his PhD in German Lit and thus he does not speak English very often, but he did a good job.
Maria let me use her computer before bed, and then I took a shower so I didn’t get to sleep until 1 am, and set my alarm for 7:45 to be able to catch the 9 am train to Milan.
I am now in Milan (after a 4 hr train ride) staying with a CSer who is a friend of Olga’s - the girl I stayed with in Athens. His name is Maurizio and he is very active in couch surfing. He’s hosted something like 300 Americans alone! There will be other CSers here tonight so it will be nice to meet so many new people. I’m very exhausted, so I may just take a nap for a while.
As I ran into the station, breathless, I searched the board for where my train was departing from. I was frustrated because they still had the departure platforms listed for a bunch of 8 o’clock hour trains…and that is when I realized it was 8:25, not 9:25. Well, I realized there was one leaving at 8:27, and since I was already there, I might as well take it, so I ran to the other end of the station to platform 1 and
jumped on. What a great start to the morning. When I got to Pisa I was worried I might not be able to find the bus/stop that Maria (the woman I am CSing with) told me to take; but there was no problem and I found the stop just fine. When I got off it was not a far walk to her apartment, but when I got to number 37 on her street, I realized there was a locked gate. There are about 20 apartments in the building, and they have intercoms on the outside, but I couldn’t remember her last name. So I tried to call the number she’d given me, but it didn’t work (turns out I’d written it down wrong). I was at a complete lost, trying to think how I could reach her, when the gate started to open (someone was about to drive out) and I ran through. I then found Apt. L and knocked on the door. Maria’s husband, Franchesco, was just leaving for school (he’s getting his PhD in German lit). I sat down and chatted with Maria for a while, and then freshened up (putting on my makeup, brushing my teeth, and getting ready to go to the Cinque Terra). I walked to the train station (about 20 min without luggage) to catch the noon train to Riomaggiore (the first town). It was very beautiful, as always. I went immediately to the perfume shop I shopped in last time I was there with Mom and Dad to search for this perfume I’d loved; however, I couldn’t remember which one it was. Haha In the end I ended up just buying a different one that I liked the smell of for 17 euros (which isn’t bad since the perfumes are made from flowers/fruits of the Cinque Terra).
I was supposed to meet with 2 other hostel goers from Florence, Luke and Jacqueline from Canada, but I guessed they’d missed the train because I didn’t see them. As I walked along the Via del Amore (the walk of love that goes along the coast line) I randomly ran into Luke and Jacqueline. They had missed the train, but took the next one. We walked together for a couple of hours, going to Monterola, then Corniglia. They caught a train from there back to Florence, while I climbed a zillion steps to get to the town of Corniglia then back down again after seeing the
view. While I was in Corniglia, I asked an American couple to take a picture for me and we talked a little bit. They were from NY, and when I said I was from NC and had just graduated the wife said “from UNC?” I laughed in shock and said, “Yes, how did you know?” and she said “well, it’s the only one I know of in NC.” She was also a journalism major (at Columbia) and her first cousin wrote the YA novel Smash and is now working on her 3rd book (and she’s only 27) so the woman told me to “keep it up” as far as my book-writing goal goes. After Corniglia, I took the train to Monterossa (the last town) where I had some gelato and got my feet wet in the water (it’s the only town with a real beach). I then took at 6:20 train to La Spezia where I was supposed to take another one back to Pisa. Well, the other didn’t leave until 7:10, and I was starving, so I wanted to get something quick. I decided to break down and get a “one euro” burger from McDonald’s (the only food at the station). As I stood in line I started talking to the Americans in front of me and they went to Chapel Hill and were studying in Florence for a semester. How crazy?! When I ordered a burger with only ketchup the woman
said it would cost 1.50 because it was a special order. I said fine, but then it took FOREVER for them to make it. They handed it to me at 7:10...and I RAN as fast as I possibly could for the train, which was still on the platform. The train guy was standing outside the first car (far from me but I’m sure he saw me coming). I reached the first set of doors and tried to open them - locked, then the second - locked. Then the engine started and it started to move. I was SO pissed. Clearly the doors had been locked even though the guy saw me coming. The next train didn’t come until 7:55, and it was an express that would get me to Pisa at 8:44. However, when the train pulled up, it didn’t look like an express so I asked the train guy if it was going to Pisa. He said no, so I didn’t get on it …but he was wrong. The next train was a regional train at 8:14 arriving in Pisa at 9:30. I made that one. Needless to say, it was a LONG end of the day. To top it off, when I got to Pisa the bus to Maria’s was no longer running so I had to walk, but she assured me it was very safe.
I got there right after Franchesco got home (he’d gone to the pool) and so Maria had already eaten without both of us. Franchesco made us pita’s with ham, cheese, and tomato inside and also a salad. While Maria talked to her mom on the phone, Franchesco and I discussed Italian politics/economics/government verses those in other countries. Apparently in Italy if you are born to parents who are common workers, you can never rise above a common worker. If your dad is a banker, you become a banker. If your dad is a professor, you can become a professor. It is a very corrupt system where the rich people are in bed with the government and thus don’t pay the taxes they should, creating a large divide between rich and poor. Franchesco is getting
his PhD in German Lit and thus he does not speak English very often, but he did a good job.Maria let me use her computer before bed, and then I took a shower so I didn’t get to sleep until 1 am, and set my alarm for 7:45 to be able to catch the 9 am train to Milan.
I am now in Milan (after a 4 hr train ride) staying with a CSer who is a friend of Olga’s - the girl I stayed with in Athens. His name is Maurizio and he is very active in couch surfing. He’s hosted something like 300 Americans alone! There will be other CSers here tonight so it will be nice to meet so many new people. I’m very exhausted, so I may just take a nap for a while.
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