Spring Break: Cinque Terre

I fell in love with the Cinque Terre when we first visited in 2007. Sam and I had the most amazing time relaxing on the beach and playing volleyball. After I had been so many places, I wasn't sure whether or not my love for the Cinque Terre would waver because I had been so many other places in the mean time. 

But now I'm sure. Cinque Terre is still my favorite place in the entire world.

Cinque Terre is made up of five small towns along the Italian Riviera. For my past two visits, we stayed in Monterosso al Mare, the largest and most touristy. But with the longest stretch of gorgeous rocky sand, there's no question why Monterosso isn't the ideal spot to vacation and relax.

Shannon and I left Madrid around noon and finally made it to Monterosso just in time to meet Lexi for dinner. We had an early start the next day to explore the other towns. You can travel between the towns by boat, train and walking, all of which I recommend trying. On the way to Vernazza by boat, we were spoiled with the breath taking views the entire way. No picture could do this coast line justice. At Vernazza, we fell in love with laying out on the rocks and listening to the waves hit the coast. The experience was breath taking and all three of us couldn't have possibly been happier.

After a few hours we headed to Riomaggoire, the second largest town. From Riomaggoire you can walk to Manarola on the Villa dell' Amore or "walk of love," which should actually be renamed the "walk of beautiful." Like I said, a picture really can't do it justice because the 25 minute walk is absolutely magical. And if you go with that special someone, don't forget to bring a lock and "lock" in your love. Maybe one day...but this wasn't the trip for me.

After dinner in Manarola, we took the train back to Monterosso for some dessert at the cantina nearby. Since Monterosso is so small, it's easy to make friends with the various restaurants if you find one you like. And this one became our favorite because of it's chic interior.
We enjoyed our time on the rocks of Vernazza so much that we went back. After a few relaxing hours we took the challenge of the trek to the fifth town, Corniglia. Corniglia is the only town that can't be reached by boat because it is situated on the cliff overlooking the blue ocean. We found the perfect place for some finger food and house wine. Hidden in the hill, we watched the sun begin to set over the water and vineyards. Then made our way back to Monterosso for another night at the cantina.
Cinque Terre Tips:

• Hiking to each of the cities is subject to fees because it's a national park.
  
• Don't travel by car - there's limited parking and you want to experience the towns.
• The towns are very simple. Don't go there expecting a crazy time
  

Spring Break: Madrid

When I first arrived in London, Madrid was high on my list of places that I was absolutely dying to go to. I wasn't quite sure why...maybe it appealed to me because I had never been there. But I can tell you why you should go if you haven't been...

Shannon and I ventured off from the others and headed to Madrid after our relaxing stay in Tenerife.We started fresh on Monday after arriving exhausted pretty late the night before. We stayed at Hostel Miralva and if I were your friend, I'd tell you to find somewhere else to stay. It was basic, kinda gross and the beds weren't comfortable at all. However, the central location was absolutely perfect.

For our first full day in Madrid, Shannon and I attempted to go to the Prado Museum, but unfortunately it's closed on Mondays. Instead, we headed to Parque del Retiro. Parque del Retiro is a 350 acre outdoor oasis. I'd almost compare it to London's Hyde Park, the perfect place to go on a warm sunny day. While walking through the park, we found the monument to Alfonso XII and it's surrounding lake. For just under 5 euros, you can rent a boat for 45 minutes. Shannon and I felt like we were on the perfect date...but that wasn't quite the ambiance we felt like maintaining. On our way to the palace, we spotted a spa. No questions asked we walked in and looked for affordable relaxation treatments. For 39 euros, I received a 15 minute steam bath and 45 minute full-body massage! I've never had a spa day before but now I will definitely be investing some money into it when I get home this summer.

After the relaxing afternoon, Shannon and I had a fantastic tapas meal just off of Plaza Puerta del Sol, the heart of Madrid's historic center. My friend studying abroad in Madrid told us that there were great bars out around the plaza so we set off in search of a relaxed place to hang out. Instead, we followed a group of police in riot gear to a bar FULL of English men. Obviously, we had to go in...and we quickly found out that half of London was in Madrid for the Tottenham vs Real Madrid football game!

Tottenham fans took over the city the next day. We returned to Plaza Puerta del Sol on our way to Plaza Mayor and the palace and the entire plaza was filled with the English singing Tottenham songs. After a quick trip to Mercado de San Miguel and a picture outside the royal palace we were ready to join them! After spending the afternoon with them, Shannon and I can proudly call ourselves Spurs fans.

Overall, Madrid is a beautiful city with gorgeous architecture and friendly people. The men late at night weren't the most pleasant to be around but no city can be perfect. Unlike Barcelona, I never felt unsafe with my belongings or with my safety. Since Spain is a vast mixture of cultures, no region or city is the same. And as much as I loved Barcelona, Madrid's classy atmosphere may place it higher on my ranks.

Spring Break: Canary Islands

Unlike the American school system, classes end prior to spring break in the UK. With two finals and one project left, we had a lot of time on our hands with so many places in Europe to see! My first destination during this 5 week break (yes, 5 weeks!) was Tenerife!

We stayed in a villa on a fruit farm a few kilometers directly above Los Gigantes beach. Since the villa was on a farm, Jorge (the owner) and his wife picked us fresh bananas, lemons, oranges AND avocados. With the never ending supply of fresh fruit, we made juice and guacamole throughout the entire week. The villa comfortably fit all 8 of us and there was still room for about two more. And not to mention the stunning view! We were so high on the cliff (I would call it a hill but it was superrrr steep) that we woke up to the sun on the blue ocean every morning.

The second all of the girls woke up Monday morning we were out in the sun! Living in London has made all of us pale beyond recognition so the first chance we got we were dying for color. After a few hours of relaxation we headed to the black sand beach on the island, Los Gigantes. It's relatively small but absolutely stunning. It looks like something out of a post card. But don't go there if you want to play volleyball or beach ball because playing with balls on the beach is strictly prohibited.

By the time we got home later that night, we were so crispy we knew laying out on the beach the next day would be a pipe dream. Instead, we relaxed at the house and caught up on some fun reading. I think each of us needed a break from all of the work we had done in the last few weeks. That night, Jorge and his wife cooked us homemade paella! Paella is a traditional Spanish dish with white rice, green vegetables and meat. In our case, we had seafood and chicken.

Brooke and I on the hike

The next day we climbed the volcano on the island. The ride to and from the volcano took well over an hour but it was spectacular. The landscape changed at each level up the mountain. To our surprise we found snow even though we were wearing shorts and tank tops! We found a trail that we thought would take us straight up to the summit but we got a later start than we would have wanted so we wouldn't make the hike to the top. But I highly doubt that would have happened anyways because the girls (except Shannon!) got bored on the way up haha. For dinner, we stopped at a restaurant down the mountain. At first, the hostess/waitress seemed really cold and unfriendly. But in the end we had one of the best meals of the week and a traditional Canary Island meal.

The next two days were spent on la Playa de Los Cristianos. Anddd we found the touristy part that we hadn't exactly been missing. But laying out on the beach and reading a book was absolute perfection. Not to mention the beach volleyball! Clearly I haven't played in a while because I walked out with sore/bruised arms...well, we all did! We were so badly hurt that we couldn't play for the rest of the trip.

Our last full day in Tenerife was spent on a boat. We hired a boat for a few hours for only 40 euros. It came equip with sangria, wine and sandwiches. Our tour took us to see some dolphins and whales. It also included snorkeling but unfortunately the waves were too rough so it wasn't safe for us to dive on in. Instead, we chilled on the boat docked on the harbor. I've never been on a sail boat before this and I can easily see why so many people have fallen in love with it. Who knows...a sail boat miiight be in the mix later in life.


Tenerife tips:

• Learn how to drive a stick shift...rental companies don't carry very many automatics
• Definitely rent a villa if you have enough people...it saves you time and money because you can cook for yourself
• Don't try banana liquor...bleh!
• Flying in and out of the islands can be expensive...the cheapest places are anywhere in Spain, London and Paris.

With that in mind...our next stop was MADRID!