Here are some more pictures from the trip to the Cinque Terre and the beautiful, amazing experience there.  

Leaving Levanto for the start of our hike.

A boat in the Mediterranean Sea in Levanto

Loved what I saw when we were sitting and waiting for our boat.

Besides boat, hiking or taking the train is the only way between villages. This bridge is the main train route.

All the villages in the Cinque Terre had houses like these, I would LOVE to live in one of these and hang my clothes on a clothesline outside.

Some more houses in Riomaggiore. I love the older lady standing on her porch looking at the ocean. She gets to look at that beautiful ocean every single day- lucky lady!

. To the right of this man, the side of the cliff is covered in lemon groves. To the left, a little peninsula, where I took a snooze under the sun on top of a big flat rock.

Out of everywhere that I’ve been, Italy remains my favorite place in the entire world (so far, but I’m pretty sure nowhere can top it.)  Everything about Italy is amazing.  Every direction-north, south, east, and west- provides a different landscape and something breathtaking to see.  Rome is amazing.  Venice is amazing.  But my favorite place in Italy is the coast.  In my time there, I went to Positano on the Amalfi Coast and to the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera.  Each place, I just couldn’t get enough of.  I wanted to stay there forever.

During the Cinque Terre trip, my roommate and I did half of the Cinque Terre Hike through the cliffs.  It was the most amazing experience of my life.  We hiked 2 hours from Levanto to Monterosso and then 2 hours from Monterosso to Vernazza.  Each little town is only accessible by train, hike or boat.  After hiking for a while, we laid on the beach, relaxed and got some lunch.  Then we decided to take the train to the next two villages and a boat to the last one.  After that day, we decided it was the absolute best day of our lives so far.  The day was absolutely perfect.   The only thing that went wrong was when I had a misstep and fell during the hike, which thankfully  was not during a part of the hike where the cliff dropped off and there was nothing below us but the sea.  I scraped my leg up pretty good, but we laughed it off and kept going.

After what we thought was a day that could not get any better, we went out to have a drink with a new friend who was sharing a room with us in the hostel.  He was American who had just gotten out of the military and was backpacking through Europe.  We had a lot in common and he was one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.  We went to have drinks and ended up meeting a group of Americans who were from Texas and California and we talked with them all night.  So, the best day of our lives ended sitting on the beach, looking at the Mediterranean Sea, and sharing a bottle of red wine with new friends.  Best. Day. Of. My. Life.  I can only hope that I will find myself in the Cinque Terre again and that along the way I will meet some amazing company to experience it with. (More pictures of Italy to come in the next post!)

Looking out over the sea in Levanto

Boats lined up along the coast in Levanto.

The view from part of our hike from Monterosso to Vernazza.

On the hike. One of the most challenging, rewarding, exciting things I have ever done.

The beach in Monterosso.

This was our view of Vernazza as we came up over one of the cliffs.

I was fortunate enough to study at a University in another country, which was a great experience.  I studied at the University of Leicester (pronounced Lester) in the UK.  It’s located about an hour and a half away from London by train.  The city itself may not be the most picturesque one I’ve ever seen, but there were still so many beautiful things there.  I do regret that I didn’t take very many pictures, but thats why I’m going back (hopefully) next summer.  I met and got to know so many amazing people there, and I will never forget it.  The student housing situation there is so unique.  Many students are housed in old mansions that have been separated into large bedrooms with a common kitchen and bathroom.  Anyway, it was an experience I will always cherish and remember and I can’t wait to go back and see some old friends and places from my time there.

A colorful building in the city Centre of Leicester.

The back of my house during the first big snow in Leicester.

The little garden shack in our backyard.

London Road in Leicester at night during a light snowfall.

Stoughton Road South, the street my house was on.

The House I lived in for 3 months, Highgrove House.

The Clock Town in City Centre.

London, England.  It’s everything you’ve heard (all the good things).  As soon as I touched down at Heathrow airport, I knew I was in love.  It’s a great city with so many different types of people and so many amazing things to see.  Taking in the sights, smells and colors is something I will never forget.  One especially charming thing about London, is that  it is so modern, yet in an instant you will see something that transports you to an entirely different time period and you feel like you are in London in the 1300s.   I can’t wait to go back during my 2012 European adventure.  These are some photos I took while I was there.  Enjoy!

I was there two years early for William and Kate's wedding.

My view from the Tate Modern Art Museum.

I loved the colors of all the buildings on this street. One of the big reasons I fell in love with London

The London Eye is watching!

The Golden Gates to into Buckingham PalaceOne thing I noticed in England- the grass is so green and they love colored doors. It is beautiful.

One thing I noticed in England- the grass is so green and they love colored doors. It is beautiful.

I would have definitely been beheaded if I lived back then.

The Tower Bridge isn't falling down.

As I was sitting in a cafe grabbing lunch, I really loved the view I saw across the street.

Popped out of the Tube station in London, this was the first thing I saw.