Italian demonstrators

Just my luck, as I'm trying to rush back to my hotel, I am stuck in the middle of a demonstration. Didn't know what they were yelling but I cheered them on regardless! Can someone understand what they're yelling?
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Glamorous way to collect garbage!

The quintessential Venice

Colorful buildings, sparkling canal, and a gondola.
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Finding my way back to San Marco Square

When I first set foot in Venice 2 weeks ago, it seemed like a maze with winding narrow streets and bridges that led to nowhere. Equipped with a map and my GPS-enabled blackberry, I was ready for a difficult exploration this morning to Piazza San Marco. I had to see it again before my flight back to NY. To my pleasant surprise, Venice was a lot easier to navigate! For one, there were numerous signs pointing to San Marco. Also, you basically just walk in the direction you want to go and when you face a dead end, just find another road. I ditched my map midway through and was able to find everything I wanted to see!

Buon giorno, Venezia!

Lunch break at work. In Italy.

I was fortunate enough to be linked up with my friends Beth and Ruph's friend, Aziz. He works at FAO ( Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) in Rome and was nice enough to treat me to lunch at FAO's fantastic cafeteria and chat about Rome.
I was particularly impressed with the grill section and opted to get a freshly cooked salmon with a side of caprese.
Aziz then showed me the beautiful view from the building's terrace that showcased the city in a 180 degree view.
Some interesting things we discussed:
- mostly everyone owns a car (even the poor ones)
- newcomers and young people like to live in the city, but people with families tend to live on the outskirts (just like Manhattan)
- Rome operates as a big city but somethings don't function like they should, such as public transportation and the post office
- there are so many side streets with statues and fountains that the best way to discover them is to get lost walking around. Aziz has been in Rome for 12 years and he's still discovering new streets!
- there's a distinct cultural difference between northern (Venetians) and southern (Romans) Italians. Romans view Venetians as conservative, formal, square, and close-minded. Somewhat "countryside." Northerners view Romans as crazy, aggressive, loud and liberal.
I'm going to have to take my new found knowledge with me when I return to Venice and see if it is true!

Cutting in line at the Vatican

I made it to the Vatican! It is another breathtaking sight as expected. What I did not expect, though, was the line to St. Peter's Basilica to wrap ALL THE WAY around the square. The expected wait was 2 hours and this time, was not about to pay some sketchy tour guide 45 euros to get into somewhere that's free.
Then, I spotted a large group of Chinese tourists towards the front of the line. I subtly "joined" the group and just to make myself seem like I belonged, I randomly waved at a woman in front of me and said, "I'm here!" And you know what? My 2 hour wait was cut down to 2 minutes! Sweet.
Seeing St. Peter"s Basilica really brought those history book pictures to life. The place itself truly is bigger than life, full of masterpieces that can no longer be replicated or imitated today.

Getting lost in the Cinque Terre (for reals)

What an adventure I had in the Cinque Terre. What was suppose to be an easy 5 mile-ish hike ended up being 8 miles after getting lost! So, Cinque Terre is a rugged coastal region of Italy - genuine Ialian Riviera. It is comprised of 5 main fishing villages and the villages are connected by trails. It was inaccessible by land until the 1970's and it's now a protected World Heritage Site with the same length of stone walls as The Great Wall of China!
Ok, here's my series of events:
1) I rode the train into the most northern village, Monterosso and was immediately stunned by the view of the Mediterranean from the train.
2) I reached the next village Vernazza easily; took a little over an hour. The path was crowded but the views were breathtaking so I stopped for water and gelato.
3) On my way to the 3rd village Corniglia, I was graced with even more picturesque images of the ocean. All I could think about was how much I wanted to live there.
4) I was happy to be on my way to the 4th village Manarola because its suppose to be the easiest stretch. Soon enough, I'm noticing less and less people and I'm climbing uphill for a good 2 hours. After feeling like my heart is going to jump out of my chest, I come upon miles and miles of fenced vineyards. Then my path weaves me in and out of people's backyards and finally end in a little town called Volastra (look it up on the map I posted. Its a town of 200 people!). I notice that it is not one of the main villages and it is not near the ocean. Shit, where am I? Meanwhile, the sun is going down and I gotta catch a 2.5 hour train back to Florence.
5) I end up on an actual road for buses and cars and follow the windy path until I see an old man. I ask, "Scusi, dove-e stazione?" Yay! He understands that I'm looking for the train station and direct me to keep walking down.
6) At this point, I am running, trying to beat the setting sun and enter the hillside of the 4th village, Manarola (see how relieved I am to find this sign?). I rush through this beautiful village and find the train station! I realize that this hike really isn't meant to be done in oneday, nor should it be rushed. There's so many things to see along the way!
7) 8 miles, 5 hours and a mini heart attack later, I treat myself to a delicious panini and sunset :)