i wrote this in my notebook all day Sunday... Free flowing though. Not usually my style, but I liked it for this post. My trip to Cinque Terre was rushed, and therefore so were my trains of thought. Here we go.
I'm in Vernazza. Last night I slept on a rocky beach in Riomaggiore. I dove into the Mediterranean at 7 AM. The Cinque Terre are BEAUTIFUL. I lost my sunglasses; I'll be surprised if any of my shit makes it home, EVER. I'm so sweaty I actually feel GUILTY for how gross I'll be when I meet my host in Milan tonight. I don't know if he speaks English... Probably he does... Working out must begin anew when I return home. Talking to people here is weird because noone knows where anyone is from, so I get Italian greetings from Chinese, Italian from British, I give English to Germans, I give Italian to Chinese and Italians. This morning I said ciao to a guy and girl because I wasn't sure if they were American, British, or German, and he started asking me questions a few minutes later in Spanish. My responses sucked. I still don't know if he was Spanish. Didn't look it. I rigged up my pack to hang my towel and bathing suit to dry while I'm hiking. I cut the shit out of my feet swimming in rocky coves, so my socks are bloody. The noon church bells in Vernazza are going CRAZY, but Vernazza is tacky, so I'm heading to Monterosso to relax on the beach all afternoon. A waitress at a bar last night taught me the etiquette for caffe' corretto--espresso with liquor. Sometimes they use grappa, an Italian liquor, but she recommended sambuca, and it was good. It's socially acceptable to order after lunch or after dinner. I changed clothes many times under my towel today, including once in a train station. Italian public bathrooms suck. I should start carrying t.p., but I hate my bag already. I hated Monterosso. I walked around in nothing but a speedo and my backpack. How European am I? Loved Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Corniglia. See Vernazza and Monterosso only for the hikes. Now leaving the Cinque Terre.
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Wow, you handled this whole situation very well, and it sounds like you were still able to enjoy yourself. Congrats on officially being a master of vagabond travel!
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I met a guy in Florence who slept on a beach for six months in Costa Rica cause he didn't want to pay for hostels. They have public showers there, though.