Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre -- An Exciting Long Weekend!

A Sunset in Riomaggiore
Originally uploaded by stevegin_2000.

As the sun sets in Riomaggiore, my time in Italy is coming to a close. In about a week and a half, the field school officially closes and I start to wander off in other directions.

Last weekend began on Thursday morning, when the class travelled to the walled city of Lucca. Lucca is another strange and beautiful city, surrounded by these beautiful walls that are great for walking or cycling around. They are much like the Stanley Park seawall, but a lot less sea (none) and a lot more wall.

The next day, the class travelled to the nearby town of Pisa. You've probably heard of the Tower of Pisa. Well, it IS in Pisa and it is Leaning and it was very cool to see and climb. Ascending the stairs, I constantly felt like I was listing to one side or the other. The view from the top was spectacular.

In the afternoon, I travelled with four classmates to the Cinque Terre. The second we stepped off the train, we were assaulted by the splendour of the landscapes along the seaside. Massive looming cliffs bordered by sparkling water reflecting the brilliant sunlight have both a magestic and calming feel to them. I want to worship and hug them at the same time. We hiked between the Cinque Terre (or 5 lands), which are five little towns that run along the coast. We swam in the clear water and sunbathed on the beach. We had seafood dinners, watched a free concert, and enjoyed some of the Ligurian nightlife. Before I die, I want to spend some more time in this little paradise.

Overall, a fantastic weekend that followed with a week of catching up on assignments. Please go see my photo gallery -- my camera couldn't capture all the emotions I felt when I experienced these things, but they're pretty damn good if I may say so. Tomorrow, I travel to Venezia, which I am very excited about.