Cities by the Sea

I met Sami here in Florence last night and we went out to some bars here in town to welcome me to the city and celebrate my birthday.  At dinner they turned the lights off and sang Happy Birthday to me which I loved and I completely indulged in the amazing desert that they brought out to me.  After about 4 hours of sleep and sugary drinks Sami and I arose to sprint to the train station and be on our way to Cinque Terra.  Cinque Terra was everything I hoped it would be.  Rocky beaches and beautiful vineyards lined the coast.  As we hiked from Monterosso to Vernazza out thighs felt like we were stair stepping our lives away.  Although the old man singing a beautiful Italian tune and the rain cooled us off and kept us sane as we trekked the stone stairs one after another.  Once we got to Vernazza we were famished and admiration of the cute little city that lined the light blue waters.  We sat down and ate at a well known restaurant that was nestled in the bay.  We had a sea-bass that was to die for and mouth watering stuffed mussels that are honestly the BEST I have ever tasted.  Italy is so fantastic.  It has done nothing but impress me.  

After going around to the five towns and exploring the cute little shops that lined the cobblestone streets we decided to try and go back, well try anyway.  After running to the train we heard the train leaving the station going over our heads. AHHHHH! So we waited for the next train which wasnt for an hour.  Im not sure what it was with today but Sami and I had the worst luck with trains.  We were a mess.  We went and perched ourselves on a stone wall overlooking the rocky ridge below us and watched the waves crash onto the rocks.  This place was like a dream.  Suddenly, Im not sure where the time went... but our train was arriving and Sami and I are dodging people left and right trying to get down to it.  I have my camera in hand, my camera bag, popcorn and chocolate, and my lens cap falling out of my pocket.  Hearts racing and seconds later we are plopped on the train ready to get to the La Spazia.  Deep breaths were taken and we were off.  Once we got to the station we found ourselves completely confused about train times and how the heck we get back to Florence within a decent our.  Which, with our luck, was obviously unobtainable.  First, we read the arrivals and assumed they were departures, then we waited in line to buy tickets only to be confused about the arrivals and departures; once we made sense of it all the line was 10-15 min long to get a ticket and we missed two trains in the mean time... lucky us.  After all of this we got stuck on regional trains, which are a ton cheaper but take a whole of lot longer... a 2 hour train ride turned into 4 hours, one stop, a 30 min delay, an italian with a puppy that bought me an ice cream from McDonald's, a disgusting bathroom, and some thirteen year olds whistling and kissing at me as I walked the train.  

I now sit on the bed next to Sami as she reads her grandmother's book which seems pretty interesting and I think I might go buy it.  After a long day I cannot wait to rest.  My feet need a break, but tomorrow we are hiking the Duomo and Boboli Gardens, and also exploring the city for everything its worth.  Im not sure how I feel about Florence as a city that respects women, but I wont let that take away from it's absolutely beautiful architecture and fun city vibe.