So I’ve been back in Ireland since the end of August, busy as a bee with work for college and catching up with old friends again. It’s getting colder and colder now, YAY! We’re having such a beautiful winter here, Christmas is getting closer and I’m getting more excited already about what the new year holds. Before I commit fully to woolly jumpers and fleecy hats I’m just reminiscing about my last warm sunny week in Italy. After having the most exhausting, fun, amazing time teaching at camp, I wanted some serious down-time before returning to Ireland. From Spello I arrived in Firenze to stay with friends for a few days. It is such a beautiful city, excellent shopping opportunities, particularly leather goods (loving my new handbag courtesy of my ACLE wage), but it is always SO packed with tourists. Nevertheless just walking around in the city is incredible, just keep an eye on your belongings while you’re too busy trying to taking in all the beautiful buildings and artworks!
I continued north and arrived in the Cinque Terre. Having heard about these villages so often, there couldn’t have been a more perfect setting for my departure from a country I fell head over heels for. Teeny villages, steep twisty streets, narrow passages, pebbled beaches, white-tipped waves crashing on rocks, thousands of cobblestones, criss-crossing washing lines flapping in the strong breeze, winding hillside trails, sun glinting off an azure sea and spectacular sunsets. That pretty much sums up my last few days in Italy. That and the multitude of other tourists visiting along with some deliberation as to the success of the region with its status as “natural park”. Still, just beautiful, peaceful and quiet (sometimes). Be prepared for steep slopes, it offers an excellent workout to try and lose some of the extra pasta weight you’ve put on (almost 6 kilos this year!!).
The cheapest flight home was from Nice, so I made my way to Genoa, Monte Carlo, Cannes and Nice for a day or two. After getting a massive culture shock when I arrived, I saw the beauty in these cities (particularly the old town in Nice and Cannes, and the princess’ gardens in Monaco) but the metropolitan areas were a little overwhelming, especially the opulence in Monte Carlo. One place I can say been there, done that, but won’t be heading back in any hurry!
It was great to be home for a spectacular autumn and now the onset of winter, I’ve spent lots of time walking, swimming in my Universities to-die-for pool, learning everything I can about global change, and trying to speak Italian with my sister. Now to go and finish another one of my many assignments!