Be brave, and don't look down

Friday was our day-trip to Cinque Terre, a stretch of mountainous coast that five cities have been established. Our goal was to hike the trail that connects the first city to the fifth. We took a bus from our Villa to the coast, then took a boat to the farthest Cinque Terre city. Then we started our hike. They said it would be "strenuous"; they were kidding. Between the first and second, second and third cities, the trail was up and then back down. There was no flat parts. So we climbed up the mountain, were able to the next city, and had to go back down. After the third city, the trail was easy. You can only imagine how sweaty and gross we all were, hiking up the mountain with the sun pounding down on us, all carrying backpacks of food and bottles of water...The trail was not for those with weak legs, or small of heart. Some of the pathes were maybe a foot wide, with a rock wall on one side and a shear drop-off on the other...and no handrails. But the five towns were the quaintest things I have ever seen. They were picture-perfect Italian villages. (I will get pictures up as soon as I sort through the 200 or something that I took.) When we finally got to the fifth city, all we wanted to do was jump in the water. So, we followed some signs, came to a rocky "beach" and started jumping in...clothes and all. Oh, salt water...feels great when it gets in your eyes. After refreshing in the sea, we still had some time before our train out. A friend and I wandered the city. She stopped to buy a bottle of white wine (I guess the area is famous for their white wine) and I bought some Limoncino, which is a lemon-flavoured liquor. I was informed by several people that it was delicious. I will get back to you on that. The bus ride back to the Villa was probably the most uncomfortable thing in my life. I was still a little bit damp from the water and the bus was blasting the AC. I was dead tired and the seats were not very comfortable. Regardless, I still fell asleep. When we arrived at the villa, we ate some dinner, and I (after showering) went straight to bed. It was the earliest I've been to bed for a long time.