Cinque Terre, Italy

Equipped with a full CamelBak (backpack water reservoir system), 5 wonderful and enthusiastic hiking partners, and tightly knotted shoelaces, I embarked on the breathtaking and lovely 9 km hike from Riomaggiore to Monterosso on a trail that curved along the coastline. We trekked over rocks, into ravines, through olive and grape vineyards, and past many a cute and colorful seaside town. This path was ours alone for the day, as well as any of the main streets of the five towns we encountered; it was the peak of off season, and we were free to enjoy the Italian Rivera without any tourist crowds, lines, or congestion. The hike was a perfect activity to make this last weekend one of the most relaxing, memorable, and beautiful that I’ve spent here in Europe.
When we arrived on Friday evening in Riomaggiore, town one on the southern end of the five, Patricia, our landlord, led us to our apartment, tucked away in the typical and narrow Ligurian alleyways called carrugi. It was steps from the harbor, where we watched the sun sink into the sea both nights we were there.
And we did get our pesto! When we had sufficiently scoped out the town, we dropped into the Cinque Terre Coop grocery store and picked up pasta and locally made pesto to cook for ourselves in our kitchen. It’s been said that the Genovese grow their basil plants on their back porch, and pick a few leaves from it to make fresh pesto. I tell myself that the pesto we ate was made like that.
Just a petite summary from a fun weekend; feel free to check out my pictures!

Greece

Yassas! I have just recently returned from a trip to the lovely country of Greece. I didn’t know what to expect going there, but found mountainous terrain, and gorgeous islands. We stayed for four nights in Athens on this Educational Field Trip, and set out each day with our guide, Marimina Papastamou, to discover another part of history and another facet of this diverse and beautiful place. It’s great to finally set foot where Paul walked thousands of years ago, and where Socrates and Plato once shared their ideas with their followers.
Although the day we spent walking through the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora marveling at the ruins and imagining the Greeks holding the Panathenaic Games on the same stones upon which we were stood was memorable, I particularly enjoyed the three Greek Islands we visited (Poros, Hydra, and Aegina).
The day began early (but, come to think of it, all our days were quite full), and our group of 60 boarded the coach, and set off for Athens’ port, Piraeus. We boarded a boat, and began our one-day cruise; an experience that will be hard to ever match. The weather was temperate, cool enough to be wearing a light jacket, but warm enough to spend most of the time basking outside watching the coastline slip away into the fog. The entertainment on the boat was especially unique, as they knew full well that we were, indeed, a captive audience. (I will include a short clip of our onboard pianist …it really is too bad you couldn’t listen to his rendition of YMCA or Cha-Cha Slide) Nevertheless, once we realized the real enjoyment was in approaching these islands, letting the wind graze your face, and anticipating an island harbor town, we steered clear of the performer and his keyboard. The islands we visited were relatively small, and just as colorful as any postcard. Everything was painted white, ranging from the stairs that wind up the hillside to the walls with overgrown geraniums and cats sitting atop, and each of the homes. The doors are painted blues and greens, and all so seemingly welcoming, as if I could just knock, walk in, and have a cup of Grecian coffee (with grinds at the bottom of the cup that you shouldn’t drink) on the patio that looks over the ocean and catch the sonorous horns of the boats as they approach the docks.
The food we ate was fresh and wonderful; I especially liked the Greek salads of red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, capers, and fresh feta cheese. My friend Alyssa and I found a back alley sweet shop on the island Aegina and savored a piece of baklava drizzled with honey and simply divine.
I also summitted a mountain in the middle of Athens one day. I climbed a few staircases and walked on a trail that weaved through cactuses and prickly bushes to where a flapping Greek flag stood in front of a white marble church. 360 degrees of Athens lay at my disposal, and it was a whole different perspective to see the Acropolis and Olympic Stadium from above, a picture-perfect Athenian landscape. The Aegean Sea was at the horizon while the 60s-style buildings, principally ivory and white colored, filled in all the gaps between the outcroppings of rocks, mountains, and occasional ruin. I was able to stand atop the highest viewpoint in the great metropolis of Athens.
As I looked out on the Plaka, the Acropolis, and the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, I couldn’t help but wonder what life was like in the time of the Ancients. With such commanding edifices on hills of limestone towering above the people, with how much regard, respect, and awe did they place upon their gods? This makes me think about my own life: how do I lift my Lord up, set Him on high, so that all can’t help but see Him as I live from day to day?

A thought from a mountaintop in Greece…
{We visited other places, so you can see the pictures from there if you so desire. Enjoy the photo album; it’s a big one this week.}

I’m hopping on a train to Riomaggiore, Italy tomorrow to enjoy the Liguria region, and hike the trail between the Cinque Terra towns! Rick Steves will be proud of my weekend trip choice. Well, I guess its adio for now!

Unfortunately, I failed to purchase his cd. I may regret that choice years from now, but at this moment, I'm ecstatic that this is the only memory I have of him.

London, England

Cheers, ol’ chaps! I just returned from London, England this last weekend, and enjoyed myself very much. I’d have to say that the basis of my satisfaction with the trip, besides my wonderful traveling buddies, was the presence of the English language! I could understand 100% everything that was going on, I could ask questions immediately after wondering the answer, and I interacted with many a friendly Brit in my zig-zagging around the capital of England. I did get a kick out of some of the phrases used as I made my way through museums, overhearing conversations, and smiling at the idioms I heard. My favorites were “dust your mouths,” “look smart,” “please use the rubbish bin,” and of course, “mind the gap.” As a city, London was organized uniquely; it was as if separate neighborhoods each grew just enough to butt up next to each other, and then decided to be declared a single city with lots of different feels and personalities. Here there were not only world-class museums and lively plays, but spectacular buildings, built more recently than other edifices in Europe, evoking a time of the elegant past, and appropriate for the neat and tidy city I discovered upon my arrival. The streets and areas of town we walked were all kept clean, the neighborhoods were well-manicured, and the parks, vast and strewn with trails, were a wonderful refuge from the black taxicabs and red double-decker buses (that, interestingly enough, are not just tourist transporters; they are the form of public transportation).
Equipped with my Oyster card, I got to know the Underground system pretty well, and visited the British Museum, National Gallery, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Railroad Station. One day was also spent exploring the South Kensington neighborhood, Hyde Park, and Notting Hill (where there is a weekly market with produce, antiques, old books, and clothing, just to name a few things being sold there). We were able to get tickets to Wicked, the musical, a story of the witches of Oz, which was a definite highlight. Another highlight was on Sunday morning when we had the opportunity to attend church with my roommate from last year. It had been a long while since I had been a part of an English service, and it was a wonderful morning of worship and rejuvenation.
I can see why the Pepperdine kids who live in London don’t feel the need to scamper off somewhere every weekend: the city has a lot to offer. I’d definitely return to see more shows, then see them again, spend some more time on the Thames, get lost in a painting in any of the museums, and enjoy strolling around the parks there.
Cheerio! I’m prepping for Athens, Greece on Monday.