Hiking along the Italian Coast

I shared a few photos from our hike through Cinque Terre, Italy here. The seaside, the views – it’s lovely. : )

We started out early in the day by grabbing some fruit at one of the small streetside markets….

Our hike wound along the coast of the Mediterranean through 5 towns, some vineyards, and natural cliffs. In the middle of one orchard, we came across an Italian man selling fresh lemonade to hikers….

For lunch, we stopped in the harbor of one of the towns with some grab-and-go pizza….

Throughout the hike, we overheard people talking in all different languages – Italian, English, German, French, and more. It was an interesting mélange of people from all different places – all come to enjoy the Italian coast….

Everyone we passed would say “excuse me” in a different language. Scusi, permesso, entschuldigung, pardon…

Cinque Terre is famous for its beautiful scenery and seaside hikes, but its mixture of different visitors makes for a really unique atmosphere, too. : )

One Tuesday at Cinque Terre, Italy

In April, I got to spend my spring break – 11 days – in Italy. The trip was rich with history, culture, and especially food. : )

We spent most of our time in Rome, but made this day trip out to Cinque Terre for some beautiful hiking along the Italian coast.

This hiking area is full of sweeping views, crisp and salty Mediterranean air, seaside life…

The main hiking trail also takes you through 5 small coastal Italian towns, where you find your way through small, winding, complex Italian alleys….

Interesting architecture and inspiring personal touches accent the walls and streets throughout each of the towns…

Tomorrow, I’ll be posting about some of the food we came across as well as the atmosphere of our hike! See you then. : )

Home Again

Hey everyone, I’ve just finished up my summer internship in Prague and I’m back in the States!

2011 has been a blur of amazing experiences, exciting adventures, and exploration. From the past 7 months, I have so many blog drafts, ideas hastily jotted down, photos unposted. And now that I’m getting back into my old routine, I’m looking forward to fleshing things out.

I’ll be working on my summer travel journal….

(used Prague metro tickets!)

(Harry Potter premiere – the Czech movie theatre has assigned seats)

Along with working with that, I’ll also be sharing my stories from abroad on the blog!

I can’t wait to share some of my favorite places – Sweden, London, Estonia, Italy, Belgium (and more!) – with you guys.

And I’ve been getting some emails asking questions about how I got to do all this traveling as a student and about my internship. Now that everything is wrapped up, I can share all the behind-the-scenes details as to how everything happened!

Things are shaking up a little, and I’m excited. You excited? : )

In and Around Karlštejn Castle

A couple of weeks ago, I took a day trip out from Prague to Karlštejn. The small town is just a short train ride away through some of the Czech countryside, and the vibe is so different from the bustle of the capital.

The views around Karlštrejn are so scenic and calm….

Along one of the main streets of town, everyone has a driveway like this:

That main street connects to a moderate hiking path up a hill that leads to Karlštejn’s famous 14th century Gothic castle….

I really enjoyed the walk up to the top of the hill with its picturesque views!

At the castle, I took a 2 hour English tour explaining the history of the place and the old royal families, but no photos were allowed inside. The whole place is full of historic relics, royal portraits, twisting paths and staircases.

Back down in the village after the tour, people were out enjoying the breezy weather. The whole town has a relaxed and unhurried feeling, perfect for a short day trip.

I loved getting a chance to see some of the Czech countryside and the old castle. : )