Dear Gelato: I love you a-loto

So I promised some people I would put up pictures from my trip to Europe. Sorry they are really out of order. I got to go to Italy and Paris this past July to study abroad. It was amazing! I went to Florence, Siena, Cortona, Milan, Rome, Venice, Pisa, and Paris. I stayed in Castiglion Fiorentino, a small hill town in Tuscany. One of the highlights of the trip was the Cinque Terre. Its five hill towns tucked away on the Mediterraean Sea. There is a very rigorous 8 mile hike connecting these towns...which I did. It starts out fairly easy between towns 1 and 2, then gets more difficult, with 382 stairs at the end of the trail between towns 2 and 3, and then its rigorous between towns 3 and 4, and very rigorous between 4 and 5. Overall it took us around 4 and a half hours to hike the whole thing and we ended up at a beautiful beach where we spent the afternoon. Another highlight of the trip was our trip to Venice. It is a beautiful city...I wish Chris would have been there to enjoy the romantic city on water with me! I had a blast and can't wait to go back. Enjoy!

So close to the end of the hike

One of the 5 hill towns in Cinque Terre

Middle of the Cinque Terre Hike(I'm a little sweaty)

Grand Canal at Night

Overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice

Inside the Coloseum

At the Pantheon

Outside St. Peter's Bascillia in Vatican City

The Coloseum(one of my fav things)

Some famous bridge in Florence (realto bridge??)

Looking out from the Eiffel Tower! How cool is this!!!!!

So pretty!

Small town(like 8 residents)!

Our FAVORITE gelato place in Castigilion Fierointino

The Leaning Tower of Pisa!

At the end of the hike, we got to spend time in the Mediterraen Sea!

At the end of the hike(now there are only 6)

All ready for our hike(notice there are 9 of us)

We spent the night in these tents before heading to the Cinque Terre

It was an amazing trip! I am so grateful that I was able to go and experience other cultures and learn so much about myself. I now know that even if you are lost for 3 hours in a strange city where you don't speak the language and its 105 degrees outside (and you have all your luggage) that you will still make it through. Plus, it can't get any worse!