Monterosso

As some of you may have noticed...I did not post last night.  This is because I was entirely too busy having the time of my life.  Also, all day today I was sitting on a beach from nine o'clock this morning until seven o'clock this evening...so...I'll be posting about my favorite leg of the trip in one short, but sweet blog and let the pictures do the talking.

Yesterday, we spent the majority of the day on the bus, driving from Rome to the Cinque Terre.  We did make one stop on the way in a little hillside town to do some shopping and have some lunch.  While we were there we saw a crazy little wedding.  Then, we were back on the bus until we arrived at Moterosso, our seaside village home for the next day and a half...and what a day and a half it has been!!

Immediately after checking into the hotel we all walked to our family dinner spot.  The pictures should tell it all.  We were having a traditional Monterossan meal that consisted of a bunch of different kinds of seafood cooked in a clay pot and then tossed in a bowl to share, family style.  It reminded me a little of courtbullion...it was delicious and I felt very adventurous eating it as there were whole lobsters and squid in the bowl!  Then we drank wine...lots and lots of wine.  Our table was there the latest (because we're the cool kids) and as the night wore on we just laughed and talked louder.  It was a perfect time.

This morning we slept in and then walked down to the beach (two blocks).  We bought some floats, and got ourselves set up with some chairs and umbrellas and then we just sat on the pebbled beach, and swam in the green glass ocean and listened to new music and each others stories all day long.  If there has been a place that I've most wanted to stay on this trip, Monterosso is it.  I'm going to have a really difficult time leaving tomorrow morning.  I'm already planning a trip back.

After we got ready for dinner we walked into town and I immediately spotted a little Italian girl painting the Italian flag on some of her friends faces.  Tonight was the big "football"...(commonly known as soccer) game between Italy and Spain and we were in the thick of it!! So, I walked right up to that little girl and I asked her to plant a big flag on my cheek as well!  I mean...when in Rome (technically the Cinque Terre), right!?!  I wish I could stay here forever.

                                                                   Peace, Love, and Travel,
                                                                   Reba

Brad, teaching all of us to play Cribbage in the back of the bus.  When we get to Switzerland we're going to have a tournament!

This is my first Funicula ride.  It's like a giant gondola but it's on a track in the ground.  It got us up to the hillside town.

After we got off the funicula we crammed (literally) into a bus that took us even higher to the church square.

This is the church.  It has convict stripes on the side!

Funny wedding.  The grooms best friend pulled up to surprise him in this wedding dress and hot pink wig.  It was so funny!

This is where the groom and the real bride got married.

The real bride posing for some after wedding portraits with the get away car.

In our waiters hand you can just make out the pot that they cook the seafood in.

Yep. That's an octopus tentacle.

Yep.  That's one being served to me.

Yep.  That's me eating it.

Brad got really into it!  It was actually very good. Kind of sweet.  We all loved it!

Ally trying her after dinner wine.  It's a very sweet dessert wine served with biscotti...it also has an 18% alcohol content...

Me, trying my dessert wine...I liked it.

The fun, cool kid table!  Everyone had pretty much joined us by the end of the night.

The view from my beach chair this morning!

Bathing beauties.

Ally and I utilizing one of the floats we bought this morning for only 3 Euros.

Me and David blowing up the big float...his tiny lungs were no match for mine!

Face paint!!

View of the street from where I sat at dinner.  Just behind that bridge is the ocean...I love it here.

Girly shot. Thanks for the dress Scarlett!

The sign says "welcome to hell"  we walked to a block party after dinner to watch Italy lose the game.

I still wore the colors loud and proud though!!