Pics Finally!

This is me in Monterrossa, which is one of the five beaches in Cinque Terre (5 Villages). This is a very famous place, and apparently this is one of the "100 places to see before you die" kind of places. We took a train here today and "hiked" most of the way back. I really wouldn't consider it a hike though. I mean, I have been to Haiti. But, it was very beautiful and I loved seeing all the colorful buildings and stuff.

Here are a few of my new friends I met on the trip. From left to right: Holli, me, Julia, Alysa, and Alex. We have all become close on this trip and I like everyone here. Sometimes it does get hard with only three boys though.

This is taken in front of a colorful mosaic on just a side street here in Cinque Terre. All these pictures were taken today by the way, this is just a hint of what I'm doing. You can see more when I get back home. I just feel awful for not posting any images yet.

Here is a view of the beach where we are staying after it was closed this afternoon. There is only one (tiny) public beach here, the rest are private and you have to pay to walk, sit or swim at them. A few of our girls got yelled at for just taking a little stroll on another beach yesterday. I know its strange, but I kind of like it. It comes with your own little umbrella and you can leave and come back because there is someone payed to watch your stuff for you. The only trick here is that there is no sand, and you have to wear shoes in the water because there are sharp rocks that can cut your feet. But the water is a beautiful shade of blue, and crystal clear. I love the view in this image of the fog and rain against the cliffs this afternoon.

And here is what we had for dinner tonight. Pasta, pasta, pasta...bread, bread, bread. You know that I am in food heaven. A few things are different than home, but I enjoy them and I am learning new things everyday. Italians are very prideful in there cooking, and it definitely shows.

So there is a tiny glimpse of what is going on and I am so ready to show you all the rest of them!

I love you all and I can't wait to see you when I get back! Tomorrow we take the train to Florence, with a stop in Pisa along the way. Love you, Ciao! -Israel