Cinque Terre and A Week to Remember

This week was an especially incredible one. The kind that makes you say, “How was I ever considering not going abroad?” Beginning this past Monday was Brera’s Design Week—an iconic week in the city of Milan that consists of hundreds of art dealers, architects, home furnishing companies, and designers congregating in the district of Brera, complete with art installations in hidden nooks and crannies, free food and drink offered at almost any store with an open door, and thousands of people winding through the lit and music-filled cobblestone streets. On both Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon and nights, my friends and I wandered through alleys sun-drunk and full of champagne exploring different galleries and projects, finding ourselves entranced by each store we came upon. On Thursday night, my Italian roommate turned 24 and we took her out dancing to a club called Circle. We got to meet her friends from school beforehand and experience how an Italian-style birthday typically operates, and as I’m sure one can guess, it was full of food. On Friday night, friends and I went to see the EDM artist Illenium at a club called Fabrique. We returned home at midnight, went to bed full of McDonalds and songs from the concert stuck in our heads at 2 a.m., and rose to catch a train that Saturday at 5:30 a.m. Needless to say, we were exhausted, but by the time we awoke to the gentle morning sun of Monterosso, Cinque Terre, our fatigue was easily forgotten. We bought a pass that allows us to take the train to each of the five villages, beginning with Riomaggiore, then onward to Manarola, Corniglia, and Vernazza, then ending with where we began at Monterosso. Though the villages were all strikingly beautiful with similar topography, my favorite was the verdant and quiet Vernazza. Though we were able to see all five villages within one day, I wish I had more time to explore, hike, eat, and swim. It is certainly the kind of place one feels like they could stay forever.