Venice, Milan, Cinque Terre

After taking the ferry to Venice, we first stopped for a glass blowing demonstration at a famous glass blowing shop that is traditional of the Venetian people. After we had a walking tour of San Marco square and the surrounding area. It was cool to learn about the Venetian culture and how different it is and how powerful they once were. After we had the rest of the day to explore. We took advantage of just exploring the tiny streets and crossing random canals to get out of the tourist district and really experience Venice. Later that day, when it finally cooled off, we took a gondola ride through the canals with a bottle of the region wine, Prosecco!!

Perfecto!!! The next day we were up early first for a pit stop at Lake Garda, Italy's largest lake and a popular vacation spot for many locals and it was beautiful!! We got to Milan in the late afternoon so we had a quick stop at Milan's famous Duomo and then a small group of us headed across town to check out AC Milan's futbol stadium and got a tour inside the stadium and of all the locker rooms and press rooms. 

This is the huge church (duomo) of Milan!  The next day we hit the Cinque Terre!!!!! The place I've been waiting for the most. We first stopped in Porto Venere for lunch and to wait for the cruise that was taking us to each town's port. A few of us got off at Vernazza and took the only open hike to Corniglia. 

We eventually ended up at the town at the top of that cliff and started from sea level, so it was quite the hike. Ended the day at the Monterosso beach, had dinner on the cliffs of Riomaggiore watching the sunset from the top of the Cinque Terre.  Ended our night with a live Italian cover band and couldn't think of a more perfect day!! Today we headed to Rome but first stopped in Tuscany for wine tasting of the famous Chanti Classico and hand pressed olive oil. Delicious!!!!! Once we got to Rome we had our first mini sample of Rome with a quick tour of the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the piazzas in the area. 

Whew!! This post could of been my whole trip but it was only the past 4 days!!! Tomorrow we have a FULL day of Rome and it is our last day of the tour! I only have 2 days left in Italy! :( sorry the posts have been limited but we have been nonstop, literally, for 2 full weeks!!! Having an amazing time!! Ciao!