Maremma and the Tuscan Archipelago

After the first weekend of class, my program sponsored a free trip the gorgeous corner of Tuscany! I don’t how this place isn’t famous yet, because its beauty is unreal!  This area has the green, rolling hills that Tuscany is famous for, but also beaches stolen straight from the Caribbean. The first night we arrived in Maremma, we ate dinner in the nearby seaside town of Ortobello. We had time to explore the gorgeous area before we ate a family style meal at a local restaurant! My roommates and I pretty much had a photo shoot along the waterfront at sunset. So fun! The restaurant gave us SO much food! We had fresh gnocchi and marinara sauce, bread, salad, grilled vegetables (the vegetarian entrée) and tiramisu for dessert. Wow.  
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--> The next day we took a mini cruise around the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago.  The scenery was spectacular, as my Grandpa would say! We arrived at Giannutri, the first island, and hiked to a beach. We swam in the clear blue Mediterranean sea and lounged on the scraggy rocks. This is where my roommates and I met our dear friends Eugenia, Delia and Meiwen! We have dinner with them once a week now! We boarded the boat and ate lunch on the sea!  They served a bunch of gross looking seafood. We went to the next island, Giglio, and walked around, taking in the scenery. After a long day of fun in the sun, we went back to the hotel and ate dinner in their restaurant.  

The gorgeous marina we departed from.

We spent the next day touring the medieval town of Pitigliano! The streets were long and narrow, and an old wall protects the entire city. Each alleyway leads to a breathtaking view overlooking a lush canyon with red and green foliage. It was great to have such a knowledgeable tour guide to show us around! I bought some gifts for family during our free time and we all had lunch at a local café. We also met our friends Ethan and Nelson on this trip. Yay new friends!