La Spiaggia

Today was a free day for us, so eleven of us girls got up early to catch a train west to Viareggio, Italy so we could spend the day on the coast and at the beach. To say it was a day that all of us needed is an understatement. While none of us are really stressed out per say, it was a heavenly relaxing day where we lounged around doing nothing and walking the beach rather than running all over the city. It was about an hour and a half by train, and the beach was a couple of blocks from the station so it was super easy to get to. Over here in Europe, you have what are called private beaches which are owned by a resort where you can go and rent a section of beach with a chair and an umbrella rather than a public beach where you go just claim a spot if you can find one (like what we have in the states) We decided to go to the private beach because it was 60 euros total for all 11 of us (which broke down to a little over 5 each). It was heavenly. We were close to the water, and we had tones of non crowded space to spread out and lounge in chairs or sprawl on the sand. 

And side note. Europe is so freaking clean! The beach was clean (no glass, not to many cigarette butts or trash or even like ocean wash up), the train was clean, the streets are clean. Only the bathrooms at the bars are gross, but I feel like that just goes with the territory. 

Anyways I spent most of my day in the water (once my sunscrene had soaked in.) We couldn't go out too deep because the tide was strong and the wave were huge today, but going in up to your waste was plenty spashy and satisfactory and I really enjoyed wadding in the water and wandering along the shore line looking and collecting a couple hand fulls of shells. Katie, Anicka, Marit and I walked all the way along the shore down to one of the board walks and Katie, Anicka and I spent a good amount of time hunting for shells in the waves before lunch while everyone else got their sun tan on and laied on the beach. 

We got home just in time for dinner which was a fantastic dish of buratini noodles (giant spaghetti noodles) in a Philadelphia cream cheese, onion and chicken sauce, with fried chicken (breaded in corn meal) and stewed pepper with arugula salad and fresh fruit for dessert. Yum. 

All around it was a simply fantastic and beautiful day and Viareggio is a little slice of heaven. So today I leave you with more pictures than words about our weekend trip.