I have officially accomplished my dream of travelling to Italy! It was a very long and tiresome weekend but worth it for sure. I left Granada Wednesday night around 9, taking a 2 hour bus ride to Malaga on the south coast of Spain, where I would take a plane to Italy. The bus ride was nice, I had sooo many sandwiches to snack on, and lots of snacks that I had bought at the grocery store beforehand, so I ate and rested on the bus. When Nicole and I arrived in Malaga, we hopped on the city bus to the airport. We got to the airport around midnight, and well, we couldn't go through security because our flight wasn't until 7. So, we found a nice bench to hang out on and did some homework. Right as I was started to get bored, a HUGE group of people dressed in black and yellow (literally, all wearing black coats or shirts with yellow and black matching winter scarfs) came walking through the airport. there must have been a couple hundred people of all ages, boys and girls, and they all spoke what Nicole and I concluded to be Russian. We suspect that they had something to do with a sports team, but we have no idea what they were doing for sure, especially because there were too many for them all to fit on the same plane. All I know is they looked very cool walking past us, it was a herd of people that continued for what seemed like forever, and Nicole and I just watched amused by them for about 20 minutes. The group finally passed and dispersed throughout the airport, and I went back to my homework until I was too tired to function. At that point I curled up on the bench (bags locked of course) and took an uncomfortable nap. It wasn't fun, but I survived, and at 5 we were able to go through security. I watched a couple episodes of Grey's Anatomy to pass the time and eventually we boarded our first plane to Barcelona, Spain!! I'm pretty sure everyone slept on the plane, including myself. It was only an hour and a half, but I slept wonderfully.
We had a short layover in Barcelona, so I continued to watch shows on my ipod until we boarded the plane to Venice!! The plane ride was good, I once again slept. We hit some turbulence for a while but otherwise we had a successful flight to Italy! When we got there, Nicole and I went to the transportation desk to find the best way to our hotel, which ended up being a water taxi. So, we bought our tickets and headed to the port to board the boat. It was so exciting to be near the water again, it reminded me of home. Plus the water taxis were really cool, and very prevalent in Venice as I came to find out. The ride took almost an hour and a half to get to our stop, but it was fun just riding in the boat.
We went exploring around the city for the rest of the afternoon and night. The first thing that caught our eyes were the canals that run throughout the city, and all the bridges we had to cross to get from one place to another. The canals were beautiful and I loved watching the gondolas travel on them. It was really cool because in some places, you could literally walk down steps right into the canal, and watch the boats cruise by. Most people have boats parked along the sides of the canals, probably because it is the only form of transportation in the city. There are no cars, only boats which is pretty unique. I can't even imagine how much work it is to get things to and from stores and houses. But anyway, the first place I went was La Piazza de San Marco, the most famous plaza in Venice which has the Clock Tower and St. Mark's Basilica, along with the Campanile (the bell tower) and Doge's Palace. The plaza is also known for its abundance of pigeons, which basically fly into you if you're not careful. I had many skim my face as I was walking around. I also got a chance to feed them, which apparently is illegal, but I just figured that out now...oops. It was totally worth it though, it was so cool because when I held out my hand full of seeds, they flocked around me! It was so fun!! Don't worry, I washed my hands afterward.
I also encountered some very nice people in the plaza. While I was standing looking at all my pigeon pictures on my camera, a Chinese man came over and said "you are very beautiful" in a broken english accent while showing my a candid picture he had taken of me looking at my camera. At first I was a little freaked out, but the picture was actually very good! So, I asked him if I could take a picture of it and we became instant friends. We took pictures together to treasure the memory, he was so excited about it! I know it sounds sketchy, but it was harmless.
 |
| Me and my Asian friend... |
 |
| The picture... |
 |
| Doge's Palace |
I had done some research on Venice before travelling, but of course I didn't know the names of things off the top of my head. As Nicole and I were walking along the boardwalk, we crossed one bridge and I yelled at Nicole and said "Stop! This is something important, I read about it!!" It became the joke of the trip because all I knew was that it was something to see, but had no idea what it was. I just did some research and realized it is called the Bridge of Sighs, which connected Doge's Palace to its prison, and is names after the condemned prisoners who had to walk across it to meet their executioners. I never would have guessed that, but you learn something new every day.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the streets taking pictures of pretty much everything in sight. It was all so pretty, and pictures don't do it justice. But, I still took tons. We eventually got very very hungry and went to a random restaurant that we found. The food was average but I was so hungry that it didn't matter. I got lasanga and a nice cold glass of water, and that was perfect for me! We spent the night wandering some more, until it got dark and started raining a little. We ignored the rain and got gelato, but after a while it got chilly so we went back to the hotel for a well needed shower and sleep.
 |
| San Marco...flooded |
We woke up nice and early on Friday to prepare for our journey to Florence. It was raining which was quite a bummer considering we had to carry our backpacks through the city all morning and then to the train station but we managed. I had been in denial the day before when Paul tried to tell me Venice is slowly being submerged in water, but when we checked out of the hotel, the receptionist said we couldn't walk through the Plaza of San Marco because it was flooded. And man, when we went to see it, it was flooded for sure! There were table-like planks that people could walk on, but we would've had to walk through two feet of water just to get to them. It was crazy! Apparently this is the lowest spot in the city, which explains the flooding. But even in other parts the canals came right up to the edge of the paths due to high tide. Clearly Venice is having serious flooding issues.
Thankfully we were travelling in the opposite direction so we didn't have to walk through the flooded plaza. It was very difficult carrying by backpack while holding my umbrella. I definitely looked like a loser with the amount of layers and baggage I had on. At one point, we were walking down a tiny street and a couple guys were lugging a cart of stuff across a bridge, so we let them pass. There were so many people with umbrellas blocking the path that it made it very difficult for the men. While we were waiting, people ignored what was going on and almost hit an old man with their umbrellas which was sad. As I went to cross the bridge, he asked me in Italian if I could help him cross the bridge (he had a cane and was very old and fragile) so of course I gave him my arm and helped him across. He was the cutest thing and was so grateful for my patience, I felt honored. It was a long walk to the train station, so we decided to head in that direction even though we had plenty of time before our train left. Little did we know, but we got extremely lost. Luckily, as we were staring at our map helplessly, a man asked us where we were headed and told us he would help us get there. Once again, Nicole and I were a little nervous, but we followed him anyway, constantly thinking of what items we had to defend ourselves with if there was a problem. We stayed on main roads crowded with people though, so it wasn't very scary. Plus, he helped us a lot! He took us to a plaza with a sign that said "train station" and told us to follow those signs until we got to the canal, and to always go straight and to the right. He was embarrassed that his english wasn't good enough, but we understood perfectly! And his info got us to where we needed to be, which was great!! We hung out at the canal for a while, looking at the shops and grabbing a sandwich before getting on the train to Florence at 1.
 |
| Train Ride!! |
The train ride was FANTASTIC! It was the coolest train I had ever been on. It was one of the high speed trains, and it had free wifi (which I didn't realize till the end of the ride) and plugs to charge things! Plus the seats were spacious and comfy, I slept great! I woke up at one point to see that we were travelling at 300km/hr, which is the equivalent of 186.5 miles/hour!! All I could think of was how much Dad would love it! We got to Florence around 3 and immediately went to find a map of the city.
 |
| Super fast train!! LOOK DAD! |
Since we only had 5 hours to spend in Florence, Nicole and I decided the best use of our time would be to just walk around and see all the main sights. Florence is known for its plazas with statues, and we came across many of these. The statues were very interesting, although somewhat graphic. One of the most famous is Michelangelo's David, which is found in Piazza Della Signoria, Florence's main square. Also in this square is the Palazzo Vecchio (the city's town hall) and the Loggia dei Lanzi, which is an open air arch area which contains a gallery Renaissance art and statues. I enjoyed looking at the statues, as graphic as they were.
 |
| Loggia dei Lanzi |
 |
| Duomo |
Florence is also famous for the Florence Cathedral (Basilica di Santa Maria dei Fiore), more commonly called the Duomo, which is found in the Piazza del Duomo across from the Baptistery of St. John. I went into the church, which was interesting but nothing too special. However, there was a cool underground part, which apparently held the ruins to some of the old church. After looking around the church, we went into the tower and decided to climb up to the top to see Florence from a birds eye view. Backpacks and all (let me remind you, I had all my belongings with me...and I was wearing several layers because it was chilly and rainy) we climbed up the tower. The stairways were very narrow and long. Thankfully there were areas to stop along the way up, and every time I got to an opening, I ran for the nearest seat to catch my breath. My legs and bum got a fantastic workout to say the least. I finally made it to the top (after drinking half my water bottle) and spent a while just taking in the scenery. The views were worth the strenuous climb for sure. My only fear was getting back down since I barely fit with my big backpack, and the stairs were used for people climbing up AND going down. Needless to say the walk down was a tight squeeze at times.
 |
| Struggling up the stairs :( |
 |
| We made it!! |
 |
| Barely... |
 |
| Baptistry from the tower |
One of the coolest things in the city was the Ponte Vecchio, which is a bridge with jewelry shops all along the inside. All the stores were very expensive and Nicole and I were scared to walk in with our big backpacks and accidentally hit/break something, so we window shopped instead. From the walkway alongside the river, the bridge looked really cool, as if it were former houses all connected. We met two ladies from Madrid who were nice enough to take our picture, and were really impressed with the amount of Spanish Nicole and I actually knew. We could understand them very well (after all, it's said that Madrid has the easiest accent to understand).
 |
| Ponte Vecchio |
 |
| Sunset |
After seeing all the main tourist attractions in the city, we decided to just walk around and see what we could find. We didn't encounter too many things that are worth noting, but it was still a nice walk around the city. We did see the Basilica di San Croce and walked through the Piazza della Republica, which was the city's old ghetto which now holds a cute merry-go-round. We also found a pig that everyone was rubbing its nose, Im assuming for good luck but Im not really sure. We got pizza near the Duomo and ate it in the plaza and then headed to the train station to catch our train to Rome.
Once again the train ride was fantastic! It was a train with the same characteristics as the first one, and of course I slept on this one too! My feet were in so much pain, and my shoulders hurt even more from carrying my backpack all day. Taking it off was one of the best feelings ever, and I was so grateful to be able to sit down for a while.
We got to Rome around 10:45. All I wanted to do was get to the hotel, take a shower, and go to bed. Little did we know, but we had quite a few challenges ahead of us. Challenge Number 1: Figure out where our hotel was in relation to the train station. We got off the train, following the signs to the ticket desk in hopes of finding someone who could advise us on where to go. Unfortunately they were closed, but we went to the train office and the people there were very kind and looked up the address on the computer. Apparently the hotel was pretty far from the train station, so they advised us to take the metro to a certain station, and take a taxi from there. So that brings me to Challenge Number 2: figuring out the metro system. I bought a ticket and went through the entrance thingy, but Nicole couldn't get through. We then found out she was putting her ticket into the machine upside down, so she then made it through. The metro ride went smoothly, and we went up the world's largest escalator to get to the street. And I'm not kidding, it went on forever! So, Challenge Number 3: Find a taxi. We figured, of course there'll be taxis right outside the station. But, nope, no taxis. It was dark, so we decided to follow the main road in hopes of finding one, but it took awhile. There was a tall building with a shiny gold lit up statue on the top, so we figured walking towards the big shiny thing would be a good idea. Thankfully, it was. It took us to a line of taxis, which we then realized was right outside the main train station in Rome. (Apparently there are two train stations in Rome, and Nicole and I got off at the stop too soon because that's what our tickets said. So the whole thing could've been avoided if we had just stayed on the train, but oh well). So, we got into a taxi and went to the hotel. The taxi driver drove craaazyyyy fast! Granted, there weren't a lot of cars on the street, but we were going so fast that I though we were going to pass our hotel. We didn't, he just went from 60 to 0 mph in a matter of seconds. I couldn't complain, I was at the hotel and could shower and sleep!!
Our private tour of Rome started at 8:30 the next morning. A driver picked us up right at our hotel and brought us to the Vatican to meet our tour guide. He was a corky man, probably in his mid 40s, kind of just enjoying life. I believe his name was Genny, or at least that's what my sheet of paper says, though I cannot remember at all if that's what he called himself. Our first stop on the tour was the Vatican museum. Our appointment was at 9, but our tour guide managed to get us in early. He clearly had some pull, because he said hello to almost all the guards as we passed through. I was very thankful we had him because the line to get in was almost a mile long, and it was only 9AM! So, he took us through the museum and showed us some of the most important pieces. He said that the royal family would collect the artifacts found in the city, and before only their guests could see the pieces until it was later opened to the public to see. Now, there are so many pieces that if you stopped to look at each piece for just one minute, without stopping once, it would take you over 13 years to see everything! So clearly, we did not see everything in the museum, but he made sure to point out some of the most famous. There is a hallway in the museum that has maps all along the wall; these maps were drawn without the use of satellite images or anything since they are so old, and yet they are completely accurate. How the men figured out these things, I have no idea, but it's pretty crazy.
 |
| Most important statue in the Vatican Museum...it is inspiring |
We went into the Sistine Chapel to see the paintings on the ceiling done mostly by Michelangelo. The paintings depict the 9 stories of Genesis, and Michelangelo did a wonderful job with the details. He painted the entire ceiling on his back; he built a wooden scaffolding and spent the entire day painting a few inches away from the ceiling, very impressive!
We then went to St. Peter's Basilica, the largest in the world. The size was extremely deceiving, it really didn't look that big from the inside. Then, Genny started showing us pictures with people working on the statues on the wall to give us a true perspective of how big the things really were. It was stunning! The statues are several feet high, and since they are so far away they appear small, but in reality they are huge! What's also cool, is that all the "paintings" are actually small tiles pieced together to make pictures. I cannot imagine how long it took to make them, there are so many pieces!
 |
| Pope John Paul II's tomb |
 |
| This door is only opened every 25 years |
 |
Where the Pope delivers his sermons...he only
gives about 7 a year |
The Basilica is home to many tombs of previous popes as well. Below the church is an area where all the popes are kept for people to see. Pope John Paul II used to be located below the church, but he was recently moved into the main part of the basilica because he had completed three miracles during and after his lifetime. You may be thinking, how did he complete a miracle after his death? I asked the same thing. Well, here's the story: One night a nun, who was suffering from a terminal stage of Parkinson's Disease, had a dream that she was with John Paul II and they prayed together. The next morning she awoke without any signs of having Parkinson's, which is unheard of. No scientist nor doctor could find a reason for the cure, and for this, it was awarded as the pope's third miracle.
The Vatican Plaza was extremely hot. The day had finally begun, sun shining without clouds in the sky, and it got very warm. I was loving it! The plaza was very cool, the guide said that that side walls with columns are considered the arms of the Vatican which I thought was really interesting.
 |
| Arm of the city...hugs |
We then took a crazy taxi ride to the Colosseum. Once again we were able to bypass the long lines are enter without a problem!! The amphitheater was awesome!! What's really neat is that when it was first constructed it was covered in marble. Now, the Colosseum is only a tenth of what it was because they recycle the marble. The Basilica is made from recycled marble from the Colosseum, along with many other churches in the city. Also, the Colosseum is home to the first public restroom. Because people would spend the whole day at the Colosseum watching the gladiator fights eating and drinking, they would need to use the bathroom. For this reason, public restrooms were invented. But, the bathrooms were nothing like what we use today. There was a bench with a bunch of holes in it, where people would sit openly next to each other and go to the bathroom. Then, there was a sponge to wipe themselves because toilet paper was too expensive.
 |
| The layers of the Colosseum |
Our guide took us to the ruins of the Roman Forum, which was basically like a newfound city underground. My favorite story told here was that there used to be shopping malls where the girls would go shopping, and while the boys were waiting outside, they would play chess. They carved chess boards into the steps and would play while they waited for the women to finish.
 |
| Drinking some fresh Rome water |
 |
| Center of the world, where all roads are drawn from... |
 |
| Exposition Center |
 |
| Script Column |
We took a couple stops along the way to the Trevi Fountain, including the exposition center in the center of the city, and one of two columns with scripture all over it. We finally made it to the Trevi which has been a dream of mine since watching The Lizzie Maguire Movie. It was impressive, and of course I threw a coin in for good luck! Back turned to the fountain, I put the coin in my right hand and threw it over my left shoulder, which is apparently the correct way to do it. Hopefully it brings me good luck! Either way, my coin went to a good cause (all the money is collected at the end of each night and donated to the Red Cross). Rome has very fresh water due to the many aqueducts beneath the city. There are drinking fountains that constantly run, 24 hours a day, which fresh drinking water. Before, the Trevi used to have fresh cycling water from the aqueducts, but now it uses recycled water that repeatedly cycles through the fountain all day.
 |
| Trevi Fountain |
 |
| Make a wish... |
 |
| The Spanish Steps |
Next we went to the Spanish Steps, which are popular because they are at the end of two of the biggest shopping streets in Rome. We then went to the Pantheon because it started to rain. The pantheon is a big dome, constructed with a hole in the roof to keep its structure strong (all the weight stays at the bottom of the dome rather than at the top, preventing it from collapsing). It was cool because it was raining, so when we were inside, rain fell through the hole in the ceiling and we could watch it fall. Genny, our guide, loves the Pantheon and loves finishing the tour here because it is so special to him. However, he wanted to take us to the artists plaza to see all the artwork, so he brought us there first. It was then time to say goodbye to our new friend, so we took a picture and said goodbye! (of course, before he left he made sure to give us great suggestions for food, including dinner restaurants, and places to get canolis and gelato...and his suggestions were AMAZING!)
 |
| Fountain at the bottom of the steps...this one stil uses fresh water |
 |
| Outside the Pantheon |
 |
| The Dome in the Pantheon |
 |
| Pantheon |
 |
| What a great tour guide! |
After looking at the artwork in the plaza (and saying our goodbyes), Nicole and I went to a pizza place the Genny had recommended. I got pizza with ham on top, and it was very good! After lunch we got canolis which were soooo yummy! I got one with ricotta cheese and chocolate chips at the end, and a mini with chocolate in the middle. Both were very tasty. After eating, Nicole and I decided we would explore the city. Genny had advised us to go to a certain part of the city to experience the young nightlife later that night (it was Saturday), but we knew there was no way we'd make it there after such a long day, so we decided to check it out then instead. It was a cute area with lots of restaurants with outdoor seating. It was very evident that it would be a great place for people to hang out at night. Afterward, we made our way to the outskirts of the city and climbed up a huge hill to see views of the city. When we got to the top, there was a fountain and a newlywed couple getting their pictures taken, it was precious. At that point my feet were starting to hurt so we made our way down the hill and towards the center of the city once again. When we finally got there (after a few resting stops), we sat on the bigs steps of the exposition center and took our shoes off, cooling our feet on the cold steps. We decided we should reward ourselves with some gelato, so we made our way to the gelato place Genny had recommended as being the best in Rome. It took us forever to get there because the streets are very confusing and when we thought we were heading in one direction, we were actually heading in the opposite. This occurred often, and finally, after a lot of struggling and walking, we made it! And man was it worth it!! I got oreo, mango, and strawberry in a chocolate dipped cone with fresh whipped cream! It was to die for!!! My favorite flavor was the strawberry because it tasted as sweet as frozen strawberries only in gelato form. And the oreo tasted great with it, kind of like a sundae. I even got an oreo in my ice cream which was super exciting since I haven't had an oreo since being here (they do have Oreos here though, not to worry). After making a big mess but enjoying our ice cream nevertheless, we went to the Trevi Fountain to relax. It was really pretty lit up at night, and the weather was perfect! We finally made our way back to the hotel, which was located on the outskirts of the city in the opposite direction of where we had been earlier that day. It took a while to get back, and after walking for almost 14 hours straight, it felt fantastic to finally lay down on my bed. I didn't even want to shower because my feet hurt so much, but I did.
 |
| I love food! |
 |
| Yumm!!! |
 |
| Artist's Plaza |
 |
| Bride and Groom |
 |
| A pharmacy, taken just for you Mom! |
 |
| Rome Sunset |
 |
| Nope, not the Colosseum...I'm not exactly sure what it was |
 |
| Where we stopped to rest our feet... |
Sunday morning Nicole and I slept in a little and got our bags ready to check out. We left them at the hotel and headed out to explore the city one last time. Genny had told us about a flee market that takes place on Sundays, so we got on the metro to head in that direction, since it was on the opposite side of the city. The market really wasn't far from the metro stop, but somehow we managed to get really lost in the process. Luckily, it was a very pretty walk through some gardens with views of the city, so it was worth it. And we only had to ask one old couple how to get to where we wanted. The flee market was a little intimidating. The tents sold most of the same things, and was along one really long street that seemed to go on forever. We didn't even make it all the way through because we were afraid it would never end. I didn't buy anything, most of the stuff was junk, but it was still a cool experience.
We took the main roads back to the metro station (taking shortcuts through side roads clearly backfires), and we made it back successfully. We took the metro back to the Spanish Steps where we climbed half way up and took in the sun for a while since it was gorgeous outside. We then went to the top, and on our way back down, there were a bunch of immigrant people selling knock off items. All of a sudden, they grabbed all their things, in a matter of two seconds, and booked it, all in unison, up the stairs. It was actually really cool and I wish I had gotten it on video! We were a bit confused but I'm assuming they saw a cop or something.
 |
| Lunch! |
We got lunch in a cute restaurant that Genny had recommended. I got Pasta Carbonara and Nicole got eggplant parm, and we shared them. They were both very different but equally as tasty!! After lunch we went back to the gelato place (obviously!) and got more ice cream. This time I got two scoops of strawberry and one of oreo. I was in heaven and never wanted to leave. But, it was time to head back to the hotel so we walked back, struggling and feet killing, and picked up our bags. We then headed to the train station (walking once again) to catch a train to the airport. I passed out on the train, so much so that I think I was drooling a little which was embarrassing. Oops.
 |
| I found GAP in Rome!!! It made me feel at home again |
 |
| The BEST gelato place in the world! (Giolitti) |
Boarding the plane was weird, we went through the terminal and had to get onto a bus which then took us to the airplane. Once we were all boarded, we started moving, but had to wait in a long line of planes waiting to take off. So, we were a half hour late. Luckily, we got there in time to catch the last city bus going to the Malaga bus station. We got there around 12:30, and our bus to Granada left around 1:30. I was soooo hungry!! There was a cafe at the bus station but I figured it wasn't open. BUT! When we were walking to our bus, I saw that it was open and got sooooo excited!! I got an egg omelet sandwich, which was exactly what I was craving!!! The bus was filled with all college kids coming back from trips. Everyone was basically passed out the second they sat down on the bus, but not me! I was chomping on my sandwich and potato chips like a little kid! I was so happy!!
I slept comfortably on the ride home because I had two seats to myself. I took a taxi back to my house and finally arrived at 4 AM! Needless to say I slept in very late Monday morning, good thing I didn't have class until 3:30.
We had a short layover in Barcelona, so I continued to watch shows on my ipod until we boarded the plane to Venice!! The plane ride was good, I once again slept. We hit some turbulence for a while but otherwise we had a successful flight to Italy! When we got there, Nicole and I went to the transportation desk to find the best way to our hotel, which ended up being a water taxi. So, we bought our tickets and headed to the port to board the boat. It was so exciting to be near the water again, it reminded me of home. Plus the water taxis were really cool, and very prevalent in Venice as I came to find out. The ride took almost an hour and a half to get to our stop, but it was fun just riding in the boat. 
Our hotel was located on a street right off of one of the most famous places in Venice, La Piazza de San Marco. Nicole and I were so excited about being there that we started walking along the water enjoying the views and looking at all the artists' paintings of Venice, rather than going to the hotel to put our bags down. We finally came to our senses and checked into the hotel, only having to ask one person how to get there. The hotel was nice, and had a heated towel rack which was great after showering. We also had intimate body wash located above the bidet in the bathroom, but we decided it was better to leave that alone.
We went exploring around the city for the rest of the afternoon and night. The first thing that caught our eyes were the canals that run throughout the city, and all the bridges we had to cross to get from one place to another. The canals were beautiful and I loved watching the gondolas travel on them. It was really cool because in some places, you could literally walk down steps right into the canal, and watch the boats cruise by. Most people have boats parked along the sides of the canals, probably because it is the only form of transportation in the city. There are no cars, only boats which is pretty unique. I can't even imagine how much work it is to get things to and from stores and houses. But anyway, the first place I went was La Piazza de San Marco, the most famous plaza in Venice which has the Clock Tower and St. Mark's Basilica, along with the Campanile (the bell tower) and Doge's Palace. The plaza is also known for its abundance of pigeons, which basically fly into you if you're not careful. I had many skim my face as I was walking around. I also got a chance to feed them, which apparently is illegal, but I just figured that out now...oops. It was totally worth it though, it was so cool because when I held out my hand full of seeds, they flocked around me! It was so fun!! Don't worry, I washed my hands afterward.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the streets taking pictures of pretty much everything in sight. It was all so pretty, and pictures don't do it justice. But, I still took tons. We eventually got very very hungry and went to a random restaurant that we found. The food was average but I was so hungry that it didn't matter. I got lasanga and a nice cold glass of water, and that was perfect for me! We spent the night wandering some more, until it got dark and started raining a little. We ignored the rain and got gelato, but after a while it got chilly so we went back to the hotel for a well needed shower and sleep.
Florence is also famous for the Florence Cathedral (Basilica di Santa Maria dei Fiore), more commonly called the Duomo, which is found in the Piazza del Duomo across from the Baptistery of St. John. I went into the church, which was interesting but nothing too special. However, there was a cool underground part, which apparently held the ruins to some of the old church. After looking around the church, we went into the tower and decided to climb up to the top to see Florence from a birds eye view. Backpacks and all (let me remind you, I had all my belongings with me...and I was wearing several layers because it was chilly and rainy) we climbed up the tower. The stairways were very narrow and long. Thankfully there were areas to stop along the way up, and every time I got to an opening, I ran for the nearest seat to catch my breath. My legs and bum got a fantastic workout to say the least. I finally made it to the top (after drinking half my water bottle) and spent a while just taking in the scenery. The views were worth the strenuous climb for sure. My only fear was getting back down since I barely fit with my big backpack, and the stairs were used for people climbing up AND going down. Needless to say the walk down was a tight squeeze at times.
One of the coolest things in the city was the Ponte Vecchio, which is a bridge with jewelry shops all along the inside. All the stores were very expensive and Nicole and I were scared to walk in with our big backpacks and accidentally hit/break something, so we window shopped instead. From the walkway alongside the river, the bridge looked really cool, as if it were former houses all connected. We met two ladies from Madrid who were nice enough to take our picture, and were really impressed with the amount of Spanish Nicole and I actually knew. We could understand them very well (after all, it's said that Madrid has the easiest accent to understand).
After seeing all the main tourist attractions in the city, we decided to just walk around and see what we could find. We didn't encounter too many things that are worth noting, but it was still a nice walk around the city. We did see the Basilica di San Croce and walked through the Piazza della Republica, which was the city's old ghetto which now holds a cute merry-go-round. We also found a pig that everyone was rubbing its nose, Im assuming for good luck but Im not really sure. We got pizza near the Duomo and ate it in the plaza and then headed to the train station to catch our train to Rome.
Our private tour of Rome started at 8:30 the next morning. A driver picked us up right at our hotel and brought us to the Vatican to meet our tour guide. He was a corky man, probably in his mid 40s, kind of just enjoying life. I believe his name was Genny, or at least that's what my sheet of paper says, though I cannot remember at all if that's what he called himself. Our first stop on the tour was the Vatican museum. Our appointment was at 9, but our tour guide managed to get us in early. He clearly had some pull, because he said hello to almost all the guards as we passed through. I was very thankful we had him because the line to get in was almost a mile long, and it was only 9AM! So, he took us through the museum and showed us some of the most important pieces. He said that the royal family would collect the artifacts found in the city, and before only their guests could see the pieces until it was later opened to the public to see. Now, there are so many pieces that if you stopped to look at each piece for just one minute, without stopping once, it would take you over 13 years to see everything! So clearly, we did not see everything in the museum, but he made sure to point out some of the most famous. There is a hallway in the museum that has maps all along the wall; these maps were drawn without the use of satellite images or anything since they are so old, and yet they are completely accurate. How the men figured out these things, I have no idea, but it's pretty crazy.
We then went to St. Peter's Basilica, the largest in the world. The size was extremely deceiving, it really didn't look that big from the inside. Then, Genny started showing us pictures with people working on the statues on the wall to give us a true perspective of how big the things really were. It was stunning! The statues are several feet high, and since they are so far away they appear small, but in reality they are huge! What's also cool, is that all the "paintings" are actually small tiles pieced together to make pictures. I cannot imagine how long it took to make them, there are so many pieces!
The Basilica is home to many tombs of previous popes as well. Below the church is an area where all the popes are kept for people to see. Pope John Paul II used to be located below the church, but he was recently moved into the main part of the basilica because he had completed three miracles during and after his lifetime. You may be thinking, how did he complete a miracle after his death? I asked the same thing. Well, here's the story: One night a nun, who was suffering from a terminal stage of Parkinson's Disease, had a dream that she was with John Paul II and they prayed together. The next morning she awoke without any signs of having Parkinson's, which is unheard of. No scientist nor doctor could find a reason for the cure, and for this, it was awarded as the pope's third miracle.
Our guide took us to the ruins of the Roman Forum, which was basically like a newfound city underground. My favorite story told here was that there used to be shopping malls where the girls would go shopping, and while the boys were waiting outside, they would play chess. They carved chess boards into the steps and would play while they waited for the women to finish.
No comments:
Post a Comment