The Eternal City in Ruins

Rome was by far one of the biggest highlights of my trip abroad. The city is so amazing, the people are wonderful, and there was pizza for days. Basically it was heaven. Being back in America, my time there feels like a dream now, but I wanted to share some of my experiences while it is still fresh in my mind.

There is so much to see in Rome that it would take a lifetime to fully experience it, but during my week there I did manage to see the highlights. On my first night, after a long train ride, I immediately met some amazing people in my hostel and had the chance to see some of the city's sights at night. It was museum night in Rome, so many of the monuments and exhibits were open until 2am with no entry fees, so we took in a show, ate gelato at the Trevi Fountain, and saw the Pantheon at midnight- I cannot tell you how magical the city is at night. It was an amazing start to an incredible week, but unfortunately my camera battery died so there are no pictures to show for it- those memories are just for me.

On my first full day I went with two girls from my hostel to try and see the Pope lead Mass at the Vatican, which was a wild experience to say the least. We went to the metro and realized very quickly that everyone else in Rome had the exact same idea for their Sunday. The platform going in the direction of the Vatican was completely packed, as was very single subway car. After missing the first train because it was too full, my friends managed to make it onto the next train, and I was left with the masses still waiting on the platform. Crowds are something I try and avoid at all costs, so after that I decided to take my chances walking to the Vatican instead- not my greatest idea, it was insanely far away from my hostel and I got lost more than once. I got to the Vatican just as Mass was ending, so I didn't get to see the Pope, but walking into St. Peter's square and seeing the basilica for the first time was absolutely amazing.

All Roads Lead to Rome- Perugia

Splitting my time between big cities and quieter places has been so easy and wonderful while I've been in Italy, there is so much variety and every place is so easy to get to by train. After leaving Florence I decided to spend a couple of nights enjoying a quieter side of Tuscany before making my way into Rome, so I stopped in Perugia for a night. Yes, Perugia is where Amanda Knox was tried for murder, but it is so strange to know that and then visit this city. It has the most amazing winding streets, and from the center of town you get spectacular views of the countryside. There isn't much to do there, but just wandering the streets and seeing all of the history was a wonderful way to spend an evening. No drugs or murder mysteries required.

Getting Lost in Florence

For the most part, during my travels I have avoided doing any extensive planning when it comes to sightseeing- getting lost in a city gives you a much better feeling for what the place is really like. Of course I still try and see the main sights, but if you walk around long enough you are bound to stumble upon both the famous attractions and the hidden gems.

Florence has been no different, and I have to say it has been a delightful place to get lost. For some reason my sense of direction here has been completely off, which has been such a blessing the last few days. My first half day here I took care of some business (I did laundry!) but the next day I hit the streets and ended up in some beautiful places. First I decided to try and get a little outside of the city, so I headed across the river and up a little hill to an amazing viewpoint, seeing a city from above will never get old. Up from the viewpoint there was a beautiful cemetery with even more amazing views, and wandering through the graves was truly peaceful. I am constantly amazed at how artistic and detailed European cemeteries can be, especially because there is rarely anyone around to appreciate all of that beauty.

Tuscany Tour

Since arriving in Italy every day has been an adventure, mostly because I have nothing planned ahead of time which leads to things getting tricky. It is definitely getting closer to tourist season here, I can tell because hostels are getting harder and harder to come by for reasonable rates. The lack of hostels is the only reason I didn't stay in Venice and Cinque Terre longer, because both of those places now own a piece of my heart, but when there is no where to sleep you must move on. Which is how I wound up on an extended stay in Pisa!

Cinque Terre- a Living Postcard

Whenever you talk to someone who has been to Cinque Terre in Italy they immediately describe it as walking into a postcard, and in my experience that is not far off. These five towns on the northern Italian coast are a complete dream. Each one seems so perfect it can't possibly be real.

Milano and Venezia- from Horrible to Amazing in 24 Hours

So far my time in Italy has been a rollercoaster, but as it turns out that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

From my all too brief time in Marseille, I headed for one more long train journey into Milan. This was definitely the most miserable day of my trip and perhaps the most miserable of my life. The first two trains I took weren't bad, although the second one was incredibly late and I almost missed the third train, which in hind sight probably would have been a blessing. My last train ride was over 4 hours long and all of the seats were in little cabins (like in Harry Potter) which at first I thought was cool. That was until I realized I was sharing the cabin with a group of Italian kids (does 18 count as a kid?) who were completely horrible. They kept locking themselves in the bathroom to smoke and had the most epic fight the entire train ride. It actually came to blows at one point and the boy in the group physically dragged one of the girls out of the cabin. He also did that thing crazy people do where they keep hitting themselves in the head out of frustration, and he felt the need to sit not in the cabin, but in the hallway blocking the door. I was seated next to the window so I was basically trapped the entire time. Add onto that the constant disregard for personal space, my feet were trampled frequently and I actually got smacked in the face at one point, all of which went unacknowledged.

Marseille, the Happiest Place that Almost Never Happened

Waiting in line at the Barcelona train station ticket office I had every intention to head straight to Italy from there. The gentleman who assisted me had other ideas, and thank god for that. He had no intention of finding me a way to Italy, and instead offered me a trip to Marseille, France. Having waited in line for almost two hours I was not about to walk away with nothing, so I took it.

From the minute I emerged from the metro in Marseille I was in love. This is one of the most beautifully enchanting places on earth. Outside of the metro you are immediately at the end of an incredible harbor going out into the Mediterranean, surrounded by beautiful old buildings.

I made my way to my hostel, and at 12:30 I was not expecting much, but the guy who greeted me immediately pulled out a map and tried to show me everything I could see in the short time I was there- I have never been so happy for hostel staff in my life. With his suggestions in hand Marseille was an amazingly beautiful and stress free experience. I had the most amazing walk along the Mediterranean, watching locals sun on small beaches and seeing people balance on rocky shores to fish. The water here is like nothing I have seen, it is so clear that when the sun is shining it is a perfect replica of the sky, and on the shore there are so many charming places where paths and steps have been carved into the rocks for access to the sea. There is nothing like it.

Near the harbor, which is so full of life and action, there are a few forts and museums that blend so perfectly into the ascetic of the city it is incredible. Off of the shore there are also a few islands with forts and light houses that look so perfect it is as if the have been there since the beginning of time. Looking at my pictures there is just no way I could have done this place justice. Absolutely spectacular.

 

From here I had possibly the worst day of my life, but that can wait for later.