07.10.14 — 07.12.14

Hey now, hey now Roma!

It was a little more than hour train ride from Florence to Rome. Going through the countryside was beautiful. Fields upon fields of sunflowers to look at! ♥ How I wish we could have stopped to run through them! Incredibly, our first day in Rome marked a halfway point for our trip. So unbelievable.

Our train station in Rome was in Termini. That area of Rome has a bad rep, so just have a heightened awareness of your things and your surroundings if you need to go through there to get to your hotel, like we had to. Some kid attempted pick-pocketing my friend as we made our way from the train station to the hotel. Despite the fact that all that was in that pocket was a Maxi-pad, that was not quite the welcome we were expecting shortly after arriving.

After that little incident, I’m sad that I have to report that our hotel was disappointing as well. Only one room ready, and we ended up being put on completely different floors! The one redeeming quality of our room was that we had our own balcony overlooking Rome’s rooftops. But to be honest, between the pickpocketing incident and having to sleep three floors apart from each other, we just didn’t feel safe there.

SIGHTS

Both the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain were undergoing construction when we went to visit. All I wanted was to have a Lizzie McGuire moment throwing a coin into the fountain and making a wish, but it wasn’t meant to be. Another disappointment.
Looking up from those sights, The Pantheon was glorious. Seeing that dome and actually being rained on through the oculus as a choir sang (no, really, the timing was impeccable) made up for the sights we had seen (or barely seen) thus far.
Take the Metro in Rome! €1.50 Euro every one-way is definitely worth it. Especially if you’re an hour’s walk from the Vatican, which is also a must-see while you’re in Rome. We spent a little under 5 hours in the Vatican museums, and a head’s up: five hours is not enough to explore those grounds.
- I was expecting to see mostly art from the Ancient Period (which I definitely did), but I was delighted to learn that the galleries housed a contemporary art collection, with Van Gogh and Fontana pieces. Something from every time period, so something for everyone to enjoy.
- My favorite gallery had to the be the Galleria della carta geografiche, or the Gallery of Maps. This room featured amazing handpainted frescoes of maps that just covered the ceilings and walls. They were all maps of Italy, and the details of the landscapes were so gorgeous.
- It was unbelievable to be in the Sistine Chapel. I spent a good half hour just admiring the figures, colors, and taking in the different stories different areas of the frescoes told. A priest gave a blessing while I was in the chapel, which was very special.
  Featuring a part of the Colosseum that was not under construction.
  
  The world’s largest dome.
  
  Favorite gallery at the Vatican.
St Peter’s Basilica was incredible. Such a huge, huge space. Next time, going up to the Dome is on the list. Also, side note: the postcards there were some of the most affordable I’ve found in Rome!
There is an unassuming church in Rome worth visiting, called the Santa Maria della Vittoria. My favorite aspect of this church was it’s ceiling. It was the first thing I noticed walking in. The colors were so dreamy, and the details were mesmerizing. Don’t forget to look up after stepping foot in this church. I think a lot of people tend to take in what’s at eye’s length, but whenever I explore new places, my instinct is to look up… #petitegirlprobs
- You never would have guessed it just passing the outside, but it is also the home of Bernini’s the “Ecstasy of St Teresa” (and what puts this church on the map for visitors to Rome). Bernini had a way of capturing expressions and body language to create a sense of drama through his sculptures. I saw this piece first on a slide in class, and then in person… boy, was I lucky.
Less than a mile from Santa Maria della Vittoria is the Borghese Villa, which was owned by the Borghese family. They were avid patrons of artists, and the villa is now a gallery featuring works of Bernini, Raphael, Caravaggio and the like. We did not get to visit the museum, as they were sold out for the day (I can’t stress enough how purchasing your tickets for as many sights and museums as you can in advance will save you a lot of trouble later!!!)
- Despite the fact that we didn’t get to visit the gallery, we spent a lot of time exploring the grounds and gardens of Borghese. It was a lovely area with a huge park that included a zoo! They even had bikes to rent. Strolling that area was really nice. The amount of greenery took me back to London’s urban spaces.
The Spanish Steps are worth seeing, despite the fact that all there is to them is that it’s a set of steps. But, the Steps are the widest stairways in all of Europe, a very popular spot for both tourists and locals. There were quite a few artists and vendors at the top of the stairs selling their goods. Down below in the Spanish Plaza, we recognized some familiar brands: H&M, Foot Locker, Vans… it felt a lot like the Premium Outlets we have here in Orlando. It was a very busy, very nice area.
- The Spanish Steps are actually very close in proximity to both the Trevi Fountain and The Pantheon. The street you want to remember to visit all three is Via del Corso. All three can be found right off this main street. There are even signs!
  Golden hour at Saint Peter’s Basilica.
  
  Looking up at Santa Maria della Vittoria. These colors, ahhh.
  
  Artists at the top of the Spanish Steps.

Food

Rome disappointed me in a few ways, and one of those ways was in their gelato. Maybe we just didn’t look in the right places, but I found myself really missing the gelato in Florence.
If you’re looking for a treat while at the Vatican, they serve a variety of pastries in their little cafe. I picked up a mini mixed berry pie to-go that I enjoyed at Saint Peter’s.
There was a bar right outside the train station in Termini that served calzones, sandwiches, and other authentic Italian fare for under €4. The area is rough, but they’ve got some cheap eats. I ate a cheese calzone and a couple of rice-filled balls called “suppli” from this eatery, and everything was delicious.
For our last Italian supper, we treated ourselves to dinner at a bar called Cafe Luna D’Oro, which was not too far from the Spanish Steps. Our waitress was so incredibly nice. Despite there being a bit of a language barrier, she was very accommodating to my food allergies. I had a plateful of gnocchi, and I have absolutely no regrets about that meal… except for the part where we tried Limoncello. Let’s just say that I was not a fan. I felt like I was drinking Lemon scented Clorox wipes in liquid form, but that’s me. Limoncello is not for weak, as are my tastebuds, apparently.
Cafe Luna D’ Oro.

My last treat in Italy was a cannoli. It was wonderful. I enjoyed it watching the sunset from our balcony. A sweet ending for our Roman adventure that had the most unexpected twists and turns out of all the cities we had visited so far. I remember feeling so incredibly excited to be in France the following day. Our of the three countries on our itinerary, I was looking forward to visiting France the most. Nice bound tomorrow!!!

10533698_10152181480447547_5947273536700950941_n — Ciao Roma! Arrivederci Italia!

Florence // 07.08.14 — 07.09.14

•••

I remember we all slept through our alarms the morning we left Venice for Florence. But somehow, we managed to make it to the train station in 40 minutes (which doesn’t sound like much, especially considering Google Maps said it was a 10 minute walk, BUT it was our most efficient trek through the Venetian jungle since we’d been there, so we were pretty proud of ourselves).

None of us were too experienced with riding trains, so it was in Venice where we learned that departures were listed by their final stop, and that we were in the right train station after all. The ride was very smooth. We had assigned seats and sat in two pairs facing each other, with a table between us. T-minus about two hours until we arrive in Florence!

CIAO FIRENZE!

My goodness was Florence different from Venice. You know how when you leave New York, everywhere else just seems to be going at a much more relaxed pace and your anxiety levels are no longer off the charts? Right off the bat in Venice, we were greeted with what felt like so much space and open air. It also only took us 10 minutes to find our hotel, not ninety, if that says anything about how easy getting from Point A to Point B will feel compared to Venice.

It was in Florence where we got the real hostel experience, staying at a really neat place called Hostel Archi Rossi. There is both hot and cold water readily available in the lobby, as well as access to a fridge, microwave, laundry facilities, and computers. I should mention that the previous two places we stayed at in London and Venice did not offer any of these amenities. Best of all, our hostel has a cafeteria, and all three of us were immensely excited for the continental breakfast this place offered!!!

I really enjoyed staying here because even though we were only in Florence for a couple days, there’s a certain sense of community this hostel gave us. Almost all of our fellow guests were youngins, the walls were covered in really fun murals and bright colors, and it felt very much like dorm-lyfe in college, except that we were in Italy. And that we had a huge room to ourselves (we lucked out and the four of us ended up sharing a room meant for 8 people). This hostel also offered a free walking tour, which was the first thing we took advantage of after checking in.

FOOD

Of course, one of the first things that was asked while we were on the walking tour was “where is the best gelato in town?” Easily the best gelato in Florence, and of the entire trip (I think), was at a place called “Gelateria Santa Trinita.” I think we had gelato there three times our first day in Florence. It was both a blessing and curse for this place to be within walking distance of our hostel. The girls and I ate more gelato than anything else in Florence (I mean, when in Italy…) This place is an absolute must if you have a sweet tooth!
Now if you need something other than dessert to sustain you, we adored our dining experience at a little place called Cucciolo, a little off the Piazza del Duomo. It had the best price in town for the quality of food, and the size of the pizza I had was more than enough! The gentleman who I believed owned the restaurant, was also very sweet. As soon as he saw us walk in, he immediately cleared off the counter and waved us in to sit. We just felt so welcome there. SIGHTS

The Ponte Vecchio: the walking tour was great. It gave us a good sense of where things were in the city, and we learned a lot. My favorite tidbit was how the Ponte Vecchio, one of the most, if not the most iconic bridge of Florence was originally occupied by butchers. I never would have guessed that, considering there were mostly jewelry shops bustling with shoppers the first time we walked that bridge. I also never would have guessed there was a secret passage above all of these shops built by the Medici family, just so that they could efficiently get from their home, the Palazzo Pitti, to Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall.
We saw the Santa Maria Novella!!! I wrote a final paper on the façade of this stunning structure and Leon Battista Alberti’s work on it for a class in college. I was literally shaking as we came upon the plaza. Being in Europe felt like one big dream, to be honest. I kept having to remind myself that I was really there. It’s one thing to learn about things in school and see them in textbooks… but to be able to see things in person… indescribable.

Despite the fact that we waited an hour in line for the Uffitzi Gallery, it was worth it. You definitely want to try and get there early. But time flew swiftly as the courtyard next to the gallery entrance had tons of local artists selling their goods and skills. There was lots to look at. In the gallery, we spent three hours looking at pieces by all the major Renaissance and Baroque artists (Bernini, Caravaggio, Da Vinci, Cimabue) and three hours was not enough!
A must see in Florence is the Duomo. You can climb to the top, which we didn’t get to do, and looking back, I wish we had. We strolled through the cathedral though, and while I didn’t love the interior as much as I was impressed by the exterior (aside from the marble details on the floors), I remember enjoying it a lot more than San Marco. The main difference in architecture between Venice and Florence is evident when comparing their churches. The green and white marble exteriors of the Duomo and SMN are very distinctive.
Caravaggio, anyone?
When in Florence, visit the Bronze Boar or “Little Pig” located at the “Little Pig Market,” where our tour-guide suggested we do most of our souvenir shopping. The myth of the Bronze Boar as told by our tour-guide was this: rub the nose of the boar, and you will return to Florence. Visitors upon visitors participate in the bronze boar tradition, so instead of dealing with the daily crowd, we took it upon ourselves to go on a little evening adventure to find the boar, which we did!
- We returned during the day, though, to visit the Little Pig Market, and it was really neat. There were plenty of goods to look at, from coin purses, to bookmarks, to stationery. It was quite the bustling little area. I think all four of us left the market with a souvenir or two in hand.
Before stopping by the “Little Pig Market,” I recommend that you walk along a sidestreet called Via Faenza, which was not too far from our hostel. Despite the fact that our tour-guide recommended the “Little Pig Market” to pick up souvenirs, we wandered down this street afterwards and found a shop that was selling souvenirs for a much better price (ex: 7 postcards for 1 Euro, the best deal I’d seen our entire trip). I didn’t write down the name of the shop, but a little old lady was running it, and she was a little bit sassy towards us (although we did arrive around closing time/her dinner time).
Our last day, we took a trek to Piazzale Michelangelo. While it was a bit of a workout going up a hill, the view was more than worth it. There was a lovely garden called Giardino della rose about halfway up that featured a handful of bronze sculptures throughout. And then at the very, very top: a panoramic view of the city, which was breathtaking. Oh, and a copy of David was up there too, but when you’re surrounded by that view…

That hike marked our final outing in Florence. I definitely enjoyed our stay here moreso than Venice. Coming off the walking tour, I was surprised at how small Florence was. It makes a lot of sense at to why visitors take trains to nearby cities such as Sienna or Pisa while they are in the area. I would absolutely return to Florence, if only for some gelato. I mean, I rubbed the nose of the boar, so I know things will fall into place for me to visit again. ♥

Onward to Rome in our sweet ride (I wish).

Venice // 07.06.14 – 07.07.14

Ciao Venezia!

You were very lovely and very Italian. Although our first day, we fortunately got by on English. The streets are a labyrinth of endless alleyways and corridors – all of which are beautiful, but very similar. It doesn’t help that every building is at least three stories high, meaning we could not even make out landmarks to see if we were headed in the right direction. It took us an hour and a half to find out hotel, which ended up being behind a church and right on the canal.

One of the first things that stood out to me about Venice was they had a number of shops selling cat-related items. And not like, cat toys, or cat food, but cat-themed merchandise. And also postcards with cats on them. I wasn’t sure what this obsession with cats was, but we didn’t see a single cat in London. As a cat-person, I wasn’t complaining.

Food

when in Italy, you must have pizza. It’s just that no one informed me that in Italy, pizzas aren’t cut into slices. And that you use your fork and knife to cut up the pizza, as you would cut steak or something. I mean, I was hungry too, so.
where we stayed included breakfast, and we were served wonderful honey croissants, tea, and cappucinos. Waking up and taking my tea out on the window ledge as church bells rang next door… ahhh.
having an unsatisfied sweet tooth, and also a limited budget, gelato was had for lunch (more of that “when in Italy…” mindset). It was expensive to eat out in Venice as it was in London, and we knew we weren’t going to find a Sainsbury here.
It was in Italy where we learned that if we wanted good gelato, to satisfy our cravings by purchasing gelato from places with “artigianale” in their names, meaning “artisan,” aka homemade with real ingredients and authentic.
While the areas we wandered through in Venice during our stay didn’t have a Sainsbury’s or traditional grocery store per se, there were lots of places to eat, from upscale restaurants right on the canal, to literal hole-in-the-wall places. It was from one of these small, local joints where we picked up something quick to eat for dinner our last night, as we strolled alnong the Canal Grande. I got a slice of margherita, but the gent called it “Pizza Italia.”

Sights

Unarguably, Venice was beautiful. Everything from the many colors of the buildings, to watching gondolas and boats float down the canal. Even the small plaza our hotel room looked open to. Seeing laundry hung from lines outside and between buildings felt so much more romantic and beautiful than any laundry lines I’ve seen in America.

It took us two hours to find the Basilica di San Marco from our hotel, even though it was really less than two miles from us. But that was because we got lost. There aren’t exactly street signs everywhere, and I am not exaggerating when I say that everything looks the same. Beautiful, but all the buildings and alleyways are very similar. But through getting lost and wandering, we stumbled upon “The Most Beautiful Bookshop in the World.”
- Also known as the “Libreria Acqua Alta,” books spamming every subject filled this bookshop, all of its walls, every crevice and its courtyards. It was in one of the courtyards where books were stacked like steps to climb. And to make this bookshop even better, there were cats. We didn’t see a single cat in London, so the fact that 3/4 of us are cat-fans, made this bit of getting lost a little bit more exciting.
- I didn’t catch the name of the gentleman who owned the store, but we spoke to him for a bit. He was an older gent, very sweet. It was from him that we learned that during the Plague in Venice, the cats became very important to help control the rat situation. Even after the Plague happened many years ago, cats are still thoroughly admired and loved throughout Venezia. He also told us that if we were all flowers, we would make the most beautiful bouquet. When in Italy…
- There was even a little nook that opened up right onto the canal with chairs for you to just sit and watch boats go by, or just to take in that Italian summer air.

- It was free to visit Basilica di San Marco, but be aware that your shoulers and knees have to be covered as a sign of respect. This was a rule we learned that applied to the rest of the churches we visited on our trip. Wraps were sold by the entrance, but some fellow travelers on their way out handed us theirs! We paid it forward and passed our shawls onto others in line who hadn’t known about the bare shoulders rule either.
  - To be honest, I wasn’t crazy about the interior of the Basilica. Granted, a lot of it was under reconstruction, but I just remember it being very dark and very depressing. Piazza San Marco (or St Mark’s Square), where the Basilica is located, I liked a lot, though. There were shops to peruse, live music, restaurants… a lot of hustle and bustle going on (as was to be expected for the main public square of Venice). But it was just such an amazingly beautiful “urban space” if you will, despite all the traffic.
- The Doge’s Palace is very near to the Piazza and just absolutely stunning. We arrived too late to visit the museum, but it is definitely a must for next time. I just remember falling in love with the architecture of this building in an art history class. I could spend forever taking in all the details of the palace, and to be right on the canal… *swoon*

St Mark's Square with the Campanile (bell tower) in the distance. — St Mark’s Square with the Campanile (bell tower) in the distance.

No photos could capture the beauty of Doge's Palace. — No photos could capture the beauty of Doge’s Palace.

If you are a fan of contemporary art as we were, visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice (yes, as in that Guggenheim of NYC!!!) Admission is €9 with a student ID.
- I was so surprised, yet so delighted to learn that this modern art collection existed in Venice. We were not disappointed. We saw works from René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Yoko Ono, and a personal favorite, Jenny Holzer.
  Jenny Holzer, 2001.
When in Venice, one must go on a gondola ride. Turns out that while it is €80 for a gondola ride during the day, the price is €100, and it is a fixed price throughout Venice, regardless of how many people ride in the gondola. So if you’re traveling solo or as a pair, it wouldn’t hurt to befriend a couple of fellow tourists to split a gondola ride!
- Despite the fact that we got rained on and our ride was short-lived, it was incredibly relaxing and worth every penny to be able to tour Venice via boat. I only wish our gondelier had sung to us as well. But he did point out a few buildings, including where Marco Polo had lived.

This gondola ride marked our last adventure in Venice. It rained on our last day in London, so it was only tradition. Venice gave me a bit more of that romantic European experience I was looking for. I think our gondelier expressed our feelings about Venice the most appropriately. We are all thumb’s up. Onward to Florence next via train. I couldn’t wait to see what else Italy had to offer.

Ciao, Venezia!

Baby’s First Trip Abroad

One year ago today, myself and three gal pals embarked on a 30 day trip across the pond. And I’m going to do something I didn’t do when I went abroad… I am going to blog about it. I did however, keep a journal throughout the trip, which re-reading, has allowed me to do some reminiscing about this trip. Most of the details in this post I’m probably going to take directly from my journal. I don’t have the best memory. Writing down things always helps.

To start, I’ll tell you about who I went with: Stephanie, Gabriela and Chelsea. We were all recent graduates and friends from college. Steph and I hadn’t been abroad before. Steph had never even ridden on a plane before this trip. Aside from Gaby, none of us had never been to Europe before. But all four of us were ready to take on these three weeks of fun, fun, fun!

: Steph’s mom took this at the airport. Us U.S. gals, ready to take on Europe!

Now, where did we go? We visited three countries: the UK, Italy, and France in that order. I don’t want this post to be a million miles long, and as there is A LOT to say about this trip, so, I think I might indulge and dedicate a separate post for each city we stayed in. Yes. I think I will do that. It will give me another reason to re-live some great memories. ♥
We spent months planning before we left. And even after all the work that was put into planning, I don’t think we could have been prepared for how overwhelmed we were going to feel after arriving. There was just so much to do and see, and plenty of moments where we were like, “what now?” And boy, did we got lost. A lot. Basically 90% of the time we weren’t exactly sure where we were.

An 8+ hour flight is the longest flight I’ve ever been on. Flying isn’t my favorite form of transportation, but this flight was so incredibly smooth and comfortable. A toothbrush, pillow, and blanket were waiting for each of us in our seats and every passenger had their own personal television with an incredible selection of movies to choose from. I played Her, Labor Day and Winter’s Tale — and I fell asleep halfway through all of them. This is what happens when you’re the sleepiest person on the planet and a flight includes complimentary wine.

Around 5AM, we were served breakfast. I enjoyed traditional English breakfast tea as we were flying over the UK and I remember being over the moon thrilled about that. We landed on schedule, 6:50AM and stepping off the plane you could already feel a temperature difference. We definitely weren’t in Florida anymore and even though we would have been sleeping Florida-time, we were running on excitement once we landed (although that was a little short-lived)… more on London Town, soon!

I still can’t believe we left for Europe a year ago today. Things were so different. I think we returned from Europe as different people, our worldview widened, and our hearts and minds still in travel-mode but also in that “I’ll be home soon and will have dependable WiFi again” mindset. Despite the fact that this trip had it’s stressful moments, we learned a lot about each other as fellow travelers. This trip undoubtedly strengthened the friendship I have with Gaby, Chelsea and Stephanie. And if y’all ever read this, know how I much I love you girls. And miss you. It’s been a few months since I’ve seen any of you (and this needs to change). I couldn’t think of a another group of friends I would have wanted to share this experience with.