When in Rome...

Rome was certainly a different experience from Florence. It had started to rain when we left Florence, and it continued to do so when we got to Rome. I had read reviews for our hostel, the Ciak, online when we booked it, and it had gotten good reviews. Well, they had failed to mention that it's located in a really bad part of Rome. I realized this when, on the directions from Termini station, the walking directions said "we don't recommend you walking here at night, even though it is a 10 minute walk." We got there around 5:30, so we just ended up walking because it was still light out, but it was definitely a run down area. We made it to the hostel, and were thankfully greeted by a very sweet British receptionist. She pointed out all the important things to see on a map, told us where there was a supermarket, and some good places to eat nearby. Our room was actually in a detached building from the main building called the Secret Garden, which was a little more private. It was a nice room, and it was just the four of us in the room with our own bathroom. In terms of the actual hostel, it was really nice. For dinner, we just walked to the grocery store a block away and got salad and brought it back to our room. It was an early night to bed because we were getting up early to go to the Vatican.

On Wednesday morning, we woke up relatively early to make it to the Vatican for our 10:30 admission to the Vatican Museums. We bought a Roma Pass, which I would highly recommend to anyone traveling to Rome-which gave us unlimited public transport and free entry to 2 museums for 3 days. The Metro stop was thankfully a minute walk from our hostel. I realized on the way that I had forgotten my camera at the hostel, so all of the pictures from the Vatican are from Meagan! We got to the Vatican Museums in plenty of time, only to find out that the Sistine Chapel is CLOSED for conclave. It had closed at 1 pm on Tuesday the 5th and we went at 10:30 am Wednesday the 6th. Less than 24 hours late. I was so upset. It was still cool to see the Raphael Rooms, but everyone was pretty bummed about the Chapel.

As we were leaving the museums, it began to rain. We popped out our umbrellas and went over to St. Peter's Basilica. Entry is free and the line was moving quickly, so we got in in just a few minutes. It was so incredibly ornate inside. I'm not Catholic, so a lot of the statues and displays didn't really mean anything to me, but I could definitely still appreciate the architecture and design inside the church. For those who don't know (and I definitely had to brush up on my knowledge), the church is named after Saint Peter, one of Jesus' apostles, and also the first Bishop of Rome (and Pope). There was a St. Peter's Church since the 4th century, but the current building wasn't finished until 1626. It was designed by Bramante, Michelangelo, Bernini and Maderno. It is without a doubt the most famous piece of Renaissance architecture and the biggest church in the world. The church has a huge, beautiful dome, and the church itself deceivingly HUGE-I was a little underwhelmed until I walked inside. Leading up to the church are tall collonades that circle around the square in front of the church. I'm sure it would be much more beautiful in the sun!

We ate a little lunch at a restaurant a couple streets away from the Vatican, which was actually pretty good! Since it was so gross, we decided to just head back to the hostel and regroup before figuring out what to do for dinner. Everyone napped and then we asked the receptionist about how to navigate Rome. Fiona's friend studying there had sent her a list of good restaurants to go to, so we went to one in the Trastavere area. I got  a good salad and wine there! We had maybe planned on going out somewhere, but we were nervous about figuring out how to get home late, so we just headed back to the hostel after dinner and went to bed.

On Thursday, it was slightly warmer and a little clearer, so we were really optimistic about our plans to see the Colosseum. There was a "breakfast" on the top floor of the Secret Garden, which was mostly bread and tea. We set off around 11 for the Colosseum  which was about a 15 minute walk from our hostel. Thanks to the Roma Pass, we got to skip the line and within 5 minutes we were inside! It was AWESOME. Like St. Peter's, you don't realize how big the Colosseum is until you're in it. Everything is just so old and falling apart; it's so incredible to me that it's so deteriorated but still standing. It was built in 72 AD and housed many a gladiator fight. I just typed that number and I literally can't even fathom how old the structure is! We just wandered around for about an hour, taking pictures every 2 seconds. It got really warm and even SUNNY! 

These are the skeletons of the dungeons where gladiators and animals were held until their fight. There used to be a floor above them, but for tourist purposes, it's been removed

It was lunch time at this point, so we grabbed some yummy paninis from a street vendor and sat outside eating before going into the Roman Forum. The Forum was really cool because, like everything in this part of Rome, it was so OLD, but also because everything was really close together. This is what used to be the center of the city of Rome-this is where the Senate began. I just kept thinking about Caesar the entire time we were there! Some buildings were deteriorating so you couldn't tell where they originally were, but it really felt like everything was on top of each other. There weren't really any plaques or descriptions of the ruins, so Fiona and I got audio guides which were really helpful. 

Arch of Titus

The ruins of the Roman Forum

It was only 2pm by the time we were done at the Forum, so we decided to go ahead and check out all the other places we wanted to go to in Rome. We took the Metro to the Spanish Steps, which was a beautiful area. Finally we were in the Rome that I had imagined-sandy colored buildings, cobblestone streets, little side streets with cafes with Italian flags, and TOURISTS. We felt so at home. We got some gelato and sat on the Spanish steps, even though it was off and on sprinkling.

Not totally sure what this is, but FINALLY blue sky!

Piazza de Spagna

The Trevi Fountain was a close walk, so we wandered down there. Again, so beautiful! We were able to get right in front of the fountain pretty quickly, even though there were a ton of people there. I just kept imagining myself as Lizzie McGuire making a wish.

We all of course tossed a coin in the fountain and made a wish, but I won't tell you what mine was! We just sat by the fountain for a while, which was very relaxing. 

The four of us!

We saw a wedding? Or maybe they already got married and just came to take pics...

Our next stop was the Pantheon. It was really beautiful, and so cool to see the circular hole at the top. We totally forgot that it was completely open, so the ground was wet and roped off right under it. It was built in 126 AD and was used as a Roman church. 

Raphael's tomb!

By this time it was only 5pm, and we had planned on eating at a place right near the Pantheon for dinner. We just wandered around looking in tourist shops and stopped at a cafe, where Meagan, Lucy and Fiona got a Cafe Roma-coffee with nutella! We killed about an hour, but when we arrived at the restaurant Miscellanea at 6, we were still the only ones there. We were able to get a student deal-5 course meal and unlimited wine for 15 Euro. It was AWESOME. First came the wine-1 liter of white and 1 liter of red. Then we got bruschetta, which was really yummy. Next was 2 types of pasta-cheesy gnocchi and a cross between ravioli and lasanga. Halfway through the pastas, we were brought a cheese and mushroom pizza-yum! After the pizza, we were brought another 2 liters of wine. We were definitely feeling that wine at this point...our dessert was poor man's Tiramisu-same flavor, but not as much cake. Finally they brought us a glass of "sexy wine"-bubbly fruity wine. It was definitely a great deal and a good last meal in Italy! On the way back to the hostel, we stopped at the Trevi Fountain, which was beautiful at night. I'm pretty sure we fell asleep at 10:30 that night, which was so relaxing.

We ended up being really glad that we hit all the good spots on Thursday, because Friday was another gross day. I woke up with a really bad headache and just feeling generally under the weather. We had to check out of our hostel at 10, so we left our baggage there and took the Metro back to the Spanish steps for breakfast. We found a little cafe and ate and chatted, since it was starting to rain. We mostly just wandered around all day; I was kind of in a daze until we got to the Trevi Fountain. We popped into a little supermarket right by the fountain and what did I find but a whole display of gluten and dairy free food! It literally turned my day around-my headache went away and I felt much better. I got a couple snacks which were really yummy. Our bus to the airport didn't leave until 5pm, so we just wandered around the rest of the day. It was hard to do much since Rome is such an outdoor city.

Piazza de Popoli

We headed back to the hostel, got our luggage, then go on our bus to the airport. The Rome Ciampino Airport is TINY, and it strangely took 30 minutes to check in with Ryanair, and about 1 minute to get through security. It was really weird. We grabbed some dinner once we got through security, and then headed to our "terminal," which was literally 7 gates, 3 vending machines, and about 50 chairs. Smallest airport I've been in. Unfortunately, our flight left 45 minutes late, so we missed our bus to central London. We had to wait for another one, then hail a cab home. Needless to say, I'm happy to be back in London!

Italian adventures: Florence and Venice

This past week I spent my spring break in Italy and it was the most incredible experience ever!

We started our vacation in Florence-we flew into Pisa Friday morning and, after taking a bus (which drove on the CORRECT side of the street!), arrived in Florence around 2 pm. We checked into our really cool hostel, the Archi Rossi. The hostel was right by the train station, which was a great location for our further travels. When we walked inside, we were greeted by the staff and in awe of the amateur paintings on the walls of famous Italian art. There were 7 of us in an 8 person dorm, which worked out really well. Definitely bunk bed-hostelly but felt very comfortable. We wandered around and found a cafe and great gelato place before heading back to the hostel for naps and showers. During our wandering, we found the iconic Santa Maria del Fiore (the church with the huge dome)! It's so incredibly big and ornate in person. I was totally blown away.

Replica of Ghiberti's bronze doors on the Baptistery

The Campanile (bell tower)

We were really fortunate to have Kate and Fiona's friends to tell us where to go/take us to for meals in Florence. Friday night, we went to Gusta Pizza, where I had probably the best pizza I've ever had.

This is from Tuesday afternoon, but I got the same thing both times!

After Gusta Pizza, Kate's friend took us to a great gelato place where I got cookies and cream and nutella! It was relatively late, so we decided to go to this American bar called Uncle Jimmy's. We got there at 9:30 and it was EMPTY. It was so strange to us, because everything gets crowded early in London. We were welcomed by the bartender and we ordered drinks which he made SUPER strong. A bunch of other people from the JMU Florence program met up with us, and everyone hung out at the bar until about 12:30, when people left to go to the club 21. On Fridays there's no cover charge, so most of us went! It was pretty fun, but totally dead when we were there; it didn't pick up until we were leaving at 1:30 am. We decided to go home "early" because we were getting up to go to Venice the next morning.

On Saturday, we left at 8am for Venice! We were just spending the day there, and had great suggestions of things to do from Kara's mom, who had studied abroad there. The train ride was pretty short and the train was really nice with very comfy seats! We got to Venice around 10:30 and bought a map of the city and a transportation pass. The only way to get around Venice is by boat, so we hopped on the number 1 river bus and set off in the direction of St. Mark's square. On the way, we got a great view of the city of Venice. I knew it was on the water, but it was still really cool to see buildings just...there. It was a little chilly and windy, but a beautifully clear and sunny day.

The Grand Canal

The Rialto Bridge

After about 30 minutes, we arrived at St. Mark's Square. We wandered around, hungry but knowing that everything here would be very expensive. We took some pictures in front of St. Mark's Basilica and then set off for lunch. We decided to just turn down streets and get lost-apparently this is the best way to see Venice because it's so complicated. We definitely got lost! The little streets were really cool though. We ended up at a place that had a lunch deal-salad, pasta, and wine for 14 Euro. It was pretty good pasta! 

St. Mark's Square

Fiona and I outside St. Mark's Basilica

Cute side streets (canals)

Lunch!

After lunch we just wandered around shops and stands. I got some earrings and we all got eye masks for 3 Euro! Masks are huge in Venice, so we had all had to get one. We got back on the vaparetto and went to a cool neighborhood called Accademia, where we stopped and sat on the edge of the canal for a while. It was such a beautiful day; it's one of the few times I've been warm in the sun in the past 2 months. We were all so content to just spend time in the sun. 

The vaparetto just makes its way back to the train station, so after a little while at Accademia, we started making our way back and stopped at the Rialto Bridge. It was very touristy, but the sun was starting to set, so it was really beautiful. 

We killed some time before our train left and got some dinner at a stand, and then boarded our train. We slept a little bit, and arrived back in Florence at 9pm!

Everyone got ready, and then we headed back to Uncle Jimmys at 11 (I can't believe how late they go out in Italy!) We spent a while there with JMU Florence people, which was really fun. We obviously wanted the Italian experience, but being at an American bar was so nice and familiar. After a couple hours, we headed to the club Space. We had heard it was creepy but fun, so we had to try it out. Fiona summed it up very well: it was like a petting zoo and I was the goat. Italian men are very handsy and it was definitely an experience. Wouldn't want to do it again, but I think all of us were glad we experienced it! We got back really late and all slept until about 10 am!

On Sunday we took our time getting ready and went to a cafe for lunch before heading to the Uffizi gallery. There were tons of famous paintings there, but my favorite was "Birth of Venus." It's just always so neat to see such famous pieces in real life. We got done during the late afternoon, so we hung out at the Ponte Vecchio, which was nearby. We got gelato and then sat on the railings near the bridge. It was another beautiful day, so we were content to just hang out. We headed back to the hostel and took a little nap before going to dinner. We went to a place recommended to Kelsey by a friend, Trattoria Pallatino, which ended up being GREAT. I got eggplant Parm which was fantastic. 

The Ponte Vecchio

Meagan and I chillin

On Monday we had planned on going to a wine tasting at 11 am at the Tuscan Wine School. Pretty much everything in Florence is closed on Mondays, so this "Italian Mondays" sounded like a great idea. We got there at 11, but they asked us to come back at 1:30 (and to eat a big lunch because it was a lot of wine...). We decided to go to another restaurant recommendation  which was probably the best dining experience I've had. We were able to sit outside, and the bruschetta I got was definitely the best food I had in Italy. I've become completely obsessed with olive oil. It was such a great day-65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!

Outside with no jacket!!

THE bruschetta

Our lunch successfully filled up the time before the wine tasting, so we walked back to Tuscan Wine School. It was just the 7 of us, and it was AWESOME! It was so legit with a placemat with information about wine and the "teacher" had a powerpoint. Since it was just us, she was able to tailor it to what we knew about wine (which is nothing). I actually learned a lot about wine and, while I can't afford any of the good wine I tasted, I know what makes good and bad wine. We tried a prosecco (which was my favorite), a white blend, a red blend, 2 other reds, and 2 dessert wines. We felt so old and classy doing the tasting! I even got a diploma!

So proud!

Our wine tasting was done around 3:30, and we were on the same side of the river as the Piazzale Michelangelo, which we had been told to visit. It was a bit of a hike to get there, but SO WORTH IT. It was probably my favorite part of Florence, and Italy in general. From the piazza, we got a fantastic view of the city of Florence.

Such a great day

On Tuesday morning, we had to check out of our hostel at 10, so we got up, checked out, and headed to climb the Duomo. Yes, you can climb the 463 stairs to the top of that iconic red dome. We were optimistic and paid the 8 Euro. About half way through, we were feeling it, but we persevered! It was so worth it! We could see all of Florence and the surrounding area. 

After climbing so many stairs, we obviously deserved another whole pizza from Gusta Pizza. It was starting to get cloudy and gross, so we ate our pizza, then got some gelato and hung out in the shop for a little while. 3 of the girls were leaving for London at 2:45, and my train to Rome was at 4, so we just went back to the hostel and hung out until our train! I LOVED Florence, and was really sad to leave! I would definitely go back in a heartbeat.