I feel spoiled titling this "Ten Days in Italy..."

Ciao!

What a whirlwind Italy was! I have so much to say and do not even know how to begin. Well first off, of all the places I have traveled thus far I was expecting Italy to be the place where I would be the most inspired to write. FALSE. Maybe it was the fact that we were constantly on the move (but that’s like every city we visit…) or that when we weren’t on the bus or seeing the David or standing in the city square waiting for the Pope to pop out his window, we were enjoying ourselves—

Exploring every alley,

Sampling gelato shops,

Throwing coins in the Trevie fountain for good fortune,

Dancing in three-story clubs in Florence,

Eating pizza with flirty Italian waiters,

Watching couples in love float down canals in Venice on gondolas,

Listening to boring lectures of the Coliseum, (a thorough 45 minute history, honestly—ASK ME ANYTHING)

Drinking liters of complimentary :) wine at cheap dinners,

Sitting outside castles in Assisi watching the sunset,

Fashioning cozy spots out on our balcony’s and star gazing all night,

SPANISH STEPS PUB CRAWL,

Taking too many pictures,

Buying cheap jewelry from open markets in Florence,

& knowing that it’s Italy. You only have one job: live it up.

I did write something after our first day in Florence, sometime between showering and looking up pub-crawls…

“I read about these places, sit in European history class and look at pictures of the Vatican and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I listen to teachers tell me about Roman myths and tie those into literature that dates back to the 12^th Century. And now I’m here. I’m standing looking at the mosaics in churches that are so old, putting a date on it is almost silly. It’s just weird to think that these places are real—tangible cities with people who call them home. The closest I can come to describing this feeling is incredible and strange? That I will pass a row of apartments and then take three more steps and see the Duermo or the canals of Venice. I am finally peeking my head outside of my box that is the west coast and cannot quite come to terms with it. I consistently get the feeling that I can best describe as holding my breath.

I have to remind myself to relax enough to take it all in. Inhale all the good stuff. Never dwell on the insignificant. And understand that the boredom that comes with church tour after church tour is the understood appreciation for things beyond my small little world.

The world stretches further than Canada and Mexico, who knew?”

VENICE: 1 night

Beautiful canals with gondolas that I could stare at forever, colorfully stacked hotels lined up side by side, (I couldn’t stop thinking of them as European legos…) Every street I turn on looks like a postcard, we wanted to take a gondola ride but they were 80E and we were thinking more along the lines of 8E (haha), getting lost trying to find this bar/club on the river, **yes, every ivy-lined alley is breath taking, at the same time, every ivy-lined alley looks the same** One night was not enough!!

ROME: 4 nights

Crazy, crazy, BIG city, climbing up the Vatican à claustrophobia CENTRAL, but so worth it. Gelato, gelato, gelatoooooooo. Spanish steps pub-crawl, 20E cab ride anyone? **getting lost, really lost** Seeing the Pope, he’s so little! St.Paul’s Outside the Walls, second largest Christian church in the world, mosaics that literally made my jaw drop.

Caravaggio museum—marble sculptures that I just could not believe started out as a block of stone. Coffee date with Al J so fun. “You’re only in Italy once so… souvenir shop!”

ASSISI: 2 nights

Quaint, quiet, the definition of a cute Italian village on a hill. Sunset hike—one of the most rewarding things I’ve done here! All meals, home-cooked, AMAZING. Castle walk J Wrap around balcony, star gazing, Deter and his Spanish guitar playing, “pink” cobble stone everything. Peaceful. Happy.

FLORENCE: 2 nights

Big city, but not too overwhelming. Dirty, all cement walls tagged with spray paint. Best shopping ever, bought a pea coat J and presents galore! Favorite museum, the Caravaggio & Bacon. Cute Italian dinner for under 12E. Shots of Lemoncello. Tequila Sunset, anyone? Space Bar. Enough said. Sketchy hotel, but beautiful view of the horizon—definitely the trip of memorable sunsets!

PISA: 1 night

The only historical monument: The Leaning Tower, (surprise! ha) The bridges are incredible, reminded me a little of Florence shopping wise. One main shopping street covered in cobblestone—slightly reminiscent of the Getridagase in Salzy J Low-key, window shopping, last night in Italy, so sad… but definitely time to head back to our litte castle on a mountain.

"One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." –- Henry Miller