"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." {Louisa May Alcott}

Sunday, April 24, 2011

The End of 3 Whole Months in Italy

MIA for the past 6 or so months = ME.

So here is the quick and dirty run down of my stay in Florence. -yes, I said FLORENCE. I got here in the end of January and quickly settled into my routine of going to school for the first half of each day, then doing various things (a lot of nothing...) afterward. Thus far, I have stayed in Italy for my weekend trips: Venice, Rome, Viareggio, Lucca, Pisa, Chianti... And we will suffice it to say that I am officially in love. With Italy of course.

Venice: Amazing. We went during Carnevale and it was a complete madhouse, the minuscule avenues and carless streets were filled to the brim with people, who were for the most part, tourists. Nevertheless, somehow I managed to charm a cashier enough in a glass store on Ponte Rialto who took my friends and I to a private Venetian party. (!) Then we had to fight tooth and nail for a taxi to get to our train on time, at 3 AM. We were in Venice for a total of 12 hours. Don't worry, I will go back.

Rome: I am head over heels for this magical, fast paced, ancient city. I don't think that there are adequate words to describe my feelings for Rome. I was lucky enough to experience a moto tour of the city by a Roman friend, a legitimate, traditional roman meal, and Trastevere... all in the first day. We followed this up with the Spanish Steps, Fontana di Trevi, the Pantheon, Colosseo, Foro Romano, Sistine Chapel, and mass outside the Vatican. My favorites of the trip: the "Hole of Rome" which is a little hole the size of a quarter cut into a door of a baptistery where you can see directly to San Pietro. The fountains of Rome where you could drink water directly from the spout. And La Boca della Verita, a statue of a man with a legend from Ancient Rome - if a man believed his wife was cheating on him, she was forced to place her hand in the statue's mouth and if she was guilty of adultery, her hand would be chopped off...

Fiesole: A little village right outside of Florence, which was founded by the Etruscans. I would say this is the most beautiful place that I have been to in Italy thus far. When you picture the Tuscan countryside, it does not get any more majestic or breathtaking than the hills and the views of Fiesole.









Sorry for the photo overload and the writing and info shortage. I think I have become a little too lazy... ;)
More later! (No promises though...)