1/26/2005: Closing remarks

It's almost like I expected time to stop for me when I left and for it to resume normally when I returned. I should have known better. I returned to find that time had in fact gone on without me, and to see that January was almost over. However, despite the fact that time flies whether or not you're having fun (which I was, just to clarify), there are some things that last forever. Take Rome for example -- it's not called The Eternal City for nothing. It's been around for a while. Consider the history there -- the Colosseum, the Forum. Pompeii as well -- it's been nearly 2,000 years since Vesuvius exploded, and it is still the subject of archeological digs and seemingly endless History Channel and Discovery Channel documentaries and movies (see Pompeii: The Last Day on the Discovery Channel on January 30). We are still in the process of learning about these places and what went on in them. Just last week, previously unknown Da Vinci drawings were uncovered in Florence. How cool to have been there just before the discovery, although I wish we could have actually been there for it. There are still so many things to see and know about this world, and so many things that we don't even realize that we don't know about them because they have been hidden away for so long. Perhaps discovery is half the journey of life -- self-discovery, achieved maybe through discovery of other things that before one could not have even imagined or even tried to comprehend. Maybe they are two separate, unrelated things. At any rate, both are important. Traveling can be an extremely rewarding, if tiring and at times difficult, experience. You will learn and realize a lot that you never knew, and a lot that will interest you that you never thought you could possibly care about. I would encourage you to travel as much as possible. Who knows what you might find in that great big world out there?

1/24/2005: Home Sweet Home!

Sorry I haven't been here since Thursday, but haven't had any Internet access. Suffering withdrawal...just kidding. Kind of.
Anyway, Friday morning we left Rome for Venice, which is an extremely beautiful place, if a bit smelly (if you get past the occasional whiff of something resembling rotten eggs, you'll be fine--I've heard it's a ton worse in the summer though). However, I guess you could say I am a bit of a germophobe, so Venice is not the ideal place for people like that, what with the probably polluted water (it's so pretty though--a very nice bluish-green) and the pigeons everywhere, especially in St. Mark's Square. If you don't want to feel threatened by pigeons flying at you from all directions, then avoid walking through the middle of it if at all possible. Oh, and because it's on water, the wind can be kind of cold, and the weather was cold enough already, although I think from what I heard the weather was much colder and in general worse at home. We were lucky that it never rained on us while we were there. I can only imagine how much more beautiful and pleasant it must be in the summer there (minus the tons and tons of people and the smell).
We didn't stay in St. Mark's very long, but the church itself is beautiful. I've heard it's even better when it's lit up on the inside, but they only do that for a certain number of hours during the week or something, and I didn''t get to see that.
Saturday we went to Murano, where they make the famous Venetian glass, and let me tell you, that stuff is absolutely, incredibly amazing (amazingly expensive too, but we''ll get to that in a minute). One of the workers made a vase and a horse figurine in the ten minutes that we sat there and watched, and it was so awesome. My mouth was just gaping open in awe of what he was doing. That was probably one of my other favorite parts of the trip. Of course, they have to let it cool for a certain period of time, and then it gets gilded (they put 24 karat gold on it) and enameled. The end result is breathtaking. (I know I've used all these adjectives already, and although I'm a creative writer and I should have more of them in my vocabulary, no others are coming to mind right now, so please forgive the repetitiveness.) The showrooms there are filled with colorful glass creations--shot glasses, vases, sculptures (including a really big, really cool sculpture of some turtles swimming--only 87,000+ Euros (yes, you did read that right), jewelry...there was just so much to take in. The glass is harder to break because of the way they make it (I think that's right, but I could be wrong). When our tour guide was showing us some of the pieces, he was just kind of throwing them around, and we were all pretty nervous about that. Even though they may not be as easily broken as regular glass, we were all still very wary of breaking anything, because as I mentioned, things are very expensive there. A small shot-glass sized chalice that I wanted was 96 Euros. I kind of wish I had bought it because it was so pretty, but it was so pretty that I think I would have been afraid to use it--after all, how do you wash this stuff? It's not like you can probably just use dishwashing detergent on it--at least I don''t think you can. We were all terrified that we would break something, so the "Look, but don't touch" rule was very much in effect. We were also informed that things were so expensive because lots of pieces break while they are being cooled, so only a small number of pieces exist compared with all the ones they've made. I wish I could have taken pictures of some of the stuff in the showroom, but they didn't allow it sadly. Oh well, you'll just have to go see it for yourself--I highly recommend it.
We had a long, long day yesterday. I woke up about 5:10 a.m. Italy time and didn't go to sleep until 2:30 this morning EST time, so I had a nice 27-hour day. Don't know how I'm awake right now, actually--I think the trip screwed up my sleep schedule or something. I just hope I'm not going to become an insomniac. Yikes! Anyway, a lot of the group split off from us at the airport--some went straight home from Dulles, others left with friends or family who had met them there. At any rate, I have never known a group of people so glad to see home again when we got back at 10 p.m. EST last night (so weird dealing with two different time zones--much less two different continents--in one day). So weird, but I have to admit, I was more than hyped about returning to normal life. I love traveling, but I could never make a life of it as I once thought I could. Too much time spent in strange situations, or being cramped on a plane (especially during turbulence--we experienced some nasty stuff on the way home yesterday) or bus can make you a bit crazy, to say the least, so returning home was very very wonderful. Also, the abundance of English spoken and the overflowing amounts of free water available in all restaurants is very very welcome too. Let me explain: the tap water in Italy isn''t great (well, it's not really great anywhere), so you end up buying bottled water, and that gets pricey after a while (make sure that you get "acqua naturale," and not water "with gas," a.k.a. carbonated water--that stuff is SO NASTY). The strange thing was how much more it cost some places than others. I asked one of the guys in the group what he missed most about home, and his answer was "English, free water and rap." I have to admit, I am just now realizing how wonderful and glorious free Internet is. I am ashamed of how much I spent on Internet in Italy.

1/20/2005: Our last day in Rome...

Today we explored the vast Vatican Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel, which was not nearly as huge as I expected it to be, but it was still cool to see it in person.

Went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch (and after dinner last night--more about that later). The group I was with had never been so happy to have American food--one of the girls consumed nearly an entire bottle of Heinz ketchup with her fries and burger.

Needless to say, we're all ready to go home at least to some extent. We've gotten word of bad weather there, and hope that there won't be any more to keep us from getting home on time Sunday night, because we are all looking forward to resting up and chilling out, and more importantly seeing friends and family again, after two weeks of seemingly non-stop going.

Dinner last night was the best dinner we've had since we've been here--we went to a tavern, and that was really really fun. There was a band (kind of reminded me of the mariachi bands they have at Mexican restaurants) and they played some Italian music and played their versions of some American songs--Frank Sinatra's "My Way," Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You," and Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender." Oh, and it wouldn't have been right if they hadn't played "That's Amore" too--we sang what words we knew with them. That was lots of fun. There were four courses to the meal, so no one was hungry afterwards--it was so much food, but it was so good.

I think that's all for now, except to warn you that phone cards are evil, verging on becoming the bane of my existence, but that's another story for another place. Ciao!

1/19/2005: Two countries in two weeks

I say that because the Vatican City and Italy are actually two separate countries. We spent most of today in the Vatican City and will go there again tomorrow to see the Vatican museums, which includes the Sistine Chapel.

Today we had an audience with the Pope. I felt the crowd's enthusiasm would have been better if they hadn't acted like they were at a football game -- it was rude and irreverent it seemed to me. We could understand most of what the Pope said in English, but not all of it. It is really sad to see him in such a condition; he did not walk at all today, I don't know if he ever leaves his rolling seat.

We also saw St. Peter's Basilica today, which is the most impressive thing by far that I've seen since the Duomo in Florence. It is absolutely magnificent on the inside, not that the outside isn't worth seeing as well. We hung out with a young American tour guide who started out with two people in his group, then ended up with like 30. He was really knowledgeable, saying that all he knew about the subjects came from reading a lot. I think going on his tour helped me to appreciate things there much, much more. He pointed out on Pope Alexander's monument that Charity's clothes are actually the same material as every other part of the statue (with the exception of the Sicilian jasper covering, which looks like fabric spread out just the right way), while Truth's clothes are of steel and are rotting away--her clothes are steel because they felt that she should not be nude, but they didn't use the same material (which I would guess was marble, since it is everywhere in these basilicas, churches, etc.) for some reason. Charity's clothes look real too--they don't look like marble. This statue was Bernini's last work, and was actually completed after his death; he also designed St. Peter's Square, which contains four rows of columns--however, if you stand in just the right spot in the square, all four rows line up to look like one. Michelangelo designed the inside of the dome, and it was his last work, completed after his death, and while you can't see it very well, apparently it is evident that he himself did not paint it. The tour guide also told us that the Statue of Liberty could easily fit inside the dome, with 20+ meters left over. The Pieta was much smaller than I expected, but was still amazing to see. I know I've said this before, but Michelangelo was truly a master of his art. When we saw David last week, we were informed that his arms and head are out of proportion, but when you stand far away from the statue, they don't appear that way--Michelangelo intentionally did that.

A couple more travel tips:

• Buy extra batteries, film, memory cards, etc. at home. If you can find what you need here, you may pay a lot more for it.

• X-ray scanners WILL mess up your electronics; my digital camera has not been right since we left the airports last week. I would suggest that if possible you carry small electronics like that through the metal detectors with you (although I would suspect that those aren't exactly good for your electronics either).

I think that's all for now folks. Ciao, and I will probably talk to you tomorrow afternoon.

1/17/2005: Rome!!!

I am so ecstatic to have an American keyboard again. I love this hotel where we are in Rome--another four star. I love it, even if the internet is 5.25 Euros for 15 minutes. Insane, but totally worth it.

What little we have seen of Rome so far reminds me of a much bigger, dirtier version of Florence. We are not eating dinner in the restaurant tonight--hopefully we're going to the Hard Rock Cafe (joking--anyone who knows me well will get it).

I am absolutely hyped up right now and I'm not entirely sure why. But anyway, we saw Pompeii today. We were there I think less than an hour. A lot of it was closed for restorations, including the legendary brothels--our tour guide told us it was under restoration because there had been too many guests there.

I should go now. Ciao for now, and expect more from me tomorrow.

1/18/2005: Roaming around Rome

Today we've seen the Forum, Colosseum (I got some great pictures of the city from there), St. Paul's Basilica (basilica or cathedral or what? I can't keep them straight), and some of the catacombs. There is clearly a lot to see and do around Rome, and we did a lot of it today. Tomorrow we're going to the Vatican City to have an audience with the Pope, so I am looking forward to that. I think tomorrow is also the day that we go to see the Sistine Chapel, although that may be on Thursday.

Well, I think that is all for today. Ciao!

1/15/2005: In awe of Assisi

The scenery we have seen today is nothing short of astounding. The weather finally cleared up, and the view of the valley from Assisi is beautiful. Around Sorrento, the water is just so blue -- almost like sapphires. I have taken so many pictures today--I just hope that the colors show through. One thing I have learned over the past couple days--digital and film are not created equal. The hotel is four stars so that is really great, too.

However, as much of a good time as I am having here, nothing can equal what home is like. Not homesick all the time, but for a little while at least each day -- the food, the people, the familiarity...just home in general.

All right, I think that is all for now. Ciao!

1/13/2005: In Siena

So we got to Siena today and a group of us went to lunch. The place looked fine and the waiter seemed cool (I think he may have been the only person there). So we sit down and order. We tell the guy what we want and he pretends not to know what we’re saying although we’re clearly telling him what we want. So he brings us what we order and we discover that what we ordered is more or less a TV dinner straight out of the microwave. Then it comes time to pay. There’s a sign on the door saying that they take credit cards. He tells us they won’t accept credit cards or travelers checks and he won’t split the bill or give one of the girls in the group bills in smaller denominations. So after bickering with him for a few minutes, we were all rather irritated -- we paid and left. Everyone ended up owing somebody else in the group some money because we didn’t have change or the right amount and he wouldn’t take a credit card. Morals of the story are be picky about where you eat; if it seems too good to be true, it probably is; and avoid the Cafe Tea Room American Bar in Siena like the plague. But -- good news -- we left there and got some gelato, which made us feel somewhat better because it is so good

Then we met up with the whole group to go see Siena’s Duomo. The Duomo as it stands is impressive, with rich details--it is very embellished both inside and out. It is not exactly small either, but it would have been much bigger if the plans to enlarge it had been carried out in the 1200s. Unfortunately, the Black Death came and wiped out 2/3 of the population here and the addition to the building was never finished. I myself prefer the one in Florence, but this one is worth seeing

The drive from Florence to Siena was not very long at all. I think it would have been more enjoyable scenery wise though if the weather had not been so overcast and if it weren't winter here.

I think that’s all for today. Ciao, and I hope to be back here tomorrow, if internet availability allows.

1/12/2005: One last day in Florence

So today we went to Santa Croce, which was absolutely amazing. I know I've used that word a lot already, but it's true--a lot of what we have seen has been incredible. Then a group of us went to the Boboli Gardens (which reminded me a bit of Maymont back home) and the Piazza del Michelangelo, which involved a lot of climbing, but the view overlooking the city was awesome. Then a couple of us went to climb to the top of the Duomo, which terrified me--I'm not claustrophobic or afraid of heights, but that was not a fun experience. The view again was absolutely breathtaking, but the climb was my own personal hell because there was no place to stop and breathe or move to let other people by. There were 463 steps, and we did that in about 10 minutes. I cannot remember the last time I was so glad to be back on land. But as I said, the view was fantastic. Then we went to the Ponte Vecchio for a little shopping before getting lost on the way back to the hotel. Fortunately, some extremely nice Italians graciously gave us good directions and we were soon back after a long, tiring day.

Tomorrow morning we leave Florence for Siena. I don't know the availability of Internet access there or in Assisi, so it may be about three more days before you hear from me again (but I hope not). At any rate, ciao!

1/11/2005: Can I not wear shoes to dinner?

Okay, that may sound like an odd question, but after a long day of walking, when you take your shoes off, you value the time that they are not on.

I walked through the Uffizi in roughly an hour. I think I skipped a lot of stuff. I was very confused when suddenly I was in the gift shop and no one in my group had gotten there yet. Another thing I learned today--once you get in the gift shop, there is no going back.

I have never been a big fan of art, but I think today maybe my appreciation of it was slightly heightened. The rich, magnificent colors were astounding; I appreciated the great detail; and Michelangelo's David, which celebrated its 500th anniversary in September, was absolutely amazing, awesome and breathtaking. It was so lifelike I swear I saw the hand move. Some of the paintings I saw today were also gargantuan, as was David himself--I think his leg may be taller than I am, and I am 5 feet 9 inches tall. Amazing. Michelangelo was no less than a master at what he did. His work is absolutely magnificent in every way. I really would have expected David to have been in a much bigger, grander museum in a bigger city, like Rome, but since Michelangelo was from Florence it is fitting that David resides here.

The language barrier has not been such an issue here, fortunately--that was one of my biggest issues with this trip before I got here. The people speak usually speak at least enough English to know what you are telling them or enough to tell you something. If not, they can motion to you what they are trying to tell you.

I have been desperately trying to avoid looking like a tourist (which I know is unavoidable), so I have only taken 30 pictures so far (although if my pictures of the Duomo had come out better and it was not so big, I would surely have taken more of it). I finally broke down and made my first purchase today though--a leather jacket for myself. Not much of a deal at $110, and since I was at the market I should have haggled with the guy I bought it from, but oh well.

Okay, I think that is all for today. Ciao!

1/10/2005: Things I've learned so far

• You will feel threatened at all times--if not by cars, then by speeding Vespas or bikes.
• If you do not get run over from the side, you will be run over from behind or head-on.
• It is okay to walk down the middle of the street.
• Mini Coopers can appear very large when next to Smart cars and similar miniscule vehicles.

So today we took a long walking tour through Florence. We saw the Duomo, which, as I mentioned yesterday, is absolutely monstrous in size. I took very few pictures of it because pictures and words are completely inadequate when trying to describe it. You simply have to see it in person because it is breathtaking. All the detail and the color on the outside is just outstanding. The inside is much simpler. Apparently, the façade on the outside was only put up in the 1880s, which surprised me a lot -- before, the outside was covered in just rough stonework. Another thing that surprised me was that the Medici chapel was not more elaborate on the outside, especially since that family was all about showing its wealth and power. The inside is rather nice though.

Oh, and just to give you some bearing on how far money goes here -- my lunch today was $9.50 Euro, which equates to $12.56 American. I had lasagna (the portion size was good, so that kind of made up for the fact that it cost 7 Euros) and hot chocolate (so rich, it was like drinking Hershey's syrup, but it was really really good).

I think that is all for now. Ciao!

1/9/2005: Finally!

What I'm about to publish here are a series of entries I wrote for a trip I took with a class to Italy in January 2005. Here is the first:

We arrived in Florence this afternoon. All are happy to have showered and brushed their teeth. The hotel (Hotel Capital, a Best Western) is nice and has internet access, which makes things a lot easier for me. Things are going well so far--the flight from D.C. to Paris seemed to last forever, but we made it. I think everyone agreed that about one hour was the standard amount of sleep we got, so we are trying as hard as we can to stay awake.

We took a short drive through the city today, and everywhere reminded me of somewhere I'd been before, until we got to the Duomo. It is absolutely massive as well as very elaborate and breathtaking.

The Italian keyboards are throwing me off quite a bit, so if there are typos that could very well have something to do with it (although the lack of sleep may also account for it).

I think that may have to be all for now. Ciao!