Roma, Firenze, and Milano Adventures

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Since my last entry, I have returned to Athens to end my semester in Greece with the Credo program. The last two days were spent in Athens just enjoying my fellow travelers and going out into the city for the last time.

The day it was time to split up the group, six of us went on to Rome (Roma), two to Paris, two on a rail adventure across Europe, one to Spain, one to London, and another to literally travel the world. We reached the Rome airport and at first thought we were going to take the metro to our hostel until we were bombarded with a shuttle service offering to take us for 12 euro each and as it turns out to take the train would have been 11 euro because we were 35 km outside the city! (I was not aware that the airport was that far out.) Once we reached our hostel we climbed 5 flights of stairs with our luggage and into a small hostel and to a room with three bunks. It was a place to sleep and a private room to ourselves.

It was only the afternoon so we took the map that our hostel gave us and went to explore the city. As we walked, we just walked into the Coliseum by accident. That night we also saw the Trevi fountain, Trident fountain, the Pantheon, the river and across it for dinner, Constantine's arch, the Circus Maximus, and explored the area. Thankfully the hostel was in a central location.

The next day since the no one had any money (10 euro at the most) since the ATM wasn't working for over half the people that were along we had to do sites that were free. I forgot to mention that the previous day I had to take out another 150 euro to cover the cost of the hostel for other members because their cards didn't work. This caused everyone to scrape money together and the result was broke Cobbers (name of our school members from Concordia) in Rome. What a thing to happen penniless in Rome. In any case that day which was Monday, we couldn't find an ATM so we went to churches that we didn't have to pay for to get in. Eventually money was taken out so we could eat. That night we met up with two of our Greece companions who were traveling by rail at the Spanish steps and ate dinner at a restaurant called Concordia.

Tuesday was the day at the Vatican. We left the hostel at 6:30 so we could get to St. Peter's when it opened at 7:00. It was an amazing experience and I climbed to the top of the dome on the in and outside for a fabulous view of Rome. Later in the morning we went to the Vatican museum where we saw masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, Titan, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and many more. There were different parts of the museum dedicated to divisions such as sculpture, Egyptian, painting, tomb stones, etc. The magnificent part came with the paintings of the School of Athens, the Last Judgment, and the Sistine Chapel!! We had lunch and then went back across the river to a piazza that contained two churches with Caravaggio's and Raphael's. That night we went out to celebrate a few people's early birthdays with the eight of us that were in Rome.

Wednesday was the Coliseum day, another early day. At this time there was a slight rift in the group which ended in a split and I walked around the Coliseum by myself listening to an audio guide and then to the Forum to meet with those who would be leaving us on the train in the afternoon. That day I saw the Coliseum, the Forum, Palatine, and the Capitonlini Museum that contained yet more works of art.

Thursday was the last full day in Rome. We went to the Vatican again to finish looking at the Basilica and another look at Michelangelo's Pieta. Then a quick jaunt over to Piazza Popolo to look at more Caravaggio paintings. In the afternoon I took the metro down to the Basilica of St. Paul which was huge! Then we walked 1 hour to get to the catacombs for a 30 minute tour. Looking at the map for a way to get back, it would be another hour at least to get back and everyone's feet hurt. Thankfully we bought tickets and ran to a bus as it was about to leave to go to Termini station. Our return was quite an adventure. That night was pizza at an interestingly decorated restaurant near our hostel.

On Friday five of my companions left Rome and flew home while Brock and I continued on to Florence for the second part of the adventure. On the train there we were charged 50 euro to have our ticket stamped on the train because apparently in Italy tickets are good for two months so one must stamp the ticket with the date before getting on the train to have the correct date. Once in Florence we met a lovely southern couple from Arkansas (the Crabtrees) who we walked with to their hotel. Upon reaching the check in place we walked to the location and were pleasantly surprised to find that we had two twins instead of a 4 person mixed room. The place was nice with breakfast, internet, and everything on a quiet street.

In Florence (Firenze) we went to the Uffizi Gallery which has 50 rooms literally filled with masterpieces from the Renaissance, the church of Santa Croce, the Duomo (third largest church in the world), and more churches and walking around. It was a holiday weekend so everyone was on vacation which added to the crowds of people filling the streets. Although I did not like all the people, Florence itself was beautiful and is worth going back to preferably during a time that is not tourist season. The streets were filled with stores and cafes hoping to sell you something as well as a set up of wooden vending stands in the Piazza of Santa Croce.

Leaving Florence for Milan was the best thing, to get out in the morning to avoid the rushes of people. This train ride went much smoother and there was no problem finding the B&B with help from google maps. The area that I am in at the moment is out of central Milan so it is quieter with more of an authentic feel for how normal people go about their everyday lives and not clouded by tourist judgment. Tomorrow will include going to the center of the city to see the amazing large Duomo.

In two days I will be home, which is exciting on all accounts. I have loved and grown so much through my travel experiences. I can't wait to get home to those I have not seen for months and share what has happened. This adventure will stay with me forever, shaping the way I not only look at the world, but the way I react to it and definitely the way I travel.

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