Blogs from Vatican City, Vatican City, Europe

Rome... it was so good. Arrived at the train statio, walked about 5 minutes to my hostel, checked in, then walked around the area i was in for a while. after, i met two brothers from hong kong, and and english fellow. We hung out that night after eating free pasta. We went to a the colloseum and a few nearby places and saw the city by night. we got gilato which is so much better than american icecream. The next day I went to the the Colloseum and the surounding area again but got to in the places, I ran into Justin and Cameron, which were to ausies I ran into in Monaco at a restraunt, and then again when i was leaving Monaco, so the third time I gave them my name so they ... read more

These days are starting to all blur together. It was strange how dead the bar was last night but I guess the locals don't party too hard on a Wednesday. I talked to mom yesterday for the first time in a while. Gave her a massive Internet hug. love ya mom. I will never take for granted how there are no gypsys in Canada. Literally everywhere. All selling the same shit. Like, no I don't want your cheap ass Louis Vuitton purse and stop calling me playboy! Remember I said I did laundry at 2 in the morning the other night? Well I had a bit of a scare. I didn't grab my clothes because this girl from our tour said she would hold onto them for me. Well it turns out she only had my ... read more

Ciao! Sorry we skipped a day, as you'll see, friday was quite an eventful day... It was our last day in Paris. We started the day at the Arc de Triumphe and then walked down the Champs Elysees. It was gorgeous and super cool, considering all that has happened there. We went through the Place della Concorde and saw the obelisk, where Marie Antoinette and others lost their heads. We also met a few pickpockets, but outwitted them all! We finally came to the louvre, where we planned to spend our last few peaceful hours. Right. At the desk, we were informed that our pre-ordered tickets needed to be picked up back at Champs Elysees, so Sophie and Dad raced back over to pick them up. We finally were able to enter, but our visit was ... read more

Thursday, July 21, 2011 I spent the sntire day in Vatican City. There was a two hour quick tour of the museum, which rivals the Luvre and the British Museum in size and collection. A long lunch contemplating bad caffeteria food and taking airborne tablets to avoid the onset of a cold. Then the Basilica and a real Catholic mass. I just did whatever the nuns did. ... read more

June 10 and 11, 2010. Geographically and from a traveler's perspective, the Vatican City has always been a part of Rome, but thanks to the 1929 Lateran Treaty, this tiny enclave within the Italian capital became the world's smallest sovereign state. The Vatican City has its own postal stamp, its own radio station, and an army of Swiss guards. But unless you're keenly aware of your geography, you won't be aware that once you left the Tiber River's east bank, you have technically stepped into a different country. It's no big deal actually, although for those counting their countries, it's one more tick off the checklist. The Vatican City may be the world's smallest nation but it's definitely no pushover. The UN has granted it a permanent observer status in the UN, while the Pope isn't ... read more