Wednesday-
Wake up time was 5:30AM (I am not a happy camper at this hour let alone getting ready and packed to travel ALL day!), you will be proud to know that I fit a weeks worth of stuff in one backpack, can you believe it? I have pictures to prove it! We plan to leave by 6:30 AM which of course does not happen. Our flight leaves at 8:40AM, but we have to take the Tube to Liverpool station (45 minutes) and then take the Stansted Express (1 hour) to our Airport. We make it there with just enough time to get approved by Ryan air (because appearently they dont trust Americans to just go through security) and make it to the plane. Ryan air is a funny airline becuase you pick your seats when you get on (kind of like a bus) and it is highly cheesy. They mentioned that the airline wants to create standing airplanes that allow someone to travel free of charge (right like that will pass safety regulations). I dont really like to fly that much, I am not as bad as mom but the landing and take-off really get to me so I was stressed the whole day. Thatnk goodness for my Ipod! We arrive at Ciampino airport and meet one of Becca's friends, katie from the heidleburg program. Then we bored a bus and travel 40 minutes to the main station in central Rome, Roma termini. From there we walk to find our hotels. 6 girls walking with Stuffed backpacks for an hour to find our hotel is not fun at all. Finally, when we do find our hotel (Thanks daddy for getting the room the first night!) we are informed that it is undergoing rennovations. So the guy tells us all to get into a white van to be moved to another hotel (sketchy right?) so we have no choice but to go. We are sitting in the van not knowing exactly what to do, but we reach our hotel ok. Then we try to check in, but the guy says he needs our passports for an hour due to police regulations and then he says the reservation is for 2 not 4 so we get a room that on;y fits 2. Really hotel guy, where are the others supposed to stay. fortunately it all worked out, we got our passports back and the others got a room somewhere else (I am FINE mom and dad! no need to freak out anymore!)... Since it is only 4 PM at that time we decide to walk around Rome. Its a bit difficult navigating a foreign country but we managed. Luckily, we sort of Stumbled upon the Colloseum and thats when it hit us that we were in ROME or "la citta eterna" (the eternal city). We ran into some heidleburg people from Pepperdine which was fun. Then we walked to the Trevi fountain where the heavens decided to open up and flood all of us! my socks STILL are not dry! We then managed to get back to our hotels although we had to wring out all our clothes. I swear I have seen more rain traveling that in LONDON its Great!
Thursday- We all wake up early to see the sites. First stop, the Vatican city! We run into some fellow Londoners on our way to the vatican so we are one big blob traveling together. We get into the vatican after some security and everything only to be led by a large maze of paintings and sculptures Galore! IT was amazing what was in the museum, The school of athens by Rafael (one of the Ninja Turtles down AJ!) being one of them. Then at the end was the sistine chapel with the famous roof painting of the creation of adam by Michelangelo (2 ninja turtles!). I am sure we saw something Di Vinci while we were in Italy also so (3 ninja turtles down!). We then made our way to St. Peters Square and St. Peters Basillica people could not go in because of a funeral for a cardinal. We ended up walking to the Spanish Steps from there, which is a FAR walk! but on a positive note, we walked through a cute shopping area with GELATO! After that we went back to the Trevi Fountain. It was at that point I found out that some London people ran into some switzerland people and cindy was one of them! Its ridiculous that we were in the same city FINALLY and didnt see eachother! o well roomie, London awaits you in 3 weeks! From there we eat and go to bed.
Friday- We got up at 5:00AM to take a train for a day trip to Florence! (My first Train ride! that I remember at least!) The train ride was 4 hours and I think I slept about 2 so that was good. When we got to Florence we were in a rush to get everything we wanted done. First stop, Michelangelo's David. The David was really AMAZING the museum not so much. 10 Euro (15 dollars) to see one statue and several medieval art I dont know if it was worth it. but it was THE DAVID! Next we went to the Duomo. Its this big dome church thing in Florence. It was pretty cool. We then noticed the Florence pick up line that guys use, "You dropped something.... My Heart" (very original guys) only we didnt like it or fall for it cause we really thought they were trying to steal from us by averting our attention elsewhere (Mom and Dad this is where my new found street smarts come into play). The florentine guys also like hoping into our pictures. We ate at a cafe again I had pizza and bruchetta (I think this in the 4 time?) and Gelato (definitely the 5 time). Since we have been learning non stop about the Medici family (an influential family in Florence) we went to San Lorenzo's basilica and took a picture each of us pretending to be a different Medici (I was the unfortunate one). Florence has a market area that we DEFINITELY took advantage of while there. After that we walked to the River and hung out there enjoying the scenery. Our train back to Rome departed at 5:13PM, in which we had our own compartment to be as loud (and American) as we please! We got back to rome around 10 and went to bed.
Saturday- We woke up at 8 AM for breakfast and to get in some sites before we leave Rome. We went to the Pantheon and saw the McDonald's that Sonia Sorell was raving about having the best view. It doesn't the cafe next to it does, sorry sonia! On the way to our last stop, the Colosseum, we saw many different sites. But, I didnt really know what they were, they were just really old things to me. I think they were the forums of peace, Trajan, and Rome or something like that. For our last stop we hit the Colosseum and the arch of Constantine. I actually TOUCHED the colloseum! Then we headed back to Roma Termini and the Airpost to fly Home to London! We were so anxious to get back. I called my parents once I got off the plane and found out that they were SUPER worried about me the whole time! (Dad you can stop calling the hotel now!) and I am sorry to not have called, now will you get a calling card!? It feels good to be missed!. We practically RAN once we got off the tube at south Ken and got our crepe of course!
What I did while traveling in Rome:
Read "Rebel Angels" by Libba Bray
Listened to "Lines, vines, and trying times" the Jonas Brothers album (In order to prepare for their concert in 2 weeks)
Things I ate:
I always had margherita pizza and Bruchetta (ALWAYS)... No spaghetti please!
People I went with:
Things I learned:
I can Pack lightly (barely)
Twilight is Very popular over there as well
Italian is close to Spanish (Which I failed so that didn't help)
You consume a lot of calories in Italy
I can get up early (dont count on it during christmas holiday parents!)
People think Americans are incompetent idiots
Italians are cold sometimes but outgoing at others
Outside our window... somehow they knew we were American
Two person room
"O look I think we found the colloseum!"
Trevi Fountain at Night
Sistene chapel
mmmmm GELATO!!
I also learned that Italians either can't park or choose not to listen:
(Next time you comment on my parking or driving dad I will remind you of this)
Parking fail #1: just because its a "smart car" does not mean it fits ANYWHERE!
Parking fail #2- If you park behind someone horizontally how do they back out?
Parking fail #3- The sidewalk is for Pedestrians only!
Parking fail #4- The median crosswalk is not a valid place to park your vehicle!
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