ITALY. We spent a week in arguably the most beautiful country in the world and I'm not sure I can do it full justice through my writing, but I'll do my very best. When I think about Italy and all that we saw, learned, and ate, I honestly still get emotional because it was THAT amazing. I totally know what all the hype is about! Back in May when we bought our flights from Madrid to Rome I was just praying that they wouldn't get canceled and that we would really be able to live out our travel dreams like we had hoped before coronavirus hit. Sure enough, on the evening of June 30, we arrived at the nearly-empty Madrid airport to leave the country that very few people had left for the past 4 months or so. It felt surreal to finally be traveling, and after hours and hours of planning for our month-long Europe tour, we were just praying that everything would go according to plan!
...Which, of course, almost never happens, as was evident in just our first couple of hours in Rome. After landing at Ciampino, we were shocked to be in and out of the airport in about 30 seconds, pausing only for a second to get our temperatures checked. No passport checks, no forms declaring we didn't have COVID, nothing. What a relief! As two of very few Americans who were traveling Europe at the time, we were so grateful to not have to answer any questions.
We walked out of the building and headed to the bus stop that was supposed to take us to the metro station where we would catch the last train of the night into the center of town. We almost missed the bus because I was so hungry and headed over to the vending machine just in time for it to pull up, but we got on and headed toward our destination. On board, we met a really nice Spanish kid who was returning to his university housing to start his summer classes. He actually paid for our metro ticket when we finally reached the station, what a kind soul! We got to the metro just in time for the train to pull up, so I quickly hopped on feeling relieved to have gotten on the last train of the night. My relief was quickly replaced by panic as I turned around and watched the train doors quickly shut behind me and saw Hayden still standing on the other side. Despite our frantic efforts to get the doors to open, the train sped away leaving Hayden behind.
As it turns out, Hayden had been rummaging through his bag trying to find change to pay our nice friend back because our friend had a rapid change of plans and needed to meet his friends up on the main road instead of taking the metro. The kid had left before Hayden could find the money, and the train left before he could get on. So there he was, panicking and sweating in the humidity of Rome, realizing that he was the only one of the two of us with cell phone service (he reloaded his phone with data and not mine because we thought, "When will we ever be separated?" What an unfortunately ironic scenario).
Hayden later told me he thought I might just take the train all the way to the hotel, which address he didn't even have, but of course, I wasn't going to do that! I panicked a bit and got off at the next stop where I met a nice kid from Ghana. He graciously let me borrow his phone to call Hayden, who was frantically adding minutes to my phone. Luckily, the metro hadn't traveled very far, so I got out and walked to meet him at a bus stop where he was waiting with a big group of very flamboyant college boys who were enthralled by our adventurous tale of separation and reunion (this was after I left the station, then heard a train coming and jumped back down to the metro only to find that the train was going the opposite direction, then missing that train too). SO ANYWAY.
When we reunited, the college kids cheered and congratulated us on our fairytale-like ending. It was a relief to be together again, but at this point, it was about midnight and we weren't entirely sure a bus was even coming to take us downtown. Sure enough, though, a bus did come, and we crammed in with a hundred other sweaty bodies. We thought, "If we don't get corona on this bus ride, then we never will." We talked with a group of very drunk teenagers on one of the longest and most uncomfortable bus rides I can remember. When we finally got to the station, we walked through a pretty sketchy part of the city to get to our hotel room, which mercifully had a shower and air conditioning (although I'll admit, it didn't have much else besides the bed...traveling on a budget isn't very glamorous). So we made it! And when we went to sleep at 2 am we thanked our lucky stars for our safe arrival.
Things only got better from there! On our first day in Rome, we headed straight for the most iconic symbol of the Eternal City: the Colosseum.
I imagine pictures like this are few and far between. It's literally me and the Colosseum...not one other human being made it into the shot! While Rome is known for being incredibly crowded, I would say this was the emptiest city we visited. Amazing.
The sheer sense of AWE that we experienced upon entering this place as we imagined how the gladiators must have felt walking the same grounds was insane. There used to be a sandy floor that covered the underground tunnels that are now exposed where they used to keep animals that they brought over from all over. They even changed the whole stadium to reflect different scenes: desert scenes, jungle scenes, etc. with animals to match. What an awful practice.
Just across the street from the Colosseum is the Roman Forum, the "Main Street" of Rome back in the day. We walked the very road that the Roman soldiers would after conquering yet another part of Europe...so crazy to be there in one of the birthplaces of Western culture.
Now, I don't think enough people talk about how ridiculously HOT Rome is. I could not believe it! The humidity was almost unbearable, and we had to go back to the hotel in the afternoons to shower and nap because it was so sweaty and exhausting walking around. It was a prime time to be tourists because it was so empty, but unfortunately, my memory of Rome is tainted by the sheer HEAT we felt the whole time.
But also when I think of Rome, I remember the first time I ever got emotional over pizza...THIS PIZZA SERIOUSLY MADE ME CRY. This place was recommended to us by the Spanish guy who helped us out the night before, and I'm so glad we trusted him. I couldn't believe how something so simple with such thin crust and few ingredients could be so perfectly delicious. We ordered a prosciutto pizza and a four-cheese per recommendation from our waitress and OH MY GOODNESS WHAT FLAVOR. I could eat nothing but this pizza every day for the rest of my life.
Luckily the evenings cooled down quite a bit. After our emotional meal, we explored the city and took a couple of Rick Steves audio tours. Rome is BEAUTIFUL, and it's especially enchanting at night. Every road is picture-perfect, and around every corner, you can find a beautiful fountain sculpted by someone super famous that has been running since the aqueducts were built 2,000 years ago.
Here's Hayden overlooking the Eternal City. I had to pinch myself to remind myself that I was actually there! A real dream come true!
I just really like this picture that I took standing on one of Rome's many bridges with a view of St. Peters overlooking the Tiber. So magical.
We didn't actually go inside the Pantheon until the next morning, but it is certainly magnificent at night. This is the best-preserved Roman building in the world, and the architectural genius of the structure is quite amazing. The walls are super thick and heavy, but they were able to build the oculus by tapering off the wall thickness the higher they built and making this square design to make the walls that much lighter. Incredible.
And, of course, a night stroll around Rome wouldn't be complete without making a stop at the most famous fountain in the world! ALL THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE FEELS as we turned around and tossed our euros into the blue blue water. The Trevi Fountain was even more spectacular than I imagined, honestly. The statues are ENORMOUS and so beautifully carved. And again, look how few people there were!
"This is what dreeeeeams are made of!"
The next day was all about the Vatican. Yet again, allow me to comment on the sheer emptiness of a city that is normally shoulder-to-shoulder crowded. It almost took away the glory of the city honestly, to see that very few people were there to see some of the buildings that I had heard about my entire life from an entirely different continent. But we weren't complaining! (Except about the heat, of course). We literally just walked right through the queue and into St. Peter's Cathedral. And our jaws absolutely dropped when we did.
OH. MY. HUGE. We had seen a lot of cathedrals to this point, but they all paled in comparison to this, the mother of all Catholic churches. I mean, I knew the place was big, but I was not prepared for the awe-inspiring experience of gazing down the nave of a church with a footprint of nearly six acres. And the height of the ceilings! I was just in absolute shock.
The most beautiful part of the church was Michaelangelo's Pietà, of which we got to catch a glimpse on our way out. So exquisite. What an amazing opportunity we had to see such sacred artwork.
Of course, it follows that while we were in the Vatican, we went to the Vatican museum, including the Sistine Chapel. I would not have appreciated that experience near as much without listening to our friend Rick Steves's audio tour! Learning more about the story of the Sistine Chapel ceiling really was a game-changer for us. It was a real spiritual experience that I will never forget.
Speaking of unforgettable experiences, I have to add this picture for Hayden. I was to the pizza the night before as Hayden was to this gelato: EMOTIONAL. The Old Bridge Gelateria just outside the Vatican really stole our hearts. Hayden's salted caramel and peanut flavor combo really made an impression on him...I think I'll hear about it for the rest of my life.
That night we explored the city some more and ate some jaw-dropping pasta. I couldn't believe how good the tomato sauce was...seriously I can't even think about Little Caesars or Prego without feeling a little ill. The next day was our last in the area before heading to Florence, and we made a stop in Ostia before heading north.
Ostia is apparently Latin for "mouth," and this little well-preserved Roman city is located right where the river meets the ocean. It was so neat walking through the old streets and seeing where the Romans would live, eat, and bathe.
I mean, look how beautiful and well-preserved this Roman bath area is! I love the tiled mosaics.
Again, our experience was sort of tainted because it was SO MISERABLY HOT. But it was still really interesting, and a great way to end our time in Rome.
After a train delay, a lot of confusion, and some serious all-out sprinting down the train tracks with all of our bags in what felt like 200-degree heat, we actually made it to our train just in time for departure. I hadn't sweat that much since my mission, and that's really saying something. We rode through some beauuuutiful country to get to our next destination, Florence, and we quickly fell in love with Tuscany and its rolling green hills. We stayed in a hostel that used to be a monastery, which was a really unique experience. It was nice, but because of corona they didn't turn on the AC so we left the windows open overnight and got EATEN ALIVE by mosquitoes, all while we cradled our wet garments to try to cool ourselves down. Again, cheap travel is NOT glamorous travel.
Ohhh, Florence! I LOVED this place, in fact, I think I would move here. As the birthplace of the Renaissance, the architecture was so different from anything we had yet seen in Europe, and it was refreshing. Walking through the streets really felt like a fairytale!
We had dinner with a view right next to the Duomo on our first night and then explored the lovely lanes until way after dark. Here's the super cool golden door to the Baptistery of St. John. Just look at how amazing the scenes are that are carved in gold...truly a Renaissance masterpiece.
This famous bridge, the Ponte Vecchio, was so lively and fun and there was some really great entertainment that night, so we paused and sat on the edge of the bridge and just couldn't believe we were actually there. This may not be the most flattering photo, but it does capture one of the most magical evenings of my life. Such a special place.
The next day was all about ART. I was honestly a little skeptical about even visiting Florence because I wasn't sure how much I would appreciate the artwork, and BOY was I wrong! I can't believe how lucky we were to be able to see such amazing masterpieces as we did in the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries. We got to see Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera and some of Da Vinci's earliest work as just a young student. We saw Caravaggios, Michelangelos, and Raphaels, and it was so surreal to stand in front of these masterpieces.
Here's the view of the Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi. Like, did I really go there? Unbelievable.
I don't think anyone can adequately prepare themselves to walk into the Accademia Gallery and behold the magnificence of The David. It was honestly a spiritual experience to stand at the end of the hall and gaze at Michaelangelo's most prized masterpiece. The David is flawless, and I wish my words could do it justice but I just don't really know how to express how awe-stricken we were at meeting him face to face.
The hall leading up to The David is lined by unfinished Michaelangelo statues that were also striking, though not as polished and perfect as the main attraction. We just sat and stared at The David for a long time until the museum closed, and I'll never forget it.
Did I mention it was July 4th when we were in Florence? I've never had such a non-American Independence Day in my life. We bought some more amazing pizza and trekked to this lookout point and ate as the sun went down and it was absolutely magical. While we were taking this picture, we met Taycee and Yoni, a really awesome couple from the US who were in the military and living in Brussels. We became friends really quickly and spent the rest of the evening exploring the city together. They were so nice and so fun and even bought us some amazing gelato. We got their numbers and info to stay in touch, and we really followed through! (More on that later:). We went to a market and just happened upon a random piano in the corner, so I sat and played "America the Beautiful" for an audience of our friends and some random Italians who were probably too drunk to know that it was very much an American song. We even saw a couple of fireworks from my favorite bridge that night, so, I'd say we celebrated our independence well that night.
Florence is MAGICAL. I can't wait to go back and visit again someday. The next day, though, it was time to move on to our next adventure, the Cinque Terre.
On our way to the Five Lands, though, we stopped in the cutest little Tuscan town: Lucca. I want to say the setting for Pinocchio was based on this city, but I don't know for sure. It was ADORABLE, and a great little stop on our way to the coast. We rented bikes and rode around the city wall all day marveling at the gorgeous scenery and the picturesque little town.
We visited Puccini's house and, of course, a visit to an Italian city wouldn't be complete without some gelato! I think I got a yummy strawberry banana combo here. Amazing.
Such a wonderful little place.
Cinque Terre was the part of our trip that I think I was most excited about, and I'm sort of bummed that it came at the very beginning because it was SO AMAZING. I had seen these picture-perfect little cities on desktops and heard about people coming here and it had been on my bucket list for a long time. We really made it happen!
We spent the night in the neighboring city of La Spezia and got up early the next morning to start our hiking and swimming and exploring adventures. This was the first city we saw, Manarola, and we started our morning by taking a swim in the blue Mediterranean waters. So refreshing!
While we were swimming we even met a woman from Utah and her family who were living in Germany and spending their Independence Day weekend traveling. What a small world!
From there we took a bus waaaaay up into the mountains and then hiked to Corniglia. We met yet another American couple who were living in Sicily and hiked pretty much the whole way with them. They also treated us to gelato once we got to the town! This was some of my favorite gelato I ate while in Italy. The place had the most amazing flavors, like peach rosemary, homemade honey, and (my favorite) basil. We also ate some amazing focaccia while in the very region where it was invented.
From there, we just kept hiking! The road from Corniglia to Vernazza was absolutely breathtaking, and apparently usually extremely crowded. We were like the only people we saw the whole way!
I mean COME. ON. These views?!?!
We stopped to swim at every chance we got. This is the lovely Vernazza. From here we just took the train to the northernmost city, Monterosso al Mare, where we relaxed on the beach and took in the most breathtaking views of the Italian Riviera.
Soooo incredibly beautiful. After we relaxed for a while, we took the train back to the very first city that we had skipped that morning: Riomaggiore.
We did some cliff jumpin', some kissin', and then some seriously good eatin' at this little bar-restaurant just up the road. Pesto is one of my favorite foods in the whole world, and eating it in the place where it was invented just blew every other pesto sauce I've ever had waaaay out of the water.
Also anchovies? I guess they're really a delicacy around here and not nearly as bad as I thought they'd be!
After a long, amazing, exhausting day of hiking, swimming, and eating, there was nothing left to do but...eat more! In this picture are four of my very favorite things in the world: gelato, a cannoli, a pizza, and Hayden:).
It's also important to note that, though we were only in Italy for 7 days (I could probably spend the rest of my life there) we got gelato a grand total of 12 times. No shame.
Ugh, I can't get over it. Italy is so so magical and I can't wait to go back someday. From La Spezia, we took a loooong train ride through one of the most beautiful countrysides I've ever seen up to Bern, Switzerland where our adventures continued! Crossing the border was quite the scare, though...stay tuned for the next post to find out how we got out of the EU and into Switzerland!
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