Well, now that I am safe and sound in my humble abode I have time to blog about the final experiences in my travels! so here we go...
FLORENCE
-We arrived safely into florence on the train and had a 20 minute walk (most brutal walk!! My suitcase was toast so I was just dragging it...blisters made their home on my hands that day) to our hostel which turned out to be more of an apartment! It was pretty nice...had to share a bathroom with the other rooms though and no breakfast in the morning haha. GREAT location though! 5-10 minute walk from the major sights.
- Once settled in we headed out into the busy streets and ended up in Michaelangelo Plazza. Great view of Florence, especially at night. A copy of the 'David' was also there so it was neat to see a sneak preview =]
-We encountered a few itneresting people on our way back to the hostel...apparently this is normal for Italy =P
-Finally time for sleep!!
- Up at 6:30!! The early mornings and late nights are starting to catch up! Walking for 10 hours also doesn't help =P. We were determined to get a good spot in line for the Uffizi Gallery
-Had to pack up a bit since check out was at 10:30
-Arrived at the gallery by 7:30 and just our luck, FIRST IN LINE! It was great to see all the sculptures lining the hallways and the art filled rooms...really got me excited for the other galleries that layed ahead of us! Managed to do this one in 1.5 hours because we had to head back to our hostel to check out!
-On the way back I decided to purchase a new and improved (4 wheeler!) suitcase! Wow, did it ever feel good to pull that around haha I rushed back from the store and piled everything from the old suitcase to the new one (tackled this in under 10 minutes so we wouldn't be late and be charged!). We stored our luggage in the office and headed back out to continue on with our Florence adventure.
-For lunch I caved in and bought McDonalds....yes, horrible for you but probably the cheapest food you can get there!
-From McDonald's I headed to the line up for the Academia while Heidi went to find a panini (she has never eaten from McDonalds and refuses to start! =P). I ended up talking with 2 girls from the states who spent a semester of school in Europe and are now traveling for a few weeks. Heidi came back and we talked with the girls all the way into the gallery! (probably a 1 hour wait...had to throw out my burger since I didn't finish it and it wasn't allowed in =[ less calories and fat I guess!).
-WOW! Amazing! Everything was jaw dropping but I fell in love with the 'David' statue right away! A must see for anyone who goes to Italy. The way Michaelangelo portrays his strength but also uncertainty is Brilliant! Heidi and I sat and looked at it for atleast 20 minutes while listening to a Rick Steeve's podcast on it (highly recommended...free off of Itunes). We were both in awe and were really excited to buy postcards with the 'David' on it afterwards =]. Since we weren't as rushed this time we took it all in and had some very interesting conversations on the art work. We noticed that in the Catholic paintings their theology of the Bible was sometimes wrong. Lots of works showed John the Baptist as an adult standing beside a baby Jesus...John the Baptist was only a few months older than Jesus and so this isn't correct! Also, John the Baptist was beheaded before Jesus' crucifixion and some other works showed him standing beside Jesus on the Cross...wrong once again! Oh well haha I did enjoying using the new wisdom I have received from Bible school to interpret some of the art.
-After a great morning spent in the Galleries we headed back out onto the main street and couldn't resist buying some Gelati after the smell of waffle cones wafting up our noses! I am falling so in love with this stuff =P
- Since we have seen the major sights we killed time by visiting the Santa Croce. We walked along the water to get there and saw some nice art work and gorgeous houses! Once in the Santa Croce we saw the tombs of Galileo, Michaelangelo, Dante Alighieri, Vittorio Alfieri, Nicolo Machiavelli, Gioacchino Rossini, Ugo Foscolo, and many more crazy names =]. I loved being amidst the bodies of great people!
-On our way back I couldn't resist stopping in at the H&M.....it has 4 levels!!!!! I now have been in a london,spain,italy, and alberta H&M =]
- it was now time to say our goodbyes, collect our luggage, and head off on our second train experience! (ended up being a lot smoother than the first time =] )
ROME
- I saw LOTS of sheep on the train ride... didn't realize that was a big thing in Italy?
- we arrived safely into Rome and caught the #64 bus which is the best bus ever!! It takes you past all the main attractions and 5 min from our hostel (which provides breakfast AND had a bathroom attached!!). We bought a 3 day bus ticket so we could use the bus as much as we want (which turned out to be a lot).
-We didn't really have a hard to finding our hostel...a nice man pointed out what direction it was in and after that we just depended on walking and a picture of the place. Once there were settled in for the last time and headed out for Dinner. BEST FOOD EVER! For starters we had a grilled artichoke heart on top of cheese and a tater thing...yummy! and then for dinner I had the chicken carbonara (Ryan would be proud!). I couldn't help but to order Tiramisu for dessert..thank goodness we got a 10% off coupon from our hostel =P. All in all our bellies were satisfied and so we had an early night and headed back to our room. I reorganized my suitcase due to the piling of clothes in florence and then headed to bed.
-Day two started off with a nice breakfast (similar to the one in Venice but this time had meat and cheese which was perfect for us to make sandwiches for lunch) then a trip to the Vatican City!
-Once in St. Peter's square I listened to the Rick steeves Podcast and found out that this was a place where Christians were killed for entertainment during the chariot races! Totally gave a new vibe haha Anyways, we made our way around to the Vatican Museum and didn't have to wait too long to get in. Right away I was captured by the amazing ceilings and the pastel colors used. I took many pictures looking up =P
-Slowly we made it to the Sistine Chapel which was probably my favorite part of that day. Just learning about how the frescoes portrayed the story of creation, the prophets, ancestors and the last judgement really put everything into a new perspective. Such a powerful way to get this all across! We sat in there for probably 45 minutes. The constant 'shhhhhs' and 'no cameras!' got annoying but didn't ruin our experience there =]
- We both were on a caffeine low so we headed to the closest shop to get some cappuccinos! While sipping we mapped out the next plan of action...the Basilica!
-The pope was there that day giving a speech so lucky for us we got to see him live and in person! but unfortunately this created bigger lines and they didn't open up the Basilica until he was done speaking. 1.5 hours later we made our way through the heat into the magnificent cathedral!
-IT WAS HUGE! haha also I loved seeing where Peter was buried...wasn't a fan of seeing a preserved dead pope though!!
-Lunch time! We ate in St. Peter's square. A pigeon (Angus, rupert came for a visit!!) decided to join me in feasting on my crackers =P ate it right out of my hand!
-After lunch we headed back to the #64 and made our way to the Piazzo Navona and then the Campo de Fiori. I purchased some art from the Piazza and right after it started to rain!! With the art in my jacket we headed for shelter in this neat little store and soon enough it started to hail (the size of marbles!). We browsed around and when the rain/hail lightened up we made our way back to the bus stop
-Heidi and I split up for the rest of the afternoon. I went to the Pantheon which was really cool!! Because it just rained the floor was wet (due to the circular hole in the roof....there on purpose =P) but I learned that hidden in the marble floor are little holes so when it does rain the pantheon won't flood!! Also, the large pillars on the outside were transported by slaves from egypt. took them 8 years to get them to Rome! Hmm so much slave abuse going on!
-After the pantheon I went back to the bus but ended up getting on the wrong one heading the opposite direction! Oh well, I got to see many other sites that I normally wouldn't of as I walked back to somewhere familiar.
-Finally caught the right bus and met Heidi back at the hostel for dinner (at the same place as the first night)! I am starting to become a fan of sparkling water =]
-Early bed time for us!!! We debriefed on our adventures and then turned out the lights!
-Day three started with a lovely sleep in. We weren't in a rush since we got most of the sightseeing done and so we ended up having breakfast a lot later than usual! We got food for our lunch, caught the bus and were off to the Colosseum!
- BRILLIANT! Poor Heidi walked in on someone in the bathroom which may have tainted her experience but for me it was amazing! Amazing with the way it was built yet sad to hear about all the blood shed that went on (Thank you once again, Rick Steeves). I can't really imagine watching someone/something get shredded to bits for fun! No thank you. Anyways, it had an eerie feeling but I still couldn't believe I was standing in a place that a only saw on movies before! I am so blessed =]
-We saw the Arch of Constatine from the Colosseum and decided to go look at it on our way to the Forum/ruins
- We spent 3 hours walking around the Ruins and the Palatino and boy, was it refreshing! Just being around green grass and sheltered by trees...very lovely =]. You could hear birds and smell the flowers!! Very calming and a great change of scenery. It wasn't too busy either which was a bonus!
-Our last stop was, of course, the TREVI FOUNTAIN! When in Rome you must visit the Trevi Fountain =]. I was dissapointed at how crowded it was but we managed to get a good spot up close and then we just took in the amazing sculptures and calming noises! Out of the corner of my eye I saw this guy trying to catch the coins that were being tossed in...no luck for him! We decided to come back at night to see the different lighting and that is when we would throw our coins in (right hand over left shoulder...don't forget!).
- We decided to have our one last splurge on Gelati. We ended up going to the best gelati place in Europe! Has over 100 flavors. The guy at the counter said I could have 22 flavors when I asked how many I could choose...unfortunately I settled for 3 flavors =P Mmmmm you could taste the quality in those scoops! haha
-On our way back we passed through the Pantheon and ran into Heidi's cousin who was also a student at Rio Vida. We chatted for an hour as we basked in the sun and then headed our seperate ways, back to our own hostels.
-Packing time! We got a head start on our packing because we knew it would be an early morning (gone by 8am to the airport) and we were going back out at night.
-All that packing made us hungry and so we decided to switch it up and instead of eating at our normal restaurant we ate closer to the Trevi Fountain. We decided to invest in some pizza from Rome! It was devine =] Not sure if I like the thin crust in Europe better than the North American thick crust! We both had a full pizza to ourselves!
-Back to the Trevi once again!! It wasn't as crowded at night and was lit up nicely creating different shadows/depth. I would advise to see it during the day and at night (thanks for the tip parents!)
- After a long day we headed back to the hostel. Unfortunately it is easy to get lost by walking in Rome and so it ended up taking us an hour to find our way back to the main street. Everything looks so different at night!
-Boy, did we ever crash when we got back! haha I do enjoy my sleep =]
-Day 4 was a very sad day =[ Had to part my ways and say farewell to Italy! After breakfast a taxi arranged by the hostel came to pick me up. First taxi ride ever!!
-The airport in Rome is HUGE...had to take an 'air train' or whatever you call it to my gate. Kind of reminded me of Disney world...had to take the same sort of train!
-While I waited I bought some new headphones to replace my other ones since only one ear bud worked =P These ones block out ALL noise. LOVE THEM! Plus, they are purple =]
- When I noticed that it was 30 mins past when we were suppose to board I could sense something was wrong. Boy, was I right! The ground crew at the airport ended up going on strike. This meant that NO ONE was leaving that airport any time soon! Well, that was a great life experience! Since I had no control over the situation I decided not to panic. I was only worried about letting my grandparents know not to pick me up in Toronto. Thankfully, I found a computer that I could use (mine was dead and the cord was in my luggage which was already checked in) and emailed everyone I could to let them know! It turned out to be okay =]
-When stuck in an airport there is nothing really to do except for meeting new people! I met 2 families from America who made me feel semi "at home", there was a senior class on their grade 12 trip going back home to Chicago, a 10 month old baby boy (joshua) declared me as his Girlfriend haha and I even met a guy who spent 6 years in jail a few years ago who is from Edmonton! Wow, it was very interesting seeing the different dynamic of the group! The Edmonton guy decided that him and I could beat up the ground crew and load the planes ourself...I simply replied. "No that is okay, I don't want to go to jail" haha thank goodness he has a good sense of humor!
- 4 hours later the strike ended and we were finally allowed to board. This was good news until we sat in the plane for 1.5 hours due to crazy airplane traffic.
-The take off was the scariest one of my life!! Had weird noises....felt like we were going back down again....I am not a fan of flying at all!!
-When I landed in London we had to go talk to people about missing our connecting flights. I was lucky enough to be rebooked onto a flight to Toronto early the next morning. A lot of people had to wait till the next afternoon or evening! British airways put all of us in a 5 star hotel overnight and paid for our dinner and breakfast! I was not complaining at all =] Plus, now I am prepared for anything that happens when traveling haha
-I had to be up at 5 the next morning to catch the early shuttle to the airport and so when I got to the hotel I ate dinner and went straight to bed!! I woke up every hour in fear of sleeping through my alarm since I have been losing lots of sleep over the past 6 days!
- Everything went smoothly the next day and I was off to Toronto, CANADA!
TORONTO
-OH CANADA! I am back in Canada and am I ever happy! haha I love Europe but Canada has a better atmosphere. I saw the Calgary Flames on the TV in the airport and that just got me soo excited! I have missed hockey and snow for too long =P
-My grandparents were there to pick me up and take me to their place where I saw Marylla as well. Man, I love my family =]
-I settled in and for dinner my Aunt Alison and my cousins Jonathan and David came over. It has been a while since I last saw them and they have all changed so much!!! I must never wait this long to make a visit to Toronto ever again. After a yummy dinner we played a few games of Chicken foot and then sat around to talk.
-The next morning I went to church. It was hard to get up for it but I was excited to finally go to a service that didn't last 4 hours and didn't involve a translator =P. It went by quickly and then we headed back to a nice lunch Grandma made! The afternoon after that consisted of relaxing and working on my portfolio. Aunt Carole came to pick me up for dinner with her,Cait and Kyle (Cait's Fiance). What a blast!! We went to Jack Asters and had a great time catching up and joking around =P. I am so excited to hear about how the wedding goes and see some beautiful pictures! Once I got dropped off Marylla, grandma, grandad and I played a game of Phase 10. I won! I haven' t played that game in years =P haha but I loved just sitting around being with them =]. Off to bed....not doing so well with catching up on sleep! =P
-Monday was spent on my portfolio so nothing really exciting happened that day. I did end up going over to Aunt Alison's and Uncle Graham's place for dinner though. When I got there I played Rock band with Jonathan and then David once his piano lesson finished. We played up until dinner was served. David was our source of entertainment that meal!! Telling us crazy jokes and saying the most random things =P Most of the meal was spent in laughter. Afterwards I chatted about my trip and then David showed us his magic tricks he learned on their cruise. Once everything was cleared up we participated in many games of Dutch Blitz until I finally won! To celebrate, a trip to Tim Hortons was in order. Mmmmm it has been too long my friend! Jonathan and David (Matthew had to do homework =[ ) took me there and we all drooled over our goodies =]. I am officially in love with the honey cruler and French Vanilla haha. Well, it was sad to say goodbye but the night came to an end and it was time to head back to pack up!
-I said some more goodbyes the next morning and this time the flight was on time with no strike =]
-Thank you everyone for having me and visiting!! I MISS YOU ALL!
COW TOWN
-Wow am I ever glad to be home!! Nathan and my Dad were at the airport to pick me up. Thankfully I didn't cry when I saw them like I thought I would haha but I was filled with joy!
-It was weird to be home...I asked where a lot of things went (aka mirror in living room) but apparently they got rid of it while I was home before my trip! haha Funny what the mind can do. When I walked into my room it felt like Christmas...I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF! =P I think my lifestyle got really basic while in Spain and so I was shocked to see everything I own haha no more shopping for a looooong time.
-Also, seeing Canadian money was VERY strange. I would always start to think "how much is that in Euros" whenever I hear a price or amount haha
-I am kind of nervous to start driving again!
-Thankfully my Dad agreed to pick up some nutella, Muesli and greek yogurt for me =] haha what a great pops!
Well all in all it was such a great experience....best one in my life so far!! I am still trying to catch up on sleep and get back on track but stay posted to see what I am up to now that I am back at home =]
THANKS FOR FOLLOWING MY TRIP!!! xoxoxo
