Viva in Italia!: April 2012

Obligatory Amsterdam letters picture.

Last weekend I made a trip down to Roma and Napoli. I don't know how we did it, but we managed to see the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Colosseum, Palatino, Roman Forums, Vatican City, and so so much more. It was a long day of nonstop walking and awe. I can't wait to go back.

Vatican City from the top of Basilica di San Pietro

Roman Forum

PS. I nearly got pickpocketed twice in Roma, but I caught them red handed. Are you kidding me? I can smell you gypsies from miles away. Leave me and my belongings alone.

BEST pizza from Napoli - 4 Stagioni

These past few weeks have been rough, and as a result, changed my study abroad experience completely. I no longer feel the thrill of traveling; and living in Florence almost seems normal, whatever that means. I don't want to leave here... but I can't wait to be home. I've been exhausted for too long now. Finals snuck up behind me, and I have barely caught up on all my assignments. How do you make the best out of the worst situation? It's the toughest thing, but I'm trying. I really am.

Clear skies, blue water, old colorful houses, waterfalls, art, beaches - you mean a place like that exists? You mean I just experienced that? Unfortunately, no photo can capture the warmth of the sun on your face nor the awe you feel after climbing up a hill to witness a scene too gorgeous for this Earth. After a weekend spent along the French Riviera with Graciela, my faith in this planet has been restored. I spent my weekend in Nice, with day trips to Eze, Monaco, and Antibes. They all have different personalities, but my favorite is definitely Nice. Every street I walked through in Nice was beautiful and quaint. The people are friendly and I am in love with the tram that silently goes through the city! It's so interesting haha. We visited the Jardin Exotique in Eze and it was WELL worth 2.50EUR. It is filled with a variety of cacti and a view to die for.

We only spent a few hours in Monaco and were suggested to visit the Monte Carlo Casino. It's a bus ride away and costs 10EUR to get in. Lined with fancy expensive cars and facing a huge elaborate garden, I expected this to be the most epic casino I will ever walk through. Excited, I walked in to find a room with slot machines and three other gorgeous rooms with no one there. No one was gambling, drinking, or even present on a Saturday afternoon. But my disappointment didn't last long. It's clear that it's a rich city and NO WONDER celebrities and rich people would go there. It's gorgeous and there really are no ugly parts (or ugly cars for that matter).

On our last day, we said our farewells to Nice and headed off to Antibes. This city has 48 beaches. There were two things that made me upset: 1) It was chilly, and 2) We had less than four hours there. Not about to pass up the opportunity, I ran to find the Picasso Museum. It's not only a museum filled with tons of modern art, it was once the home and workplace of the great Pablo Picasso. The thought of being in the same city, building, and room in which Picasso once lived made me so happy.