When in Rome...and Florence

 The Colosseum: Rome, Italy

The Spanish Steps: Rome, Italy

 Michaelangelo's David: Florence, Italy

Michaelangelo Plaza: Florence, Italy

After nine days in Italy, Danny and I are finally in Switzerland. For the sake of the reader, I'll try to keep my update on Rome and Florence to just the highlights. We arrived in Rome mid afternoon, and decided to start sight seeing right away with none other than the Colosseum. We bought the Roma Pass, which is 20 euros, and allows you to skip the line at the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Considering it was about 90 degrees outside, it was worth the extra few euros.

Even though I have seen countless pictures of the Colosseum in textbooks, seeing it in person really puts how strong and massive the Roman empire was. It was the size of a football stadium with towering archways and a complex labyrinth of pathways below where they kept prisoners and animals before the "shows." It took us about an hour to walk around the entire thing and read the informational panels. Going to a location with such a rich history and architecture that has been around since 70 AD was an incredible experience.

After the Colosseum, we went to the Roman Forum, the Times Square of ancient Rome. There were a number of dig sites where they were still uncovering bits of what once was the most powerful empire in the world. Even throughout the city, we would be strolling down a busy shopping street and then stumble across a massive column, many dating back to BC. Not only was Rome gorgeous, but it put in perspective how young our own country is.

A few more of my favorite sights we saw over the course of the four days was the Trevi Fountain (the famous wish-making fountain), the Spanish Steps (a main hangout for tired tourists during the day and someone who just wants to enjoy a drink at night), the Vatican, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (the biggest building I saw in Rome). Rome had it all: modern shopping, ancient architecture, rich history, and delicious Italian food.

Part of what contributed to our great time in Rome was that our hostel had a pasta night where there was all you can eat pasta for five euros. We met a few people there, and ended up doing a pub crawl with a Canadian guy, Evan. I could go on forever about Rome, but for my own sanity and yours, let's move onto Florence.

I know Rome is ROME, but I think I liked Florence even more. Florence had the same romantic Italian feel, but wasn't as disgustingly hot and was less crowded. Another thing we learned from Florence is that having a good hostel can make all the difference. We stayed at Plus Florence, and I would 100% recommend it to anyone. The rooms had a dorm/ hostel feel, but it also had a full restaurant, a bar inside and outside and on the roof, a big computer room, a pool, and a laundry room. Because there was such a good community atmosphere, we made friends with a big group of backpackers the first night and hung out with them everyday. Getting to hang out with people past the, "So where are you from... Where did you just come from... Where are you heading to next..." was definitely nice.

As for my favorite sights, obviously Michelangelo's David. The David is located in the Academia and it kept under a giant skylight. It is 17 feet tall, and hold such a presence when you walk into the building. The David was built between 1502-1504... and he still looks great ;) Unlike some of the statues we saw where the heroes look like bulked up body builders, David was detailed perfection.

Another highlight was the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the largest cathedral in Florence. The entire outside was made of colored marble, and it was beautiful. We walked across Ponte Vecchio, a bridge dating back to the 1300s and explored all corners of the city. Just like most European cities, there were tons of statues, but there was one, Piazza della Signoria that had a ton of original statues from the 1500s. This is where the replica of the David now stands, but many famous statues such as The Rape of the Sabine Women still stands there; however, it will soon be moved into the Academia as well.

The highlight of Florence was the last night when the majority of the little group of friends we made went up the Michelangelo Plaza, which was on top of a massive hill. We packed plenty of wine, grapes, pesto, fresh bread, olives, and sundried tomatoes, and had ourselves a nice little picnic as the sunset over Florence. From the top of the hill, we could see all of Florence. It was a fantastic way to end our time in Italy. Even though we said goodbye to Italy for now, I'm sure I will be back in the future! Ciao!