If you've read my previous entry, then you might think that my entire trip to Italy was fraught with travel mishaps and mayhem.....NOT TRUE! People keep asking me what my favorite part was, and I can't choose any one thing.
Venice
Venice is an expensive place to visit but worth it. But beware the salesmen, they are sneaky....I almost bought a vase valued at £400 because the gentleman selling it to me was very persuasive and flattering. But I stood my ground, and snuck out of the shop when he was distracted by another lady laughing. Whoo, a close call, the salesman had made me feel as if my purchasing the vase was the first step towards WORLD PEACE.
Travelling in Venice is simple, you either walk or you take some form of river taxi. It is small enough that you don't need to spend any Euros getting around. Although the experience of taking a taxi by water is part of the Venice experience. The food was really good and inexpensive if you avoided the restaurants in the high tourist areas. I was offered a drink with my breakfast the first morning in Venice, my choices were American coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino or Chocolate. I choose the chocolate, thinking it would be nice on a crisp early morning. How was I to know that chocolate is not like Hot Chocolate in Canada, it is in fact thick, creamy melted chocolate in a coffee cup. (I figure about the equivalent of 4 melted chocolate bars) Hmmmmmm....tasty goodness.
I managed to have a bit of a social life as I had dinner with an American man on the same tour of Venice. Don't read anything into it, his mother also joined us for dinner as the two of them were on a 2 month European vacation. They were both really nice, but I found it weird (really weird) that a single man of 32yrs would travel with just his mother for two months.
On to Rome
A person could spent 2 weeks in Rome alone, and still not have seen everything. The history here, both political and religious, has impacted much of what Christians believe today, and how we perceive world politics. I was surprised how much seeing the "Sistine Chapel" in its entirety blew me away. Its detail and hugeness was unlike any other piece of art I have ever seen. Looking up at the walls and ceiling of the chapel, I could almost believe that I was physically part of the history portrayed. INSPIRING!!! I also managed to get up close and personal with Pope Benedict, well as close as a person can get while separated by a crowd fence and a pope mobile. (I was within 3 meters) Not as dynamic as Pope John Paul the 2nd, Pope Benedict still made an impression on the thousands gathered to here him speak.
The hostel I stayed at was the best one ever!!! If any of you are going to Rome, check out Hotel Leonardo (Great atmosphere, cheap, and everyone was really friendly) I calculated that I averaged 1 to 1.5 bottles of wine a night, hanging out with the crowd from the hostel.
For you info: In the 4.5 days I was in Rome I had Gelato 5 times and ate Gnocchi 4 times, Hmmmmm, small bits of potato pasta. Thank you Pat (Jessi's mom in Calgary) for introducing me to my favorite Italian pasta!!
Bye the way, my trousers (I can't say pants because the British think that I am talking about my underwear when I use that word) don't fit well anymore and I feel like I should stop eating, BUT I can't stop myself. FOOD IS GOOD, ITALIAN FOOD IS GREAT!!! I'll diet when I get back to Leeds.
On to Milan
My stay in Milan was a short one (About 24 hrs) and the whole purpose of going was to see DaVinci's painting of the Last Supper. I had prebooked a tour 3 weeks earlier and had confirmed it 48 hrs prior to arriving, but when I went to get on the bus my name was not on the list and the bus was full. No "Last Supper" for me!!
This turned out to be a good thing as I had time to wander through Milan (a Beautiful city, that has some of the best shopping in Italy, not my cup of tea) and stumbled across a Celtic Festival. An Italian Celtic Festival , not Scottish. They had an actual village set up with about 200 people dressed the part, living the life of the times back then. (they were there for a week) There was even a military encampment, where children could go and get lessons in dismembering people with a short sword. Lots of Fun!
This short write up is only a glimpse into what I saw, did, and experienced in my 9 days in Italy. I met many people that I consider to be new friends. Weirdly enough none of them Italian. (German, Spanish, Australian, American, Canadian, Portuguese, Finnish and Peruvian)
The sites and food were fantastic, but it was the people I met on the way to those sites and the people that shared my meals with me that made the biggest impression. Its funny how a person can travel by themselves, but never actually BE by themselves!
Venice
Venice is an expensive place to visit but worth it. But beware the salesmen, they are sneaky....I almost bought a vase valued at £400 because the gentleman selling it to me was very persuasive and flattering. But I stood my ground, and snuck out of the shop when he was distracted by another lady laughing. Whoo, a close call, the salesman had made me feel as if my purchasing the vase was the first step towards WORLD PEACE.
Travelling in Venice is simple, you either walk or you take some form of river taxi. It is small enough that you don't need to spend any Euros getting around. Although the experience of taking a taxi by water is part of the Venice experience. The food was really good and inexpensive if you avoided the restaurants in the high tourist areas. I was offered a drink with my breakfast the first morning in Venice, my choices were American coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino or Chocolate. I choose the chocolate, thinking it would be nice on a crisp early morning. How was I to know that chocolate is not like Hot Chocolate in Canada, it is in fact thick, creamy melted chocolate in a coffee cup. (I figure about the equivalent of 4 melted chocolate bars) Hmmmmmm....tasty goodness.
I managed to have a bit of a social life as I had dinner with an American man on the same tour of Venice. Don't read anything into it, his mother also joined us for dinner as the two of them were on a 2 month European vacation. They were both really nice, but I found it weird (really weird) that a single man of 32yrs would travel with just his mother for two months.
On to Rome
A person could spent 2 weeks in Rome alone, and still not have seen everything. The history here, both political and religious, has impacted much of what Christians believe today, and how we perceive world politics. I was surprised how much seeing the "Sistine Chapel" in its entirety blew me away. Its detail and hugeness was unlike any other piece of art I have ever seen. Looking up at the walls and ceiling of the chapel, I could almost believe that I was physically part of the history portrayed. INSPIRING!!! I also managed to get up close and personal with Pope Benedict, well as close as a person can get while separated by a crowd fence and a pope mobile. (I was within 3 meters) Not as dynamic as Pope John Paul the 2nd, Pope Benedict still made an impression on the thousands gathered to here him speak.
The hostel I stayed at was the best one ever!!! If any of you are going to Rome, check out Hotel Leonardo (Great atmosphere, cheap, and everyone was really friendly) I calculated that I averaged 1 to 1.5 bottles of wine a night, hanging out with the crowd from the hostel.
For you info: In the 4.5 days I was in Rome I had Gelato 5 times and ate Gnocchi 4 times, Hmmmmm, small bits of potato pasta. Thank you Pat (Jessi's mom in Calgary) for introducing me to my favorite Italian pasta!!
Bye the way, my trousers (I can't say pants because the British think that I am talking about my underwear when I use that word) don't fit well anymore and I feel like I should stop eating, BUT I can't stop myself. FOOD IS GOOD, ITALIAN FOOD IS GREAT!!! I'll diet when I get back to Leeds.
On to Milan
My stay in Milan was a short one (About 24 hrs) and the whole purpose of going was to see DaVinci's painting of the Last Supper. I had prebooked a tour 3 weeks earlier and had confirmed it 48 hrs prior to arriving, but when I went to get on the bus my name was not on the list and the bus was full. No "Last Supper" for me!!
This turned out to be a good thing as I had time to wander through Milan (a Beautiful city, that has some of the best shopping in Italy, not my cup of tea) and stumbled across a Celtic Festival. An Italian Celtic Festival , not Scottish. They had an actual village set up with about 200 people dressed the part, living the life of the times back then. (they were there for a week) There was even a military encampment, where children could go and get lessons in dismembering people with a short sword. Lots of Fun!
This short write up is only a glimpse into what I saw, did, and experienced in my 9 days in Italy. I met many people that I consider to be new friends. Weirdly enough none of them Italian. (German, Spanish, Australian, American, Canadian, Portuguese, Finnish and Peruvian)
The sites and food were fantastic, but it was the people I met on the way to those sites and the people that shared my meals with me that made the biggest impression. Its funny how a person can travel by themselves, but never actually BE by themselves!
3 comments:
hat a brilliant half term. Sounds like a really good way to use your holiday; I hope we are making as good use of our time. Fancy getting that close to 2 popes! You're a pope groupie now! A popey!
I always thought meeting people as the best part of travelling, but seeing those iconic places comes a close second. Venice, Rome and Milan are on my list so i'm totally jealous. We'll may even do the exact same trip next october.
that is clearly "What." Sorry, poor typing.
You go girl. Good blogging, good travels! Thanks for keeping us all in the loop.
R
Glad to hear you're experiencing the culture. To many travel but never leave what they think and know best.
Wishing you more adventures.
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