I am very nearly finished with my study abroad experience. This week I have been taking my finals. So, instead of studying for those, I decided to try and give you some tips and reassurances about studying abroad. If you’re just reading this blog to see how my travels are going, this may not be the post for you. For those of you who are thinking about studying abroad, I hope this helps you out a little and eases your worries.
You’ll be homesick
I thought I’d start off with the obvious. When you leave home, whether it be for a week, a month, or a year, you’re going to miss it. I miss my friends and family, and lots of little American customs I have always taken for granted. At this point, I am excited to get to go home and see everyone I’ve missed, but that in no way means I haven’t absolutely loved France. I’ve made friends here and done so many unforgettable things. I’ve learned to love French culture and become fond of some of their customs. So, while you’ll miss home, you’ll be enjoying yourself so much that once you get home, you’ll be missing whatever country you’ve just left.
You can go alone
A lot of people feel like they need to go with a friend, or to go on a faculty led study abroad. And for some people, maybe you do. I can’t speak for everyone, but I want to reassure you that going alone is not the end of the world. It’s a little scary at first, but you’ll make friends quickly and really develop as an independent person. It’s a bit like when you first go off to college, at first it seems like you’ll need to call your mom every day, but within a few weeks you can’t imagine having the strict limitations you did in high school.
Stay with a host family
I you have the opportunity to stay with a host family, do it. You’ll learn so much about your country’s culture, and it will push you out of your comfort zone. It’s helped me so much it making my French better and learning how to navigate the French social system.
Don’t fear the language
If you are studying in a country which has a different language than your own, embrace it. Just because it’s possible to get by in a foreign country with only English, doesn’t mean you should. Learning the language opens so many doors. It will make your everyday life much easier, and allow you to more easily converse with locals and get a better feel for the culture.
Once you’ve dedicated yourself to learning the language, actually try to speak it. You will make mistakes, and lots of them, but that’s okay. Natives are usually understanding, and willing to help if you ask them. If talking to natives is too frightening, try talking with other international students. Making mistakes is the very best way to learn, so accept that you’ll make them and start talking.
Actually go to class
It’s called study abroad, not dawdle abroad. I’ll especially emphasize this if you are still attending high school or university after you return to your home country. Missing a few days is alright, no one will fault you for it, but try to attend as much class as you can. You’ll be thankful you did.
Research you country before you go
Having a general idea of what’s in store for you can be really helpful. The first few weeks will be all about learning how your country works, and if you already have a rough sketch of social norms and etiquette, your life will be infinitely easier.
Stay current on politics
This has been especially important for me, since I’ve been in France during an election year in America and during the passing of the French loi de travail which is incredibly controversial. People will ask you about your opinion on your home country’s politics and the politics of your host country. Especially in France, the French adore a good political debate. It’s a good way to have a meaningful conversation and to learn more about how the world views your native country. I’ve learned a lot about how the French system is run, and about how Europeans really view America without the media filter I receive back in the US.
Don’t feel like you have to try and fit in
Although I encourage you to learn about your country’s culture, don’t feel like you have to change your behavior to fit in. Be polite and try not to ruffle too many feathers, but don’t abandon your identity while abroad. A good example would be when it comes to fashion. The French tend to go out always looking put together and well dressed. In America we have much lower standards. At the beginning of the semester, all the Americans were trying really hard to stay coiffed all day, but now I have seen people come to school in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. This will make you stand out as foreign, but do what makes you comfortable. If you don’t like a custom, you don’t have to follow it. Learn about customs as much as you can, just don’t feel like you must follow them
Take risks/try new things
This is pretty self-explanatory. Don’t be afraid of the world, if someone offer you a taste of their dish, take it. If you’re invited on an adventure, go for it. Don’t just stay in your room and have your mom send you care packages with your country’s food. Live a little and see what the world has to offer.
I’m not a study abroad genius, and I’m sure there are lot more things I could tell you about what it’s like to be out in the world, but these are some of the ones that I think are important. Studying abroad have been an unforgettable experience for me and I’d recommend that everyone trys to study abroad if they can. Whether it be for a few weeks, or a year. It will give yu life esperience you can’t find in your native country and you will not regret it.
Today, I’d like to tell you all about some of the weird little cultural things I have noticed here in France. Please note, these are all based on my personal experience. It is possible that not all the French do these things, or that some Americans do them. I did not speak on behalf of France, or America, I speak on behalf of Becca. So, with that said, let’s get started.
Bread, bread, and more bread
So you know how there is the stereotypical Frenchman wearing a beret and carrying a baguette. The beret thing is mostly a lie, but the baguette thing is super real. The French eat baguettes all the time. Any sandwich you buy is going to be on a baguette (maybe not all, most. I’m generalizing for simplicity and comedic effect). Wanna make toast? Baguette. Time for dinner? Let’s start with a baguette. I think you’re seeing the picture here.
Bread is the staple of the French diet. They buy fresh bread from the boulangerie every other day or so, which you’d think might get expensive but baguettes are super cheap here, I can buy a full length baguette for maybe .60 Euro.
I am not in any way complaining about this. French bread is fabulous. It may just be the top thing I miss upon returning to America.
The French may be dehydrated
That’s actually something a friend of mine said, and it’s because French cups are just really small. And this is not one of those “Oh America has large portions” things, like their glasses are just strangely small. They do have normal sized cups, but you only really find them at restaurants if you order a drink. If you want water you get to have a little cup and the waiter will bring a carafe so that you can constantly refill it because normal people need water.
Side note: their spoons are also either very small (little smaller than a teaspoon) or very large (could pass as a small serving spoon). Sorry I can’t wax poetic on this topic. It’s just something that’s weird.
No Stores on Sundays
The French don’t work on Sunday, pretty much at all. Stores, be them supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, or boutiques are all closed on Sunday. Now there are some exceptions, a few restaurants stay open and public transport still runs (although a much more infrequent times). Obviously in Paris, or any touristy area, it’s a different story. But in general, Sunday is a good day to stay at home.
Late Dinners
In the States dinner time lasts from about five o clock until like ten. Any time in the region is pretty normal for eating dinner. However, starting dinner before seven is absolutely scandalous in France. Even seven is pretty early. My host family tends to start eating between 7:30 and 8:30 every night.
Meals also tend to last longer. In America grabbing dinner and eating in maybe twenty minutes is pretty normal. French dinners can last anywhere from 45 minutes to like five hours.
What are Spices?
The French do not know how to spice their food. Don’t get me wrong I like French cuisine, it’s very good, but it lacks any sort of kick to it. The French think that adding some salt and pepper is proper seasoning. Finding spice in France is like looking for the holy grail, even if you find it, you’ll probably be disappointed.
One day my friends and I went to an Indian restaurant. We were familiar with the fact that the French hate spice, and we also knew the Indians spice things to the extreme. We were expecting some sort of medium between the two. Instead I got some chicken that tasted like it had been shown some spices, but none had actually been put on. It still tasted good, but it wasn’t the Indian experience I was expecting. This mostly means that I can’t wait to get home and have a really good, spicy Mexican, meal.
Problem? Strike! Don’t like a law? Strike! It’s Thursday? Strike!
The French love to strike and protest. This is because the French have all sorts of rights when it comes to striking which protect their jobs. It’s a social and cultural norm here.
During my time here in France there has been a lot of uproar over the loi de travail (the work law) which aims to revamp how the French labor system works. The French working class hate the law and they have been strongly protesting it, with one of their big moves being strikes. I can’t count how many times the transportation in France has been screwed up due to strikes while I have been here.
I’m not saying striking is necessarily bad. People should definitely be able to try and fight for their rights as workers and citizens. However, coming from America where strikes almost never happen, this has been a bit of a shock for me. It makes planning things more difficult and adds uncertainty to any sort of travel planning. I think it’s great that the French are so passionately politically engaged, I sort of wish America would step up. I feel that a lot of people in the states are getting apathetic with a fairly corrupt political system and I think we should do something about it. I don’t know if we should follow the footsteps of the French or not, but being here has opened my eyes that you don’t have to sit down and take government reforms. You can try to do something about them.
Military Time
The French use a 24 hour clock instead of the 12 hour one used in America. This isn’t a mind blowing difference, but it does occasionally mess with my head. Sometimes I have to stop a moment and do a little math to remember that 21:45 means 9:45 PM. This has made be early a little early/late on several occasions. It seems like such a small thing, but considering how often our society uses time it is actually one of the differences which has affected me the most. On the plus side, now I could tell someone to meet me at “o nine hundred” and they wouldn’t laugh. That’s a lie. They would probably still laugh.
Jours Fériés
A jour férié is a day off of work and school in France. And while we have these in the US as well, they are abundant in France, in 2016 there were eleven days. In America there are five to seven depending where you work, and none of them are really required. Things that would be considered school holidays in America are national holidays in France. A lot of them are for religious reasons (specifically catholic) and nearly everyone gets time off for them. True, some stores stay open and some transportation workers have to work, but most of France gets a lot of time off. This isn’t even including the nearly four weeks of vacation time that is required for all citizens by the government. And the French are super attached to their vacation. Good thing the loi de travail isn’t trying to take vacation time away, or the French would probably be building barricades in the streets of Paris and singing for freedom by now.
Keyboards
Both French and English use the Latin alphabet, except the French have to add accents to everything. Due to this, they need more keys on their keyboards. But they don’t have more, instead they just mix up all the keys and add a third option on the number keys. For example in order to make the @, you have to press ctrl-shift-0. I actually had to google how to get the @ my first week here in France. They also have the rest of the keyboard just different enough that I can’t get used to it. My a’s are always q’s and my m’s are commas. It’s incredibly frustrating when I have to go back through my work and change everything to the right letter. This is a change I was expecting when I came to France, but I haven’t gotten used to it yet.
A typical french keyboard
Coffee? You mean espresso
American coffee is not easy to find in France. This hasn’t really affected me, personally, as I don’t drink coffee, but I have listened to my friends complain about it ad nauseum. Obviously, if you’re in Paris, you’ll be able to find a Starbucks to quench your cravings. But be warned, if you order a cup in a restaurant, you will receive a tiny cup of espresso and not a big ol’ cup of American Jo.
Bissou!
La bise is the kissing thing that the French, and several other European countries, do. Here in Angers, it’s one kiss for each cheek. Except you don’t actually kiss, you just touch cheeks and make a kissing sound. And you do it fairly frequently. With friends, friends of friends, relatives, etc. etc. It’s a greeting and a farewell. I’ve gotten used to it, but I still find it sort of weird. But, as my langue teacher pointed out, the French find hugs weird, so who am I to say. It’s all just about culture. What’s normal for you is weird for me and vice versa.
There are certainly more differences between The US and France. I’m sure I have even noticed more. But these are the ones which I notice most frequently, or have had a bigger impact on me. I never really got “culture shock” whilst here in France, more like “culture surprise.” I’ve really enjoyed finding out the little differences between the United States and France. Hopefully I’ll learn one or two more before I return to the States.
Bologna was pretty, Rome was, well Rome, Florence was artsy, but Venice, Venice is near indescribable. You can hear about the canals, and see pictures of the masks but you cannot imagine how amazing Venice is until you have been there in person. Suffice to say, I loved it.
As we approached Venice on the train, my excitement grew. We could see the water ending and the buildings getting closer and closer. Once we were standing in front of the Grand Canal my friends and I were giggly and overexcited, and we couldn’t stop saying “we’re in Venice!” with an accompanying squeal.
My first picture over the Grand Canal
We checked into our hotel as quickly as possible, took a moment to rest and then headed out. Now, staying on the actual island of Venice, costs an arm and a leg. But, it’s worth it. I feel like it was all worth it while I looked out my window and saw the boats speeding through the canal, or heard the water lapping on the sides as I fell asleep. Spare the extra 20 or 30 euros a night and stay on the island.
Our goal for day 1 was to find the Piazza San Marco. Eventually we did, but first we did a lot of wandering.
All the tourist guides say to “get lost” in Venice. This is easier to do than you’d think because 80% of the streets aren’t marked, on the map or on the street corners, and the other 20% just randomly stop at a canal. Several times we were trying to get somewhere and ended up in a doorway which opened straight into the water.
We found so many amazing little shops in the back alleys of Venice. We stopped at just about every mask shop we saw, all the handmaid ones at least, and lots of other little shops as well. I could spend a good long while wandering the Venetian streets.
We also stumbled upon some cool museums. We found an instrument museum which focused on Vivaldi in an old church. It was filed with old instruments all from the 16 or 1700’s. It was interesting and, surprisingly, free, something hard to come by in Venice.
The other cool museum we found the first day was a free art gallery of contemporary pop art. Everything there was super cool, especially because a lot of the works were an optical illusions. Depending where you looked at them they would change color, or appear to move. We went through the museum with our mouth gaping as we crossed back and forth in front of each piece.
Some awesome pop art
Our wandering continued and we did eventually make it to the Piazza San Marco, but, by the time we wandered there, the basilica was closed. We weren’t devastated, and we spent a bit of time looking around. Let me tell you, Piazza San Marco is pigeon heaven. There were definitely over a hundred birds wandering the square, probably more.
After the piazza we headed back to our hotel, taking the scenic route of course. We had to be a little careful though, since you have to cross the Grand Canal to get from Marco to our hotel. There are only three bridges crossing the Grand Canal, so you have to be careful where you come to it. Nothing is sadder than staring across the water at the side you want, but being unable to get there.
Day 2
Some pigeon’s at Piazza San Marco
Day 2 was pretty much day 1 but longer. We once again spent most of the day wandering the twisting street of Venice. We spent lots of time in glass shops, searching for the perfect pieces to add to our souvenir collections. Venetian glass is famous for a good reason, it’s gorgeous.
We did make a goal to see the Rialto bridge, the original bridge which crossed the Grand Canal. It’s another one of those bridges which has shops on it, it was cool on the bridge, but unfortunately we couldn’t get a good side view because it was under construction. Guess I just have to go back to Venice and see it again, what a struggle that will be.
One of my friends brought us on a quest to find some different piazzas which she knew of from a game she had played. Seeing as we had no real destinations, we were happy to tag along on her quest.
Finding things in Venice though, super difficult. As I said before, hardly any roads are
We took many canal pictres
marked on the map. The bigger piazza and big roads are marked, but that’s about it. I feel like, if you don’t just get a free map, you may as well not buy one. Find a landmark near your hotel and then follow the signs toward it. I would be an awful Venetian because my sense of direction is not great. Goggle maps aren’t gonna do diddly for you in Venice.
I’d like to give you more of a blow by blow, but we really just did a lot of wandering in Venice. We stopped in countless shops, took too many canal pictures, and really just enjoyed a beautiful few days in Venice.
Out of everywhere I have been in Europe, Venice is definitely number one. It’s so beautiful and peaceful, the lack of cars and occasional singing of a passing gondolier creates
A pack of Gondoliers on the canals
this indescribable, peaceful atmosphere. I don’t know all my plans for the future, but I know for certain that I will be returning Venice. I don’t know when or how, but I will return to the canals one day.
And that’s it guys. That was the last stop on my Grand European Adventure. My spring break was utterly unforgettable and I still can’t believe it happened. I got to live my dreams and check several cities of my bucket list. Despite lots of speed bumps, it all worked out in the end. This was certainly the best spring break I ever have had or ever will have.
Alternate Title: The Home of David, And Also Fake David
Day 1
After the hustle and bustle of Rome, Florence was just a bit tamer. First thing on arrival was to find our hostel. We got a little turned around but pretty quickly found our way. The directions said “find the Duomo, turn left.” Really, we probably could have started going the wrong direction and made it, from all our wandering I have found that, eventually, all roads seem to lead to the Duomo.
Florence city center is really small. From the Duomo (which is the huge church in the middle of town, you can draw a circle to all the main attractions that has a radius of a ten minute walk. We didn’t use public transport once, all walking. Our hostel was amazingly well located, like 3 minutes to the Duomo, maybe less.
So, our first stop was, of course the Duomo. I absolutely loved the Duomo, especially the
My first view of the Duom
outside. It has this giant red dome with several littler red domes surrounding it. I kept taking pictures of it from different angles. My friend threatened to take my phone from me if I didn’t keep stopping in the middle of the street. It really was in the middle of the street too, Italians take sidewalks as more of a suggestion then a rule, and after all, when its Italy do as the Italians do.Anyway, we went inside the Duomo itself, which was pretty, but I don’t think it had anything on the outside.
After the Duomo we headed towards the piazza Vecchio, and sort of stumbled on the Orsanmichele before reaching the piazza. The Orsanmichele is this old church which is known for the statues encircling it. One of my friend’s had actually learned about it in her art history class in America.
The statues were very cool, as was the inside. It was a little more subtle than a lot of the
Cool statues at the Orsanmichele
churches I have seen, but I liked that. It wasn’t trying to be very showy, just to be a church. This is partially because it was not always a church, for a while it flipped between being a church and a market, hopefully Jesus never went there, he flips tables when he see markets in churches. This seemed like it was a little more accepted as being a marketplace than that story though, I don’t think the church was ever really mad about it.
Then it was onto the Piazza Vecchio, where there are so many statues. I’d say at least a dozen, maybe more. It’s also where Michelangelo’s David originally stood, now there is a fake one there. It still looked pretty good to me the. Pretty impressive. They also had this cool almost fountain which I enjoyed. I say almost because there was no water, but it seemed as though it was meant to be a fountain.
This is where our wandering really started. We just sort of followed the streets without any specific destination and went where the wind took us. We ended up finding a few very cool churches. Before my lovely sister makes fun of me for going to even more European churches, remember, churches are free, and they are pretty. Pretty and free are pretty much all I want in my travel attractions.
Fake David hates clothes
We took a wander break and went over to see Michelangelo’s house. Unfortunately, it was closed when we got there and the outside is pretty unexciting. I have no idea if the inside is exciting, I just know that, if you think the outside will be cool, you are wrong. It looked like every other building in Florence.
And then it was time for dinner. We decided to have the Italian apertivo for dinner. That’s where you buy a drink and get to eat off a buffet (usually of appetizer type food) for up to two hours. I got some nice red wine and are a pretty good amount of pasta. It was a good way to try a lot of different Italian foods. A little different from our diet of pizza and tagliatelle.
We capped off the night with some gelato, one can never have eight gelato, and headed back to our hostel.
Day 2
We started our second day in Florence by heading to the Galleria Academia to see Michelangelo’s actual David. Surprisingly, we were able to make it through the line fairly quickly. Probably due to it not really being tourist season, but from what I have heard, reserving a ticket is usually the way to go, we were just lucky.
The David was definitely something to see (and not just because he is naked). It was
Real David hated clothes first
absolutely enormous. I can’t even imagine how long it took to make that statue. It paid off though, I can see why it is one of the most famous statues in the world. It was certainly a masterpiece.
Cool side story my friend overheard a tour guide giving: apparently, when Michelangelo showed his statue to the art guild or whatever, they didn’t like the face. They asked him to change it. So, Michelangelo went over no pretended to chisel the face and threw some marble dust around and then reshowed them the statue. They much preferred the “new” face and accepted the statue. This is of course just a legend, but I really appreciated it. Apparently Michelangelo’s is art’s biggest troll, something I can get behind.
The rest of the Galleria was also quite cool. I’m fairly certain every painting there had some sort of religious theme to it. I really liked all the statues and busts. The faces were so intricate and I could really tell what all the emotions were.
We almost missed half the exhibit, because there is a secret second floor. After the gift shop you find some stairs that lead up. We almost passed them over, but decide in the end to see what was at the top. The answer is more pretty religious panel art. Definitely don’t skip the second floor. It was pretty cool.
Next we crossed the Ponte Vecchio, a famous bridge in Florence. It’s one of those bridges which has shops along the sides of it. I had never actually been to a bridge like that before so it was pretty cool. It’s like the street refused to end upon reaching the river and it just kept going.
This view was worth the climb
Across the river we went to the Piazzale Michelangelo for the best view in the city. Which, thankfully, it was, because we had to climb so many stairs and ramps. On the way up there were several cool views though, so at least the walk wasn’t awful.
The view was pretty spectacular. I even got some more cool angles of the Duomo from there! Also the rest of Florence and the beautiful Italian mountains surrounding it. Florence is definitely a cool city to see from above. The houses are all red tiled roofs with white walls which gives the city a very uniform look. I applaud Florence’s choice of color scheme.
We found a nice restaurant right off the piazzale which was surprisingly well priced. We were certain it would be super expensive due to the location and spectacular view, but it really wasn’t. So we had a very late lunch of some delicious Italian pasta while enjoying an amazing view of Florence.
Now, I have not yet mentioned our quest for cannolis. Since Bologna my friends and I had
Part of the statuary at Piazza Vecchio
the dream of eating an Italian cannoli. This dream was hard to realize. None of the bakeries we passed had them, or they were too expensive. A gelateria by our apartment in Rome served cannolis, but were unfortunately all out of the stuff to make the filling. But day two in Florence, we finally lived our cannoli dream. It was definitely worth the wait. I love cannolis, and eating one in front of fake David in the Piazza Vecchio is a pretty good way to do it.
After our cannoli break, we hung and in the piazza and people watched. There was a street performer playing some really good guitar nearby, so we got to be serenaded as we sat. It was one of those times where you can just enjoy where you are and embrace the moment.
We pretty much spent the rest of our day in the piazza. We grabbed some very cheap pizza for dinner, I will definitely miss this this whole 2€ for a slice of quality pizza when I get back to France, and we ended the night by returning to our hostel and heading to bed.
Florence was great. It was very different from Rome or Bologna. A lot smaller, and filled with history and art. I did love the Florentine architecture and the way everything was so close together. It seemed like I started to be able to find my way around in just two days. If you are ever in Italy, don’t just settle for Rome, I’d definitely suggest a stop in Florence. If for nothing else, do it for the Duomo. Man, I love the Duomo.
They say all roads lead to Rome and mine finally has, and wow am I glad it did! After Bologna, Rome is a bit of a shock, much bigger and more crowded, but in a good way.
As has become our usual, we had a difficult time getting to our accommodations for Rome. This time around we stayed in an airbnb, which once we arrived, was very nice, but get there the first time around was difficult.
We were meant to take tram 5 but somehow ended up on a different tram 5 than we were meant to take. Which is dumb, Rome, why you got two tram 5’s? So, when we got off at the wrong stop, we ended up having to go into a restaurant nearby and have the lovely, kind waitress call us a taxi. Thankfully, we were near the right destination, so it wasn’t too expensive.
Through this ordeal, we learned that Becca gets super stressed when things don’t go according to plan. I just can’t handle the pressure. I could never go backpacking for real. All the uncertainty would drive me crazy. I need a plan, and I need things to go a planned.
Day 1
After sleeping off my anxiety, we headed out to see Rome. We were meant no to meet a friend, but we could not find her, so we headed off to see the Roman forums and Palatine hill instead.
The two sites are connected, so we pretty much just wandered through them. We started
One of many spectacular views from Palatine Hill
with Palatine hill, which we chose by randomly picking a direction, which I think is actually the best way to do it. If you start by looking at the Forum Palatine might let you down a little. Don’t get me wrong, the view was spectacular and the ruins of Augustus’ palace were super interesting, but the Forum’s is a little more impressive.
My way of going through the area was from sign to sign. Interspersed throughout the ruins they have signs explaining the different ruins and what they used to look like. As a history nerd, I loved these. My friends were like, “what gorgeous architecture,” while I was more, “Oooo, another sign!” Don’t worry, I also looked at what the signs described for quite awhile. All of it was stunning, and the age of it was mind blowing. Some of the ruins dated as far back as 300 BC. And I thought stuff in France was old!
The Roman Forum was equally stunning. It was packed with ruins and statues, and it was pretty much just unbelievable. I have walked the same streets and touched the same rocks that Julius Cesar waked past. That’s mind boggling in the very best way.
A small part of the Roman Forum
After the Forum we ate some lunch/dinner. We had been so excited to start our exploring, we had sort of forgotten to eat before entering the forum, so when we finally had food at like 4, we were ravenous. I quenched my hunger with some awesome pasta though. Italian pasta is sooooo good.
Next up was the Colosseum. That place everyone is required to go to. The ticket we purchase at the Forum also worked for the Colosseum, so we were able to skip the long Colosseum line and get in fairly quickly. I highly recommend that if you ever go to Rome, you see the sights in this order. The line for Palatine hill is much shorter than that for the Colosseum. It was nice that, in our smaller line, the group in front of us was getting a private tour. I not so subtly listened to their tour guide and got a little extra info on the Colosseum. History nerd through and through.
Once inside we started by looking at some of the old artifacts that have been recovered over the years in the Colosseum. It was interesting to see not only great statues and such, but also the everyday objects which ancient Romans left behind when they watched the gladiators. You never really think about the spectators of a sport, but they are half of what
Inside the Colosseum
goes on.
We then went into the middle part, where the arena was. It was pretty incredible. It also looked extremely pretty because we went in the early evening so the lighting was absolutely gorgeous. Around five o o’clock is a good time to see the colosseum. You’ll have plenty of time to see everything, it wasn’t terribly busy, and you get some awesome lighting for your pictures.
We ended our day by grabbing a slice of pizza. It’s great, you can stop In a pizzeria and point at a pizza, and you never know quite what’s on it because they aren’t labeled, and they’ll cut you a slice for only a few euros. In Italy, I have learned that pizza cutters are stupid, you should cut your pizza with kitchen scissors. It looks so much easier.
Italian pizza is fabulous. People say it’s different than American pizza, but I think it’s pretty close. It’s just all really good American pizza. We aren’t talking Domino’s here. It’s lovely and cheesy and greasy and absolutely worth every penny.
When we got home I got to see the awesome extent of my Italian sunburn. Pro-tip, sunscreen is advised in Italy. Beautiful sunny days can equal red skinned Becca’s. Fortunately, I was aware of the burn when it was starting, so I was able to use my coat as a super fashionable shoulder cape (it was too hot to wear it properly) so I didn’t get too badly burned. Just enough to have a cool souvenir from Italy.
Day 2
Our first stop on day 2 was the famous Spanish steps. Alas, we could not stand atop them
My friend’s favorite spot in Rome
and gaze thoughtfully into the piazza di Spagna because they were doing restoration work on the steps. Kind of a bummer, but unavoidable I guess. We climbed the section we were able to, and wow was in a climb! There are many many Spanish steps.
Although we couldn’t look into the piazza di Spagna we were able to find an amazing view at the top. If you turn left a walk a short while, you will find some awesome views of Rome. One of my friends declared that spot as her favorite in Rome. And believe me, picking favorites is tough.
We climbed back down the steps and started wandering around the area. We stumbled into the Basilica Amiamo, which was absolutely gorgeous. I have decided it is my second favorite church in all of Europe. There was so much gold, and amazing murals on the ceilings, I could have stayed there for a long while.
I think that, overall, I like basilicas better than cathedrals. Basilicas tend to be more ornate and more unique than cathedrals. Cathedrals start to look a little similar after a while. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still quite happy to stop by Notre Dame an time.
The Trevi fountain itself
After a quick pizza break, we headed on to the Trevi fountain. Now in pictures and such, it looks pretty big. But this will not prepare you for the absolutely massive fountain which awaits you in Rome. It is easily the size of an entire building.
There, I was able to live my dream to become Lizzie McGuire and toss a coin into the Trevi fountain. I did it properly and all, back turned to the fountain, it went over my head and plopped into the water. For the moment, there is a coin in that fountain with my name on it.
From there it was on to the Pantheon. Unfortunately, on the way over we got a bit lost. Rome was the one city where we didn’t really have a proper map. Ours did not have all the street names, making navigating a bit of a trick. Thankfully, we ran into a French couple who did have a map, and thanks to our amazingly French skills, they were able to point us the right way.
The Pantheon was very cool. It’s the oldest remaining pagan temple from the ancient days. It was transformed into a church when Catholicism took over, which is the reason it has survived. It was very pretty inside. There were these big statues everywhere, and it has this enormous domed ceiling.
Inside they also had the graves of the first and second kings of Italy, and the tomb of Raphael (the painter not the ninja turtle). I’m not much of one for tombs, but they were very pretty and lavishly decorated.
The Pantheon
We then headed to the Piazza Navona, the main square in Rome. In it there were these three beautiful fountains. Italy is filled with beautiful fountains. It seems like everywhere you turn you find a new amazing one. This is fine by me, as I love fountains. As far as architecture (do fountains count as architecture?) goes, they are probably my favorite thing to see. They are always very calming and most often, absolutely stunning.
We ended our day with a good wander around the city center. We stopped in this super pretty glass shop, and stumbled upon some more pretty fountains and cool architecture.
We made our own dinner that night, we cooked up some tagliatelle and gorged ourselves on pasta. I have not only eaten pasta in Italy, I have cooked it too. And by cooked I mean I put water in the pot and allowed my friend to do most of the work. I also added some salt to the water so, I practically slaved over that dinner.
Day 3
Day 3 was Vatican day. Thankfully, I listened to posts online and we ordered our tickets in advance so we were able to skip the 45+ minute line. Walking past people waiting in line is the absolute best feeling. If you ever go to the Vatican, definitely book in advance, it’s more than worth the extra four euros.
Some cool, very old statues in the Vatican museum
The Vatican itself is mostly just a museum. They have all sorts of weird stuff, there’s an Egyptian gallery, and Ancient Greek and roman gallery, a lot of other galleries, and then there’s the art.
There is this whole collection of rooms filled with frescos by Raphael which are, quite frankly, breathtaking. I loved all the colors and the scenes. I took so many pictures of the ceilings because all of of them were so cool.
After Raphael’s rooms, it was on to the Sistine chapel, what everyone was there to see. This line formed between the Raphael rooms and the chapel, which I thought was dumb, since it meant you missed the contemporary art section. I did not miss it. I went in and out of the line in order to see all the art, something I do not regret. Never follow the crowd, make your own path.
Then there was the Sistine chapel, which while stunning, was not really much different
One of the maaaany pictures I took of the walls
from the rest of the Vatican. The frescos were great, but that is really all there was to see. Once again, you were not allowed to take pictures, which I didn’t really understand since there were no religious relics or anything in there, it was just a room with very, pretty pictures on the walls and ceiling. I think Michelangelo would have preferred to have people taking pictures since he hated religion, but hey, who am I to say.
I continued on in the museum and found the carriage room. Inside were all the old transport vehicles of the pope. They had carriages from the olden days and more modern cars, including some old pope mobiles. Which, while they might be practical, look super dumb on my opinion.
I saw a few more exhibits on the way out, including one where you could see people working on restoration projects, and then headed for the exit.
Unfortunately, amidst the crowds of people, I had lost my friends along the way, and due to miscommunication and idiocy, I ended up waiting for them right inside the exit and they were just outside the exit. So we waited for each other unnecessarily for like n hour. Once we finally reunited we were a little annoyed about it.
St Peter’s has much more color in person. My phone just hated the lighting
Last thing of the day was Saint Peter’s Basilica. This may or may not have been the most beautiful church have I have seen, I can’t decide, but it definitely felt the holiest. I don’t know what it was, but inside I felt a definite connection with God which I haven’t felt on most of the other churches I have visited.
If you are even remotely christian, or really religious at all, I’d suggest a visit to St Peter’s if you can ever make it. If not for the architecture, go for the feeling. I wish I had words for it, but I just don’t. Despite the crowds and the tours, St. Peter’s really is just holy.
So that was Rome, the next day we headed out and got more amazing views of the Italian countryside on our train to Florence.
I’m glad my road finally made it to Rome. It may be a bit old, and very touristy, but it’s a place I will never be able to forget. I’ m certain we didn’t even see half of what Rome has to offer, but that’s okay. I had a great time with my friends, exploring one of the most ancient civilizations in the world.
Palatine Hill
Roman Forum
The Colosseum
Basilica di Amiamo
Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona and other
The Pantheon
The Vatican
Saint Peter’s Basilica
P.S.: This is probably like half of the pictures I took in Rome. One could say I was snap happy.
Our day in Bologna started with a bus into the city center. We stayed in a hotel about a half
The view from our hotel window
hour from the city center, which was inconvenient, but it gave us a great view of the hills of Bologna from our hotel which we wouldn’t have seen in the city.
Once in the city we headed to Piazza Maggiore, the main square in Bologna. The first thing we saw in the square, even though it it’s technically on its own little piazza, was the Fontana del Nettuno. It was this grand fountain to, you guessed it, Neptune, God of the sea. It looked very cool, and very naked. The romans weren’t fond of clothes on their statues. My friend said it looked very sexual, which when speaking of the gods, is probably the most apt word one could use, given their favorite activities and all.
Neptune’s sassy hip thrust
The most amazing thing in the fountain though, was there was an actual drinking fountain attached to it. Now, all Americans are completely unimpressed by this. But if you have spent any time in Europe you know that Europeans seem to be allergic to drinking fountains because Italy is the only country I have found any in. They are sort of weird drinking fountains, but you can get really nice water from them, and that’s all at matters.
After our quick look at the fountain, we headed out to get some lunch. I got tagliatelle with ragu, also known as bolognese, which originated in, you guessed right again, Bologna! First pasta in Italy was far from a letdown. It was absolutely delicious.
After lunch we stumbled upon the musee civics. It was a poorly marked little palazzo, which we only entered out of curiosity. Once inside we still didn’t know where we were, all the signs were in Italian. But it didn’t matter because the courtyard was absolutely stunning. There were murals and sculptures on every wall. Everywhere you turned you saw more priceless art.
Upstairs we found a different sort of art, the modern kind. They were having an exhibit on
A few of the illustrations we found
Latino illustrators. I’m not sure why, but I certainly wasn’t complaining. I loved all the little cartoons they had, it was interesting to see the work of modern artists hidden inside the works of artists who have been dead for centuries.
Then I found a section of my favorite type of art, literature. They had dozens of incredibly old manuscripts. Once again, I ‘m not certain what they were, but they looked very old and very pretty.
Bologna seemed to be a little less English friendly than Germany was. In Germany almost every sign had German and English, and possibly more languages. In Bologna, most were only in Italian. There was some English of course, but less then I would have liked. Darn those foreigners speaking foreign! I wanted to read all your signs! I understand this double standard, America has signs exclusively in English, but I can still wish for more English can’t I?
The unfinished church
Our next stop was the Basilica di Saint Petronio. This was interesting because it’s a basilica that was never finished. Apparently The Bolognians wanted to make it more beautiful than St Peter’s basilica, but when the Vatican heard, they stooped the construction of it. So the outside strangely just stops halfway up. They’re are these gorgeous doors, and then just a brick top half. It’s sort of unsettling to look at.
The inside was gorgeous enough for me. Unfortunately they had a rule that you couldn’t take pictures. Or you could, but you had to pay for that right. I opted to just enjoy the view without getting photographic proof. I actually like the idea of people not being allowed to take too many pictures in the basilica. It gives it a lot more meaning as a religious space I think.
There was a section of the church which was corded off and said “enter only for prayer”. I thought that was one of the nicest things I have yet seen on one of the touristy churches. I did enter and I lit a candle for my grandmother inside. I like the idea that there is a memorial for her in such a beautiful space, but it won’t just be a part of someone’s photo album. It’s between me, God, and my grandma.
Next stop was the Due Torri, the two towers. Now when we were originally making our
Can you believe that lean?
vacation plans, we ruled out Pisa because we heard that it wasn’t super interesting. Little did we know, the real leaning tower, well the one with the most lean, is in Bologna. And wow was it leaning. It was incredibly unsettling, I’ m pretty sure if you tapped it too hard it would tumble.
Now, there were two towers there, the smaller one was the one which looked like it had lost a fight with a windstorm, the other, the tor Asinelli, is the tallest tower in Bologna. According to legend it was built by a man named Asinelli who wanted to marry a beautiful girl. Her father would not allow their marriage unless he built her tallest tower in Bologna, so, after finding a chest of gold (happens all the time in Italy) Asinelli met the demand and built her a tower. It’s a nice story, but their probably isn’t much truth to it.
After the towers we wandered the streets. Which is not really a hardship in Bologna. Nearly all the streets are lined on each side by these arched tunnel things called porticos. They were beautiful and I couldn’t stop taking pictures of them. I tried to hold myself back but they were just so pretty. I think I have a soft spot for arches.
One of my many archway pictures
With all our aimless wandering we worked up quite an appetite and decided we deserved some gelato. I had this delicious kind with some sort of cheese and Nutella. Sounds weird, in reality amazing. Italian gelato lives up to the hype.
After gelato we went to the tourist office to see what else there was to see in Bologna. Also to try and find a bathroom. Bathrooms are hard to come by in Europe. They are far from abundant and even if you find one, you’ll Likely have to pay for it.
The tourist office directed us to the library. Where apparently you needed a library card to use the bathroom, luckily for me, the guy sitting outside, upon realizing I didn’t speak Italian, kindly let me in. I will always accept my ignorant American status if it lets me use the bathroom.
Although we came to the library with only one intent, it turned out to be a better stop than we thought. It was incredibly pretty inside. It also happened to be built over old roman ruins, you could look at them through the glass floor, although they were a little hard to spot. They also had a little art exhibit thing where someone had made a fake store out of cardboard. They had lots of funny sayings and ridiculous prices on the “goods” in the store.
We then set off to see the secret canal. In the past Bologna used to use canals like Venice,
Secret canals are the best kind
but they had fallen out of use and there are few places you can still see them. One such place is through this little window in the wall. The view through it was very pretty, calm water and some greenery hanging from the windows.
We ended the day with more wandering around the city. We saw many more porticos and found more pretty statues on all the walls and doorways.
For dinner I had this enormous pizza. I was expecting a personal pizza and got one which could easily feed two. It was quite good, but I couldn’t manage to finish it unfortunately. And they all say how American portions are too big.
We didn’t really do anything on day two. We got some pizza and gelato for lunch (when in Italy right?) and sat by the due Torri and did some people watching.
We did happen upon a nice flea market thing. They had lots of cool clothes and scarves and I ended up buying a few presents there.
And now I am sitting here writing this out on a train to Rome. It’s taking me awhile because I have to keep stopping to look out the window. We are passing through gorgeous Italian countryside. There are these amazing green hills dotted with little Italian villages. Basically think of any Italian postcard or movie you have ever seen, and that’ s what’s out my window.
Now you’ll be reading this when I am long back in Angers. But right now, I am in Italy something I cannot get over. They say all roads lead to Rome, but right now mine literally does. Bologna was nice, I got a feel of a smaller Italian town before I hit Rome. If you ever have pan extra day in Italy, you won’t regret Bologna.
We found so many amazing little shops in the back alleys of Venice. We stopped at just about every mask shop we saw, all the handmaid ones at least, and lots of other little shops as well. I could spend a good long while wandering the Venetian streets.
Ambling Adventures 