Spring Break: Rome

After our relaxing time in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, Jenn and I headed back to the Naples Central Station en route to Roma! We boarded TrenItalia for the last time and found ourselves in the same train car as a Wofford professor and his family. I was so happy that all the way across the world I found a piece of home right in my own train car! After arriving in Rome after another beautiful 2 hour train ride we checked into our hotel and met up with Jenn's friend from school, who is studying Paris, and her friend from her Paris program.

Jenn and I started off the day with the Colosseum but after finally finding among the crowd of people found out that it was closing early due to the Pope's Via Crucis that he does every Good Friday.








After realizing we didn't have enough time to go in both the Colosseum and the Forum we decided to aimlessly walk around Rome and take in the sights along the way. We ended up at the Trevi Fountain where we somehow battled the crowd long enough to make a wish and toss a coin in the fountain.




Rome was probably the craziest place to be the weekend of Easter but we somehow managed to battle the crowds. After making our wish and hanging out at Trevi Fountain we continued to the Pantheon. Unfortunately there was restoration projects taking place on the outside of the Pantheon and an Easter Mass taking place in the inside so we weren't fully able to experience the Pantheon but it was still just as old- looking and cool.



From the Pantheon we walked through a bunch of shopping districts in Rome where we drooled over the window shopping once again. Our trek through the shopping streets finally led us to the Spanish Steps where you could only actually make out one or two stairs due to the amount of tourists sitting on them!





Jenn and I thought it was pretty neat that Spain had its own plaza in Rome and especially that it was complete with 3 perfect palm trees and fountains in the middle! Since we had spent the whole day walking aimlessly around Rome we were worn out and returned to our hotel to shower and get ready for dinner. We are spoiled with the million metro lines in Madrid because we were very disappointed with the 2 lines Rome had running around the perimeter of the city that forced us to walk more than we preferred to walk! Needless to say we got some exercise!

After showering and resting for a little the four of us ate dinner outside at a side street cafe in which we all satiated our craving for Italian pasta!



We then decided to go hang out around the Trevi Fountain by night and eat gelato. The street vendors decided to take a liking to me as they offered me roses, tried to give me kisses, and begged to take pictures with me.




Tossing my penny in the Trevi Fountain to make my wish come true!





After I had had enough of that we finally returned to our hotel knowing we had a BUSY day ahead of us.

Jenn and I decided to wake up early and head back to the Colosseum to do the full tour inside on a beautiful day. We were beyond amazed by the size and the history of the Colosseum... we could almost picture Russell Crowe fighting!








Reenacting The Gladiator...I chose for the gladiator to live, and Jenn did not!

The four of us had reservations for the Vatican Tour at 1:30 so we hurried over to Vatican City to start one of the longest tours I have ever been a part of. In my head we would walk in to the Vatican to find the Sistine Chapel and then leave. Let me just say that after about 180 rooms, filled with the Easter weekend tourists, I was ready to see the Sistine Chapel. It was different than I had pictured but still amazing and beautiful. Along with the Sistine Chapel we saw ancient Egyptian ruins and mummies, statues, tapestries, and beautiful artwork.










My illegal picture of the Sistine Chapel


The famous part of the Sistine Chapel!

The tour wore us all out as it took us almost 4 hours (by the end we were running through rooms trying to get to the Sistine Chapel finally). We decided to get gelato and then go sit and hang out in St. Peter's Square. St. Peter's square was crowded yet still stunning with the sun setting on the basilica.





After gaining our energy back we returned to our hotel to get ready for dinner and my 21st birthday night. We went to dinner near our hotel and once again got our fill of wonderful pasta, bruschetta, and bread.



Some other guys from our program who were also in Rome for the weekend came and joined us and then we all headed down to Piazza Spagna after dinner to find a bar to celebrate my 21st! Unfortunately since it was the night before Easter Sunday, not many bars or anything were open. We eventually found a restaurant to get a late night snack and some drinks and with a waiter willing to check my id. It was fun to sit around and listen to their music while eating and drinking but it made me a little homesick on my birthday. I missed being with my family and friends on my birthday!









The next morning we woke up EARLY to eat breakfast before heading to St. Peter's Square for Easter Mass. I was in a bad mood since I had to stand in line with a million other people with umbrellas in the rain but I soon realized my mood needed to disappear because I was about to take part in something rare for a lot of people. After 3 hours we finally entered the square to find the Pope on the big screen delivering something in Italian. Once I stopped and took in the scenery and the beautiful hymns in the background I felt connected to God at one of the most wonderful religious sites in the world! It was a really neat experience that not many people are able to do in a lifetime and I know am very lucky to have taken part in the mass!









We sat in the square for a little while listening to the Italian service and the beautiful songs and then went to get Italian paninis and a street-corner cafe near the Vatican. The rest of the group decided to go see the Palatino and the Forum but unfortunately my sinuses had other plans for me. I was feeling very under the weather and the rain and cold were not helping so I decided to head back to our hotel for a nap.

Unfortunately being sick and alone in a hotel room on a cold and rainy day with nothing but Italian on the t.v does not lead to the most optimistic attitude. I also could not get in touch with my family and friends making me feel very alone on what was supposed to be a BIG birthday! Jenn finally returned back to the hotel and could tell I was feeling a little off. Knowing me well, she decided to make me feel better she would try to give me a little piece of home...the Hard Rock Cafe! Without missing a beat she found the Hard Rock in Rome and took me for my birthday dinner. We got enormous hamburgers and fun drinks and listened to music that reminded us of home.


Jenn about to chow down...don't worry mine looked just as good!

It was the perfect solution and I finally felt great about my birthday. It was the perfect ending to a perfect spring break and 10 of the most action packed, fun, and culture rich days of my life. I am so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to travel throughout four very different regions of Italy and experience parts of the world many people have never seen. I will never forget this Spring Break and all the things I fit into the last 10 days because I truly learned so much while having the best time in what turned out to be my favorite place I have ever traveled to in the world. Ciao Bella!

Spring Break: Sorrento, Capri, and Pompeii

So I was convinced upon leaving to go to Naples that nothing could be better than my time in Florence. Needless to say I was mistaken! After rushing to see David Tuesday morning Jenn and I got on yet another TrenItalia train embarking on the 6 hour journey to Naples. It was the most beautiful ride throughout Tuscany and then along the coast of Italy and we also managed to make friends with the 4 other Italians in our train car using sign language, their broken English, and our Spanish. We have been hearing warnings about Naples since we decided to travel there about safety and gangs so we were a little wary to even walk through the train station to buy our Circumvesuviana tickets for the ride to Sorrento. Luckily we had the nicest older Italian man, who spoke no English, who accompanied us to buy our tickets in the station for the Circumvesuviana. Don't worry this is not a scene out of Taken like my mom mentioned. We stayed in the train station and he walked in front of us constantly looking back to make sure we were ok. He obviously meant well and we were very thankful for him because Naples definitely lived up to its reputation in my opinion. The Circumvesuviana is exactly as it sounds, a train that goes around Mt. Vesuvius from Naples' Central Station to Sorrento. As we popped in and out of tunnels Jenn and I could hardly keep our mouth from dropping upon catching views of the sea and beautiful cliffs lining the coast. We finally arrived to our Bed and Breakfast in Sorrento, an old converted monastery, and found a beautiful surprise waiting outside our window:



We immediately dropped our stuff and headed for a lookout point we had passed earlier just in time to watch the sunset. We had a beautiful view overlooking the sea and cliffs with the city of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius in the distance. It was absolutely breathtaking.



After we had a great dinner of seafood pasta and gnocchi we returned to our hostel to decide what we were going to do with our next two days in Sorrento.



Our time in Sorrento fell during the off season so there wasn't much action around Sorrento so we decided to spend the next day walking around and exploring Pompeii. I am not usually very interested in archeological type museums but Pompeii was probably one of the coolest places I have been. When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. it erupted in a very unique way in which it covered the entire city with ash and debris that hardened over time and preserved the city in an amazing way. We were able to see mosaics on the floor, frescos on the walls, carvings in the walls, and parts of buildings that were still standing in a place that is older than anything I could ever imagine. We walked through places including the old amphitheater, government buildings, the forum and much more. It took us more than 4 hours to walk through the city but we enjoyed every minute of it. Here are some of my favorite pictures throughout Pompeii:


I thought this one was appropriate because I am sitting on the remains of the old Business and Law Center of Pompeii!













After we finally made it through the entire city of Pompeii we took the Circumvesuviana to the center of Sorrento to do some shopping and check out the beautiful town. Since it was the off season it was a little calmer than usual but no cheaper. We walked through the shops for a long time and loved being in a relaxing beach town for a little while. The shops lined quaint little side streets and featured items mostly out of our price range although Jenn managed to find a dress for her cousin's wedding and I found a pair of T-strap sandals that happened to say Sorrento sandals on the heel! We loved the beach air and the breathtaking coastal views! We decided to stop for some Bruschetta and wine at a restaurant with a beautiful view of Mt. Vesuvius and the sea which was perfect.







We returned back to our Circumvesuviana stop and picked up some bread, cheese, and wine and headed for our lookout point near our Bed and Breakfast. We sat on a bench overlooking the sea, the lit up city of Naples, and Mt. Vesuvius while eating bread and cheese and drinking red wine with the sounds of Lynyrd Skynard and Kenny Chesney in the background coming from Jenn's Ipod. Now I would have to say that in that moment I really didn't feel like a real person and thought I was in heaven. That was confirmed when we saw fireworks in the distance over Naples and then a shooting star right over the sea..."Is this real life?"

The next morning we woke up early and had breakfast before embarking by boat to the island of Capri that is about an hour across the sea from Sorrento. We had seen an ad hanging in our hotel about boat tours to Capri so we decided to try it out. Little did we know we were about to basically have a private boat tour around the island of Capri. Captain Francisco picked us up at our hotel and took us down to the little port to board his nice boat for the day. We were on the boat with only on other couple from London staying in our hotel. Captain Francisco had stocked a cooler with drinks, packed our lunch, and come prepared with music fit for a boat tour. We started our trip along the coast of Sorrento and then across the sea to Capri.



Unfortunately I ended up christening the Mediterranean after problems with seasickness but even that couldn't ruin the day.


Our Captain's attempt to help my seasickness, let me drive the boat!

Capri was a beautiful and exclusive island. After we arrived to the island we circled in by boat to admire the cliffs, the grottos Capri is famous for, and the million dollar houses spotting the cliffs.



Capri is basically a beautiful rock sitting in the middle of the Mediterranean and we got to see every breathtaking view of it!


Us on the boat with Capri in the background!

After circling the island Francisco let us off on the island for 3 hours to explore the exclusive shopping, wonderful views, and wonderful character of the island. We first rode the bus to the top of the island, Ana Capri, and walked around the shops at the top. Unfortunately it was too foggy to ride the chairlift to the highest point of the island but I can imagine how amazing that would be in the summer time. After admiring the shops and views from Ana Capri we rode the bus down to the most exclusive shopping found on the island. The jewelery was enough to make my heart hurt but I had fun nonetheless. We finally took the Funicular train from the shopping area back down to the port and climbed back on the boat for the trip back to Sorrento. Watching Capri disappear in the distance was very sad but I am hopeful one day I will be back, hopefully in the summertime, because it is truly one of the most beautiful places full of character and wonderful views!
















Us with Captain Francisco!

We both loved our time in Sorrento because we actually felt like we were on Spring Break for a couple of days being beside the beach and tasting the beach air. We needed some relaxation too as we had whirlwind trips in Milan and Florence and were about to fit all we could into 3 days in Rome. Next stop Roma!