Italy

We're back from our trip to Italy! After ten days, five trains, three hostels and a heavy backpack full of stuff I am exhausted but the trip was better than I could have ever imagined and I'm already dreaming about going back one day...

Rome
Our first stop was Rome. We took a fifteen hour overnight train from Paris to Rome and got there just before Easter weekend. The city was bustling with tourists and streets were crowded, but we managed to work our way through the city and see all of its amazing attributes.
Highlights:

* St. Peter's Basilica was unbelievable. We had to wait in line for an hour, but once inside we forgot about the wait and were blown away by the architecture. The religious significance of the cathedral definitely sunk in as we stood there in awe of the building. After the Basilica we went to the Sistine Chapel, which was again incredible. It is hard to fathom the work it took to paint the entire thing- literally top to bottom. I loved seeing the images on such a huge scale and we we were able to hear all of the stories by listening in on a nearby tour group.

* The Colosseum was unreal. We've learned about the events that took place there and how all the Romans would come to watch the spectacles, but being there felt odd. We could imagine all of the things we had heard about and we just stood there for what seemed like hours picturing how it used to be in past. Words cannot describe how bizarre/awesome/wonderful it felt to stand in the Colosseum.

* The Trevi Fountain was our favorite spot to sit and watch people. We went there two nights in a row to sit and watch the sunset. The fountain itself was extremely intricate and such an amazing piece of artwork and we loved listening to the water while talking about the day's activities and watching the city transform for the night.

* On Easter morning, we found a hidden gem within the city. It was a huge park filled with ponds, trees, walking paths, and flowers. I've never seen so many lilacs in my life! We loved strolling through the park, completely covered by bright green trees and beautiful natural elements. It was very spiritual and gave us an opportunity to reflect.

Florence

Florence is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. It was very different from Rome and had a much more relaxed vibe. Also, our hostel was owned by a woman named Veronica who was like a mother to us during our stay. She pointed out good places to visit/eat/shop/lounge on the map and made sure our stay was extra special. Our hostel was located right in the center of town and we were able to get everywhere very easily.
Highlights:

* The open-air markets in Florence were huge. They sold everything from fruits and veggies to leather jackets and sunglasses. We loved exploring the markets and bargaining with the local vendors. We had to force ourselves to leave so we didn't spend all of our money!

* The river that ran through the city was beautiful. It had really great old bridges and along the river we found the perfect grassy spot to sit and read. We spent a lot of time next to the river and loved the sound of rushing water compared to the sound of the busy city.

* The pizza in Florence was AMAZING. I love pizza, so I was in heaven eating it for almost every meal. It was easy to find big, cheap slices of pizza to go and we loved the fresh ingredients and the great recipes. Of course I also loved getting meat on my pizza and am definitely not a vegetarian anymore. Ham and pizza were meant to be together =)

Venice

Our last stop was Venice. It was completely different from the other two cities because instead of roads, the city was filled with canals! It was surreal to be surrounded by water everywhere we went and we enjoyed getting lost in all of the passageways that took us to secret places. It was weird to imagine anyone actually living there, but I suppose they just adapt to life and buy a boat instead of a car. How fun!
Highlights:

* Our hostel was in a great location and we had a huge room that was attached to an outdoor terrace. We also had a kitchen in the hostel, so we made a delicious traditional Italian meal for two of the three nights we were in Venice. It was nice to eat a homemade dinner outside on a gorgeous patio.

* The entire city smelled like the sea. I loved being right by the Mediterranean and we took every possible opportunity to sit by the water and soak up the sunlight. Also, the sunsets over the water were gorgeous.

* A huge part of Venice's history is the Carnovale. There are shops all over the city that sold brightly colored masks of all shapes and sizes. It gave the city a fun, lighthearted feel and we loved trying on all the masks and thinking about the times when they actually wore them for parties.

Italy in a nutshell
After visiting three of Italy's major cities, I can definitely say that it is the most beautiful country I have ever been to (not that I've been to a lot, but still...). The cities each had their own distinctive character, yet there was still an overriding "Italian" feeling. The food was excellent [gelatto became a daily, sometimes twice daily, indulgence], the people were friendly, and the landscape was incredible. Plus, all of the historical artifacts and buildings that we saw during our trip made us feel like we were stepping back in time. Our hostel in Venice was 500 years old! Taking trains between cities was a great idea because we were also able to see the Italian countryside and see how it differed from city life. Overall, it was a great trip with great friends. I definitely would love to go back to Italy in the future!