Voyage to Italy, Part II (also known as longest blog post ever)

Hello again,
Sorry I have been horrible at updating my blog lately, I have been amazingly busy but now it has quieted down a bit and I have a chance to catch up. So, Rome; we got off at the Colosseum metro stop and grabbed sandwiches at one of the many random food stands scattered around the city. The weather was amazing, so we snagged a spot on the grass, laying out and relaxing for a bit, soo nice. We eventually dragged ourselves out of the sun, and joined the massive line to see the Colosseum. That’s the problem with Rome, SO MANY TOURISTS! Plus, since it was Holy Week, there was even more than usual…insanity. To skip the line and learn more about Ancient Rome we opted for a tour, which was totally worth it, although our tour guides accent made understanding her a bit difficult at times. Overall though it was a good visit, it was very cool to see such a cool structure up close, and I very much enjoyed the descriptions of our guide. After the tour, I went my own way, opting to go lay in the grass and read while Sam and Ryan checked out a temporary exhibition. It was so nice just laying there in the sun, with an amazing view of the Colsseum in front of me. We then met up again and went to explore the Ruins, only a short walk away. This was also very cool, and we spent a long time exploring these, our visit including the old congress and such. After the ruins we walked around some more, checking out some of the beautiful buildings nearby, before resting for a bit and coming up with a game plan for dinner. We decided that we would meet up with Rob for some dinner near a metro stop, and called and arranged to meet him. Then it was off on a pretty long walk through the city, taking us along a major street lined with shops, until we ran into Rob and went off to find some food. After checking many restaurants, we came to the conclusion that we were just gonna have to suck it up and pay more than we would normally for some decent food, so we picked a pizza/pasta place and settled in. The food was great, much better than our previous experience, so we left happy and full. We still had some time to kill before Sam, Ryan and I had to catch the metro to the train station, so we walked around a bit and sat in a café to chat and relax a bit, very nice. Then it was off back to the hostel, where we stopped in at the bar for a drink and to use the computers again before bed.
The next morning we caught the train to Florence, after I minor incident involving me getting off at the wrong station (Sam told me to, then realized that it was the wrong one…to bad I was already off the train. Fortunately, I was able to sneak on the next train and made it to the right station like ten minutes later). We were all pretty tired and cranky, I was feeling particularly snappy because of the train incident, and then our inability to find the correct bus to the hostel. After much wandering and questioning, we eventually found a bus that would take us to the hostel, and not long after we arrived. The hostel was good, much better located, and very cheap (always good). As I had pretty much already explored much of Florence last semester, I got some lunch with Sam and Ryan, but then decided to just wander around a bit, not feeling the need to re-do all of the touristy stuff. I spent a long time exploring, and eventually got a call from Sam and Ryan, and we arranged to meet at this amazing gelato place not far from our hostel. By this time Rob had also arrived in Florence, so he came and met us as well. Unfortunately, Rob had managed to get a really horrible sunburn on his face, so he spent most of his time in Florence in doors, poor guy. But we had a nice time talking and eating some amazing gelato, heading over in the direction of the Duomo afterwards. I went with them to the little chapel next door the Duomo, and spent a good amount of time there, but afterwards we went our separate ways as I had already visited the Duomo on my last trip. Instead, I decided to explore more of the city, checking out some of the many stores and just enjoying walking at random. I managed to find the H&M (my fave cheap clothing store), where I bought a pretty blue dress, perfect for the warm weather. I continued wandering, eventually making my way back to the hostel, where I stopped in for a short nap before dinner. Sam and Ryan stopped by and woke me up, and we headed over to a nearby restaurant for dinner. The restaurant was great, really good food, atmosphere, and service, and while I was there I ran into a girl that went to my high school! She had her back to me but was only a table away, so on our way out I stopped and said hi (she was in my grade as well). It was pretty crazy, she even is on the same program as Anne Lambert, so I told her to say hello for me. After dinner we returned to the hostel, as it was already pretty late, and I spent some time reading for class before falling asleep.
The next day I opted to sleep in, as again I didn’t feel like re-doing all the tourist-y stuff, so Sam and Ryan went off and I took my time. After a nice warm shower (a near impossibility at our last hostel), I got ready and headed out, bringing some school work along with me. First stop was a nearby pizza place for breakfast/lunch, where I spent a while reading as well. I then walked around a bit, eventually stopping in at a café to do some more school work and relax, and get some amazing Italian hot chocolate. After finishing my reading I went off to do some more exploring, until I met up with Sam and Ryan for a bit to get a snack and hang out. They then went off to do the art museums, which I had already seen, so I found a nice café in the nearby square looking out over the amazing sculptures, and ordered a glass of wine to pass the time. It was really nice, I just hung there for a couple hours, sipping my wine and using the extra time to get some more homework done, very relaxing. Then it was off to a little square not far from the train station, where there was some nice grass ideal for sunbathing that I took advantage of, laying back and listening to my Ipod for a good hour or so. Such a nice, relaxing day, I even managed to get some color. After that it was time to meet up with Ryan, Sam, and Rob, and we went back to the same place as the night before for some dinner. It was another great dinner, followed by more amazing gelato at the nearby place (we were kind of obsessed with that place…). Then it was time for Sam, Ryan and I to go and catch our train to Venice, so we said our goodbyes to Rob and picked up our luggage at the hostel. After a bit of a walk we arrived, and went through the difficult of process of trying to figure out how to get to Venice. We had changed our earlier plans, as Sam and Ryan wanted some more time in Florence, so we weren’t entirely sure of how the trains were going to work. The only one we could get took us to the wrong station in Venice, and as we would be arriving at 1 in the morning we were worried we would be unable to get transportation to the correct station. With no other options, we decided to just buy the ticket and hope for the best, so we made our way to the train. The train ride was actually really great, I ended up sitting next to this guy from Guatemala, who was traveling through Europe with a bunch of his friends. He and I had a really long, interesting conversation, and he even let me have a taste of some Guatemalan liquor that he and his friends were drinking (tasted like coffee, ick, but was still cool). It was also nice because I got to practice my Spanish, which I am proud to say held up very well. After about three hours we arrived in Venice, so I said goodbye to Pedro and Sam, Ryan and I headed out to try and find a bus that would take us to the other station. There were other people in our situation, and with their help we managed to find the appropriate bus station, where we were picked up about 25 minutes later. When we arrived at the other station we caught a little boat that would take us to our island (about 45 minutes away). It was pretty cool, the boat system is kind of funny, it’s run just like a metro with the various stations and timetables, except on water! Eventually we arrived in Lido, where our hostel was located, and we walked off in search of our hostel. After a while we managed to find it; it was actually just a really cheap hotel, and we were very excited to see we had our own room, towels, a TV, everything! And for like 14 euro a night! Sam got a pat on the back for that find, and we settled in for the night.
The next room we got up at a decent hour and headed out to explore. On the way to the boat stop we stopped in at a pastry shop next to the hostel, grabbing a most delicious “breakfast” (cookies/cake=breakfast of champions). The boat ride was great, I really loved Venice, it was so unique and just beautiful with the water and such beautiful little buildings. We headed over to one of the most famous bridges in Venice, taking lots of pictures, and then stopped in at a cool market street, where we admired the glass jewelry and figures. We spent a long time there, eventually grabbing a pizza wrap thingy for lunch. We then walked around some more, eventually heading over to an art museum housing an amazing Oriental collection, and then to the old Jewish ghetto, where we hoped to visit some Synagogues and such. Unfortunately, they were all closed due to an approaching Jewish holiday, so we only walked around there for a bit. Our next plan was to check out the cemetery, but on the way over we were informed that the cemetery closed at 6, so we were too late. Instead, we decided to head over to check out the glass-making part of Venice, although as it was getting late in the evening only one store was open. It was still cool though, really beautiful stuff. As everything seemed to be closing, we caught a boat in the direction of our hostel, where we stopped in for some more layers (it was cold at night!) before heading back out to a part of Venice that was supposed to be really pretty. It was a bit of a walk from the boat stop, but eventually we made it to the main road. It was pretty, but at this point it was dark out so it was harder to appreciate. Unfortunately the prices were atrocious in that area, and we ended up settling on a little café that we could actually afford. It was a pretty crappy place, we had to eat inside as it was too cold outside, and there were lots of older people playing slot machines right behind us…not such a great atmosphere. The food was decent though, and afterwards we stopped in at a pastry shop for some dessert on the way back. As it was cold and dark we decided we didn’t feel like much exploring, so we headed to a different bus stop, poking around a pretty garden on the way. Then it was back to the hostel, and so concluded our only full day in Venice.
The next morning Ryan got up extra early to visit a Naval History Museum (Sam and I had no interest), and Sam and I headed out on our own for breakfast again at the pastry shop. We also attempted to buy phone cards so that we could make some travel arrangements, but Italian pay phones proved to be impossible to use, ah well. After a healthy breakfast of gelato and pastries we caught the boat to one of the main centers of Venice, which houses the cathedral, museums, palace, tower, etc. We spent a long time exploring those, which were all absolutely gorgeous, and then we headed over to check out Vivaldi’s church (one of Sam’s must-sees). Unfortunately the church was closed, but Sam was still happy to see it from the outside. After that we found ourselves a nice little restaurant with a nice view of the water, where we ate some pizza for lunch. Next we decided we wanted to walk to the boat that would take us to the cemetery, for a second try at seeing it. Sam passed me the map, but as I couldn’t really locate the street names I decided I would just walk in a straight line in what I thought was the right direction. It was a really beautiful walk, Venice is just so gorgeous, although I managed to lead us in the opposite direction of the cemetery station…whoops. It wasn’t a big deal though, as Ryan and I wanted to just explore more of Venice anyways, so we walked around back in the direction of the bridge, this time me leading with the map. We made it there no problem, thanks to my mad map reading skillz, and explored some more, grabbing some sandwiches for dinner. After a bit of exploration there, it was time to head back to the hostel and pick up our luggage, after which we headed to the train station and caught our train to Milan. We arrived pretty late at night, and after being unable to locate the bus that the hostel recommended taking we decided to brave the metro. We eventually figured it out, and got into what was supposed to be our hostel (actually a two-star hotel). Turns out they had moved us to another hotel, for the same price, but that was three-stars. It was only a short walk away, so we headed off over there, map in hand. It was easy to find, and was really nice! Again, also very cheap, something like 14 euro a night, so we were very happy. The next morning we got up and headed over to a nearby café for some breakfast. At this point I was feeling travelled out, and had limited interest in exploring, so I headed back to the hotel to chill for a bit, arranging to meet up with Sam and Lloyd later on to do the Cathedral. After I got in my reading and alone time I headed back out, after some confusion with the metro system, and we met up and visited the cathedral, which was gorgeous. After that Lloyd wanted to pay to climb up to the top, so Sam and I waited for him outside, sitting on a ledge and people watching for a bit. After he joined us we went and walked around a bit, exploring parts of the city, and stopping in at a museum mainly to use the bathroom, haha. We explored the crazy nice shops, venturing into Gucci and the like and feeling amazingly out of place. There were even some piano players playing the middle of the shopping area, so we stood and listened to them for a while. After more walking around it was getting late, so we decided to head back to the hostel for a bit, where we checked our email and rested for a bit before heading back out for a late dinner. We went to this place called “La cometa” (the comet) not far from our hostel, which was actually really great. The only problem we had was that only part of the menu was translated into English. Surprisingly enough, Sam and I read on the menu that “ostriche” was offered as an appetizer. Sam and I were pretty excited by the prospect of trying ostrich, so we ordered one to start off. Of course, it wasn’t ostrich; ‘ostriche” translates to oyster, hahaha. We were pretty disappointed, especially because neither of us even likes oysters, but we paid for it so we were gonna eat it goddamnit! The rest of the dinner was great, as it was our last one we splurged a little and got some wine for the table, followed by some delicious pizza and even a little dessert. It was a really great dinner, we all enjoyed ourselves, and then it was back to the hostel for our last night in Italy.
And so ends our epic journey! It definitely had its ups and downs, as I wasn’t always in the best of spirits, but overall it was good. The next morning Sam and I headed out to the airport to catch our flight to Madrid, where we had a 6-hour layover. We were planning to meet our friend Brendan (one of my best friends from Kenyon) in Madrid, as he wanted to visit us in Santiago for a few days. Sam and I had incorrectly assumed that he would get plane tickets beforehand, as we had, so we were very surprised when he called saying he was in Madrid, and wanted to know how we were getting to Santiago. What followed was panic, as we tried to figure out the best way to get to Santiago that wouldn’t cost him an arm and a leg (our Ryanair flight would have been over 200euro for him, as it was so last minute, so that was an impossibility). Turns out the best way was for him to take a sleeper train, so he did that and arrived in Santiago the next morning (Sunday). Sam went and picked him up at the train station at about 7am the next morning, as she has a pull-out bed in her room to stay in, and I came over and met him later that morning. It was really, really fun having him here; Brendan really seemed to love Santiago. That Sunday (Easter) we headed over to the cathedral, where we caught part of mass. I don’t know what it’s called, but Santiago apparently has the biggest silver incence thingys in the world! It’s attached to the roof of the church, and on Easter they let it swing through the church, which was very cool to see. It was cool, I had never seen so many people in Santiago; so many people had arrived from the pilgrimage to Santiago, so it was kind of crazy. After watching a bit of the service, Brendan (a fellow atheist) and I headed out to wander around the Old Zone for a bit. I wanted to take him to one of my favorite cafes, but it was closed to the holiday, so we just walked around aimlessly for a bit, catching up. We then headed back to Sam and Laura’s place, where we all had Easter breakfast together-delicious French toast. Later on Brendan, Laura and I headed out to a couple cafes/bars, where we got some drinks and spent a long time talking. I hadn’t seen Brendan in a long time, as he has been abroad for the year in Exeter (a Kenyon-run program based in England, for English majors), so we had a whole lot to catch up on. Again, it was really, really great to see him. He reminded me about all the things I love about Kenyon, and seeing such a great friend really just put me in great spirits, which I needed after the mood I had been in after the robbery plus some rockiness in Italy. Sunday night Guy Sam also had a potluck at his place, so we all went to that which was really fun. I spent the rest of the week attending class and spending the rest of my free time with Brendan. Tuesday we checked out the Contemporary Art museum nearby, which was interesting although very bizarre, as contemporary art always is. While he was here we took him to our favorite bars and cafes, and just had a really great time hanging out. He really enjoyed it especially because of the Celtic influence around here, and the overall vibe of the city. Showing him around also made me realize just how much I love this place; it really is just a great town, and I really love the people I have met here. So yeah, I had a really great week, I am finally feeling back to normal again, and just happy to be here. Today, I even got an awesome new hair cut. It’s shoulder length, with long layers, and BANGS! This is big news, as I have never had bangs in my entire life. I’ve gotten lots of compliments, and really love the new look. Hopefully you all will like it! Alrighty, well I need to head over to Laura and Sam’s for dinner, but there’s the update, I’m doing really well, and my new laptop should arrive in the next week. Life is good!
Love,
Brit