***Important news bulletin regarding me and the love of my life, Italy***
It's official, I will be back in the country that captured my heart in mere months! That's right, I know I'm crazy, but I couldn't stay away. It took me literally two months after returning to the U.S. to book my flight back, over winter break for two weeks. I had the opportunity and of course was NOT going to pass it up.
One of my good friends from home is studying abroad in Paris this fall and wanted to travel around Italy. I told her I would give her some of my friends' information so they could show her around Florence, but she suggested I just come with her and show her around instead. I couldn't argue with that logic. After talking with my parents and persuading them to put money towards the ticket as my Christmas present, it was decided.
So I'll be back in Italy from December 20 to February 3. I don't know what I'm more excited about, finally being on Italian soil again or getting to see all my friends that I miss so much. It will be great to spend the holidays with them, especially New Year's Eve since it's my favorite. Megan and I plan to travel to the big names in Italy (Rome, Florence and Venice), as well as other towns I missed during my first visit. We will be spending the most time in Florence, however, as I want to visit all my friends, and we will actually be staying with two of them in their apartment located in the city center, which will help save a lot of money.
I'm not going to lie, after I first got back, readjusting to life here was very, very difficult. I missed everything about my life in Europe, all my friends, visiting someplace new every weekend, the constant adventure. And I missed Florence and all its beauty. Some days I would just start crying for no apparent reason. A sight, smell or memory would just set me off. I can honestly say that buying the ticket back was the only thing that saved me. Now I know it's only a matter of time. Italy is the thing I can look forward to since I know this semester will be really stressful. But at the end of it, I will have the greatest reward.
Florence has forever changed me. It has altered my perspective on so many things. It has made me question what I want it life, what I think is most important, all my future plans. And I am a better person because of it. There is no going back.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Things I'll Miss in Florence
I composed this list the day after I left Florence while I was experiencing the post-traumatic stress that that caused me. It includes basically every aspect of my amazing life in Italy.
-Via Della Vigna Nuova 24
-our creepy/cute florist downstairs
-cooking large quantities of pasta and watching movies
-pre-gaming with Peronis in the apartment while dancing around in various states of dress to oldies
-pizza at Toto's
-2 Euro paninis
-doing the walk of shame past the Duomo
-getting hit on while walking through the San Lorenzo Mercato
-Rocky's class, he is a genius
-Fabs' hair
-GELATO!
-Vespa rides with boys
-hearing the word Allora
-waking up to people speaking Italian outside my window
-our famous couch
-walking past Gucci, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Patrizia Pepe everyday
-apertivo with Nicola
-jagerbombs at Kikuya
-free shots at Moyo
-free shots in general
-limes at Salamanca
-italiano ragazzi!!!
-beer at the Indian store
-running to Santa Maria Novella
-seeing the flute man outside Piazza Strozzi playing every night
-walking through Piazza Repubblica and by the carousel multiple times each day
-dodging certain waiters at Hot Pot
-being approximately five minutes away from the Arno, the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, the most famous places in Florence
-seeing the Medici Chapels from our kitchen window
-shopping at Conad
-cuddling with Alex
-constantly running into people we know (this can be a good or bad thing, although mostly bad)
-Elena's class...NOT. This is possibly the only thing I won't miss in Florence.
-hangover cure pastries at Corona Cafe. Alex gets the riso, I'll get the vaniglia.
-PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO and our various ways of getting there
-22.30 at the Duomo
-my pick-up lines: Come ti chiami? Una sigaretta? Fai un foto?
-our very own Florence pub crawl: Naima, Lochness, Moyo, Red Garter, Kikuya, The William, Rex, Salamanca, Julian's Bar
-the nights we don't remember at Twice
-no open container laws!!
-hiding from the African purse sellers...Alex!
-beer pong, spin the remote, etc.
-VIP parties we somehow get into because we know people
-Nicoletta's Italian class
-study parties at the Cerchi
-forgetting where we live
-dancing at Lochness to Oasis
-hanging out on the couch all night talking to Nicola
-walking around the streets of Florence with two Morettis in my hand and a bottle opener in my purse
-our combination of Chinese food and burritos
-Italian LEATHER!
-nicely dressed boys who aren't anything like American guys
-soccer games, FORZA VIOLA and pounding on the glass like real Italians
-late night kebabs/kebaps
-meeting new people
-break dancing/being supported against a column at YAB
-sprained ankles/our bodies being just generally worn down from constantly going out. We are troupers
-5 shots, 5 Euro
-having random, amazing, lucky things happen to us everyday
-Florence in the sun, it is truly dazzling
-who am I kidding, I'm going to miss EVERYTHING about that city, those people and that perfect time in my life
To A & A, we always have the most fun wherever we are as long as we're together
-Via Della Vigna Nuova 24
-our creepy/cute florist downstairs
-cooking large quantities of pasta and watching movies
-pre-gaming with Peronis in the apartment while dancing around in various states of dress to oldies
-pizza at Toto's
-2 Euro paninis
-doing the walk of shame past the Duomo
-getting hit on while walking through the San Lorenzo Mercato
-Rocky's class, he is a genius
-Fabs' hair
-GELATO!
-Vespa rides with boys
-hearing the word Allora
-waking up to people speaking Italian outside my window
-our famous couch
-walking past Gucci, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Patrizia Pepe everyday
-apertivo with Nicola
-jagerbombs at Kikuya
-free shots at Moyo
-free shots in general
-limes at Salamanca
-italiano ragazzi!!!
-beer at the Indian store
-running to Santa Maria Novella
-seeing the flute man outside Piazza Strozzi playing every night
-walking through Piazza Repubblica and by the carousel multiple times each day
-dodging certain waiters at Hot Pot
-being approximately five minutes away from the Arno, the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, the most famous places in Florence
-seeing the Medici Chapels from our kitchen window
-shopping at Conad
-cuddling with Alex
-constantly running into people we know (this can be a good or bad thing, although mostly bad)
-Elena's class...NOT. This is possibly the only thing I won't miss in Florence.
-hangover cure pastries at Corona Cafe. Alex gets the riso, I'll get the vaniglia.
-PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO and our various ways of getting there
-22.30 at the Duomo
-my pick-up lines: Come ti chiami? Una sigaretta? Fai un foto?
-our very own Florence pub crawl: Naima, Lochness, Moyo, Red Garter, Kikuya, The William, Rex, Salamanca, Julian's Bar
-the nights we don't remember at Twice
-no open container laws!!
-hiding from the African purse sellers...Alex!
-beer pong, spin the remote, etc.
-VIP parties we somehow get into because we know people
-Nicoletta's Italian class
-study parties at the Cerchi
-forgetting where we live
-dancing at Lochness to Oasis
-hanging out on the couch all night talking to Nicola
-walking around the streets of Florence with two Morettis in my hand and a bottle opener in my purse
-our combination of Chinese food and burritos
-Italian LEATHER!
-nicely dressed boys who aren't anything like American guys
-soccer games, FORZA VIOLA and pounding on the glass like real Italians
-late night kebabs/kebaps
-meeting new people
-break dancing/being supported against a column at YAB
-sprained ankles/our bodies being just generally worn down from constantly going out. We are troupers
-5 shots, 5 Euro
-having random, amazing, lucky things happen to us everyday
-Florence in the sun, it is truly dazzling
-who am I kidding, I'm going to miss EVERYTHING about that city, those people and that perfect time in my life
To A & A, we always have the most fun wherever we are as long as we're together
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Florence has my heart. I don't want it back.
I’ve spent the past three months putting off writing this last post. What could I possibly say to sum up my time in Florence? No words could adequately do justice to that city, no phrases can possibly encompass all I feel about it and the five months of my life I spent there. I’ve tried and failed. But now I think I’m ready, or at least as ready as I’ll ever be.
I knew going into my study abroad experience that Florence was the place for me. I just had a feeling. I love Italy, I love history, what could be a better choice? I wanted to go into it with little to no expectations. I just wanted to take things as they were, experience all of what Florence, Italy and Europe had to offer. I am normally so stressed about school and concerned about my grades or working in my spare time that I never get to have fun and live the typical, carefree college life. This was really my only goal for the semester. Sure I had thought about Florence a lot (okay nonstop) prior to my arrival and done research, but nothing can really prepare you for living there. You just sort of have to jump into it head first. And that’s exactly what I did. I can honestly say, everything I thought it would be, everything I imagined and dreamed of, it was truly so much more. There are so little things in life you can say that about, but my time in Florence was one of them.
I know throughout my blogs I used a couple of the same phrases in a weak attempt to try to describe what Florence is like. “Beautiful,” “breathtaking,” “amazing,” were some of these adjectives I kept repeating. But I don’t think there is really one powerful enough to fully explain what I feel for that place. Magic. That’s probably the closest I will ever come. Every second of every day there was magic. I realized it then when I had it and I realize it now that it’s gone.
Maybe it sounds like I’m being sappy or dramatic. If it does, then maybe you don’t know me well enough. The feelings and thoughts and memories I have of Florence come from the most sincere, most pure place in my heart. When I love something, I love it wholly and unconditionally, deeply and with a fierce loyalty. Some people may feel that way about a person. I feel that way about a city.
It’s been almost three months since I left Florence. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do; that day was honestly the worst of my life. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gotten much easier. Some days are better than others. But not a day, or even an hour goes by without me thinking of that place. Half the time I’ll remember something and smile; the other half my eyes well up with tears. Sometimes I miss everything so much I can’t function. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” It was the day after I got back from Europe and I was at my brother’s high school graduation where all the speakers kept on repeating this phrase. It might be a little cliché, but it is most definitely true. I try to remember this on those bad days because even though it hurts now, I wouldn’t have given up those five months for anything. They are worth the world to me.
I did in five months what few accomplish in a lifetime. I survived Naples and Pompeii. I went night sledding down the Swiss Alps. I spent Valentine’s Day on a cruise in Portugal. I stayed out until 5:30 in the morning with personal tour guides in Turkey. I walked where emperors walked before me in Ancient Rome. I danced on ledges at a five-story club in Prague. I went on a gondola ride across the Grand Canal in Venice. I visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre in Paris. I drank sangria and watched flamingo dancing in Barcelona. I went to the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. I saw an AC match in Milan. I toured the coffeehouses and the Red Light District in Amsterdam. I spent Easter in Copenhagen. I danced to traditional music in Austria. I was at the best Florentina futbol game in years versus Roma. I was carried around the Hofbrathaus in Munich on an Austrian’s shoulders. I sunbathed on a Greek island. I stood on the hills of Tara in Dublin and drank a pint of Guinness at Temple Bar. I met my heroes, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, in London.
I visited some of the most famous churches in the world. I saw some of the most famous artwork ever created. I visited 16 countries in five months. I slept in three airports and one train station. I traveled by plane, train, bus, car, foot and vespa. I did it all.
And while I am so lucky to have experienced all of that, the thing I realized at the end of this trip is that stuff is not what’s most important. It wasn’t all the places I traveled and all the things I saw, but the people I met and the memories I shared with them. That is what I will take away most from this trip. It is the friendships I formed that I value most, not the stamps in my passport. My classmates, my Italian and Albanian friends, Alex, these people became my family. When you share something like this, you are connected in a way that other people don’t understand. Even though state lines and even oceans now separate us, I hope we all stay friends. But if not, we shared something special, something unforgettable, and in some form, we will always be a part of each other’s lives.
There will never be a time when I was more young, more beautiful, more happy, more crazy, more in love with life, when luck was always on my side. If Florence will stay the best moment in my life then I can die happy. Right now I can only live through the memories and look forward to the future, to when I can finally go back.
I knew going into my study abroad experience that Florence was the place for me. I just had a feeling. I love Italy, I love history, what could be a better choice? I wanted to go into it with little to no expectations. I just wanted to take things as they were, experience all of what Florence, Italy and Europe had to offer. I am normally so stressed about school and concerned about my grades or working in my spare time that I never get to have fun and live the typical, carefree college life. This was really my only goal for the semester. Sure I had thought about Florence a lot (okay nonstop) prior to my arrival and done research, but nothing can really prepare you for living there. You just sort of have to jump into it head first. And that’s exactly what I did. I can honestly say, everything I thought it would be, everything I imagined and dreamed of, it was truly so much more. There are so little things in life you can say that about, but my time in Florence was one of them.
I know throughout my blogs I used a couple of the same phrases in a weak attempt to try to describe what Florence is like. “Beautiful,” “breathtaking,” “amazing,” were some of these adjectives I kept repeating. But I don’t think there is really one powerful enough to fully explain what I feel for that place. Magic. That’s probably the closest I will ever come. Every second of every day there was magic. I realized it then when I had it and I realize it now that it’s gone.
Maybe it sounds like I’m being sappy or dramatic. If it does, then maybe you don’t know me well enough. The feelings and thoughts and memories I have of Florence come from the most sincere, most pure place in my heart. When I love something, I love it wholly and unconditionally, deeply and with a fierce loyalty. Some people may feel that way about a person. I feel that way about a city.
It’s been almost three months since I left Florence. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do; that day was honestly the worst of my life. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gotten much easier. Some days are better than others. But not a day, or even an hour goes by without me thinking of that place. Half the time I’ll remember something and smile; the other half my eyes well up with tears. Sometimes I miss everything so much I can’t function. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” It was the day after I got back from Europe and I was at my brother’s high school graduation where all the speakers kept on repeating this phrase. It might be a little cliché, but it is most definitely true. I try to remember this on those bad days because even though it hurts now, I wouldn’t have given up those five months for anything. They are worth the world to me.
I did in five months what few accomplish in a lifetime. I survived Naples and Pompeii. I went night sledding down the Swiss Alps. I spent Valentine’s Day on a cruise in Portugal. I stayed out until 5:30 in the morning with personal tour guides in Turkey. I walked where emperors walked before me in Ancient Rome. I danced on ledges at a five-story club in Prague. I went on a gondola ride across the Grand Canal in Venice. I visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre in Paris. I drank sangria and watched flamingo dancing in Barcelona. I went to the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. I saw an AC match in Milan. I toured the coffeehouses and the Red Light District in Amsterdam. I spent Easter in Copenhagen. I danced to traditional music in Austria. I was at the best Florentina futbol game in years versus Roma. I was carried around the Hofbrathaus in Munich on an Austrian’s shoulders. I sunbathed on a Greek island. I stood on the hills of Tara in Dublin and drank a pint of Guinness at Temple Bar. I met my heroes, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, in London.
I visited some of the most famous churches in the world. I saw some of the most famous artwork ever created. I visited 16 countries in five months. I slept in three airports and one train station. I traveled by plane, train, bus, car, foot and vespa. I did it all.
And while I am so lucky to have experienced all of that, the thing I realized at the end of this trip is that stuff is not what’s most important. It wasn’t all the places I traveled and all the things I saw, but the people I met and the memories I shared with them. That is what I will take away most from this trip. It is the friendships I formed that I value most, not the stamps in my passport. My classmates, my Italian and Albanian friends, Alex, these people became my family. When you share something like this, you are connected in a way that other people don’t understand. Even though state lines and even oceans now separate us, I hope we all stay friends. But if not, we shared something special, something unforgettable, and in some form, we will always be a part of each other’s lives.
There will never be a time when I was more young, more beautiful, more happy, more crazy, more in love with life, when luck was always on my side. If Florence will stay the best moment in my life then I can die happy. Right now I can only live through the memories and look forward to the future, to when I can finally go back.
Winning London
If only I could be his seventh wife
At Tower Green. A lot of heads rolled here.
I would
Big Ben :)
London Bridge at sunset is perfection
London Calling
Finally we have reached the end of the road. My first (but definitely not last) European adventure has come to an end with my final destination: London town. This is the city of some of my favorite people, most notably Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. I have wanted to travel here my whole entire life. And it was every bit as spectacular as I thought it would be.
We made it to London, out of the Tube and the many blocks to our hostel (at night mind you, we accidentally got off one station too early!). I had booked us at an older hostel, one said to be haunted because I'm into that kind of thing and thought it would be really cool. Instead, it was mainly just confusing with all these doors leading you around in circles and construction going on leaving only one accessible bathroom. I was not amused, but decided to make the best of it. Besides, it wasn't the worst place I had stayed the last. That award is probably a tie between the Milan train station and the Pisa Airport.
Having only three full days in the city, they each were jam-packed since there is SO much to see in London. We started off the first day with a walking tour of the city lead by our guide, Pip. That was seriously his name, I think it was Great Expectations inspired. He took us to many of the landmarks we wanted to see around the city, including Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace where we saw the changing of the guard, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, along with many other sites. While on the walking tour we were outside Prince Charles' palace where the Queen's car was parked. We waited around for about five minutes to see it finally drive by right in front of us, the Queen in the backseat wearing a pink suit and hat, waving at us! THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND WAVED AT ME!! And I can now die happy (as if I couldn't already). We then walked back to the British Museum and spent a good amount of time there, Alys interested in the Impressionist paintings, while I loved the Italian Renaissance wing. It think I've said it before, but I'm so happy I took the art history class in Florence, having learned so much I could recognize and remember things about different artists and masterpieces we had discussed in class. After that, we walked around some more, down towards Piccadilly Circus (we didn't quite understand what it was), took the Tube to Harrods, which I'm convinced is the most magical place in the world and shopped A LOT at the famous Topshop, where I spent way too many pounds. Our hostel was right by the London Bridge, not to be confused with Tower Bridge, which is the more picturesque of the two, so we ended the day by walking along it at sunset. London Bridge literally just looks like a bridge.
Thursday was the day I was truly looking forward to. Henry VIII day. I was extremely excited to learn that I was luckily in England at the same time that were celebrating the 500th year anniversary of Henry's accession to the throne in 1509. Therefore, there were lots of special exhibits throughout the city dedicated to my favorite king. We started the day off at the infamous Tower of London, were many of my historical interests lost their head, Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Sir Thomas More to name a few. We took the Yeoman Guard tour, which was incredibly interesting, and passed through the Bloody Gate and Tower Green, where the private executions of nobility were held. It was amazing for me to see where my hero Anne Boleyn was beheaded and to stand in the same church where her body was later laid to rest. We of course looked at the Crown Jewels and all the torture equipment before crossing the Tower Bridge and going to Westminster Abbey, barely getting in before it closed to visitors. Here we had another great taste of history, taking an audio guided tour around the church where all of England's kings and queens have been coroneted and buried, as well as many famous authors and scientists. After Westminster, we spent some time walking through Hyde Park, stopping to people watch, as London is a great place to do this. We walked by St. Paul's Cathedral as well, not wanting to pay the extra pounds to go inside. After all these stops, I became an expert of London's Tube just as I was for the Metro in Paris. I was proud that I had managed to navigate us from one point to another without getting too extremely lost. It was then back to the hostel to join a pub crawl around the city. We almost didn't make it to the first bar before the group left, but it's a good thing we did because London nightlife is excellent. By far one of the best and most interesting pub crawls I've been on. Ahh okay, they've all been great, but this one had a group of Argentineans I persuaded to join us and Manchester boys ;)
It sadly was our last day in London. I could have spent so much more time there, there is an incredible amount to see. But we chose the last couple of places that were of the most importance to us. First of which was Shakespeare's Globe Theater. We had an okay tour of the place (the guide didn't actually tell us a lot of worthwhile information in my opinion), but we did get to see the actors rehearsing for a performance. And plus it was incredible to be in Shakespeare’s Globe, even though it was a replica since the original burned down in the 1600s I believe. I really wanted to see a royal residence while we were in London and we had settle on Hampton Court. The only problem was no one seemed to know how to get there. Finally, an older gentleman who worked at the Globe pointed us in the right direction (they know all!) and we were on the next train to Hampton Court, the former home of Cardinal Wosley before Henry VIII had him arrested and assumed all his property, including this magnificent palace. Hampton Court was huge and incredibly beautiful. Of course there were lots of Henry VIII themed exhibits and I insisted on going to all of them. Might as well get our pounds worth, right? We even could borrow robes to walk around in and Henry VIII himself was there, celebrating the marriage to his sixth wife Katherine Parr. I was honored to witness to occasion haha.
We walked around the grounds for a while, enjoying the beautiful English gardens and a hawking show. It was then back to the city to finally meet up with Alex, who was in London at the same exact time as me and was leaving the next day also with her family. It was a great reunion, us sharing stories about our travels apart and drinking Honeydews. It would have been awesome to travel with her those last 10 days...but don't worry, we are already planning our next trips together. The rest of the world better watch out!
Alys and I had to hurry back to our hostel to get our bags and then get on the last Tube to Heathrow. I decided why pay for another night in a hostel when we could just sleep in the airport for free (I was sure Heathrow wouldn't close down like Pisa had). So there we were, sitting on the floor of the Tube trying to hold our suitcases up at 12 at night. We made it to Heathrow, found the upstairs where everyone else was staying and promptly passed out. P.S. Heathrow was by far the nicest airport I slept at.
The journey home was basically uneventful. I didn't get too emotional until my final flight from Frankfurt to Detroit. That's when it really hit me that I was leaving Europe. I was always excited about the airport scene when I would get to see my parents and brother again. I just wasn't excited at all about actually being back in the States. And I am careful not to refer to it as home because it just The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
"It's a funny thing coming home. You realize what's changed is you."
We made it to London, out of the Tube and the many blocks to our hostel (at night mind you, we accidentally got off one station too early!). I had booked us at an older hostel, one said to be haunted because I'm into that kind of thing and thought it would be really cool. Instead, it was mainly just confusing with all these doors leading you around in circles and construction going on leaving only one accessible bathroom. I was not amused, but decided to make the best of it. Besides, it wasn't the worst place I had stayed the last. That award is probably a tie between the Milan train station and the Pisa Airport.
Having only three full days in the city, they each were jam-packed since there is SO much to see in London. We started off the first day with a walking tour of the city lead by our guide, Pip. That was seriously his name, I think it was Great Expectations inspired. He took us to many of the landmarks we wanted to see around the city, including Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace where we saw the changing of the guard, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, along with many other sites. While on the walking tour we were outside Prince Charles' palace where the Queen's car was parked. We waited around for about five minutes to see it finally drive by right in front of us, the Queen in the backseat wearing a pink suit and hat, waving at us! THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND WAVED AT ME!! And I can now die happy (as if I couldn't already). We then walked back to the British Museum and spent a good amount of time there, Alys interested in the Impressionist paintings, while I loved the Italian Renaissance wing. It think I've said it before, but I'm so happy I took the art history class in Florence, having learned so much I could recognize and remember things about different artists and masterpieces we had discussed in class. After that, we walked around some more, down towards Piccadilly Circus (we didn't quite understand what it was), took the Tube to Harrods, which I'm convinced is the most magical place in the world and shopped A LOT at the famous Topshop, where I spent way too many pounds. Our hostel was right by the London Bridge, not to be confused with Tower Bridge, which is the more picturesque of the two, so we ended the day by walking along it at sunset. London Bridge literally just looks like a bridge.
Thursday was the day I was truly looking forward to. Henry VIII day. I was extremely excited to learn that I was luckily in England at the same time that were celebrating the 500th year anniversary of Henry's accession to the throne in 1509. Therefore, there were lots of special exhibits throughout the city dedicated to my favorite king. We started the day off at the infamous Tower of London, were many of my historical interests lost their head, Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Sir Thomas More to name a few. We took the Yeoman Guard tour, which was incredibly interesting, and passed through the Bloody Gate and Tower Green, where the private executions of nobility were held. It was amazing for me to see where my hero Anne Boleyn was beheaded and to stand in the same church where her body was later laid to rest. We of course looked at the Crown Jewels and all the torture equipment before crossing the Tower Bridge and going to Westminster Abbey, barely getting in before it closed to visitors. Here we had another great taste of history, taking an audio guided tour around the church where all of England's kings and queens have been coroneted and buried, as well as many famous authors and scientists. After Westminster, we spent some time walking through Hyde Park, stopping to people watch, as London is a great place to do this. We walked by St. Paul's Cathedral as well, not wanting to pay the extra pounds to go inside. After all these stops, I became an expert of London's Tube just as I was for the Metro in Paris. I was proud that I had managed to navigate us from one point to another without getting too extremely lost. It was then back to the hostel to join a pub crawl around the city. We almost didn't make it to the first bar before the group left, but it's a good thing we did because London nightlife is excellent. By far one of the best and most interesting pub crawls I've been on. Ahh okay, they've all been great, but this one had a group of Argentineans I persuaded to join us and Manchester boys ;)
It sadly was our last day in London. I could have spent so much more time there, there is an incredible amount to see. But we chose the last couple of places that were of the most importance to us. First of which was Shakespeare's Globe Theater. We had an okay tour of the place (the guide didn't actually tell us a lot of worthwhile information in my opinion), but we did get to see the actors rehearsing for a performance. And plus it was incredible to be in Shakespeare’s Globe, even though it was a replica since the original burned down in the 1600s I believe. I really wanted to see a royal residence while we were in London and we had settle on Hampton Court. The only problem was no one seemed to know how to get there. Finally, an older gentleman who worked at the Globe pointed us in the right direction (they know all!) and we were on the next train to Hampton Court, the former home of Cardinal Wosley before Henry VIII had him arrested and assumed all his property, including this magnificent palace. Hampton Court was huge and incredibly beautiful. Of course there were lots of Henry VIII themed exhibits and I insisted on going to all of them. Might as well get our pounds worth, right? We even could borrow robes to walk around in and Henry VIII himself was there, celebrating the marriage to his sixth wife Katherine Parr. I was honored to witness to occasion haha.
We walked around the grounds for a while, enjoying the beautiful English gardens and a hawking show. It was then back to the city to finally meet up with Alex, who was in London at the same exact time as me and was leaving the next day also with her family. It was a great reunion, us sharing stories about our travels apart and drinking Honeydews. It would have been awesome to travel with her those last 10 days...but don't worry, we are already planning our next trips together. The rest of the world better watch out!
Alys and I had to hurry back to our hostel to get our bags and then get on the last Tube to Heathrow. I decided why pay for another night in a hostel when we could just sleep in the airport for free (I was sure Heathrow wouldn't close down like Pisa had). So there we were, sitting on the floor of the Tube trying to hold our suitcases up at 12 at night. We made it to Heathrow, found the upstairs where everyone else was staying and promptly passed out. P.S. Heathrow was by far the nicest airport I slept at.
The journey home was basically uneventful. I didn't get too emotional until my final flight from Frankfurt to Detroit. That's when it really hit me that I was leaving Europe. I was always excited about the airport scene when I would get to see my parents and brother again. I just wasn't excited at all about actually being back in the States. And I am careful not to refer to it as home because it just The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
"It's a funny thing coming home. You realize what's changed is you."
Photos from Ireland
Outside the famed St. Patrick's Cathedral
I am now a certified whiskey taster and couldn't be more proud
This picture explains the Irish weather perfectly
On the way to Tara, looking for the hill and possibly Jerry from P.S. I Love You :)
Camping outside the Pisa Airport. Seriously.
Luck of the Irish?
Promptly upon arriving in Dublin and finding our hostel, which was extremely nice by the way, we collapsed from sheer mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. I considered that day a complete mental health day where all I did was watch horrible MTV shows while upload five Facebook albums from the last week in Florence and talk to all my friends still in Italy, periodically crying through all of this.
But I did want to enjoy my time in Ireland, so Alys and I also sat down to figure out the game plan for the next couple of days. Saturday started out right with a tour of the Guinness factory with a complimentary pint at the end at 10 in the morning. From there, we walked to the Dublin Castle and toured that, then walked through the famous Trinity College and Merrion Square and St. Stephen's Green. Still tired and recuperating from the previous days exertion, we spent a lot of time just hanging out back at the hostel.
Since we had always wanted to see the countryside of Ireland, and of course after having read Gone With the Wind and Scarlett in high school, we decided to take the bus to the Hill of Tara, the site for the mythological kings of Ireland. The bus driver announced our stop at our request, which was a good thing since we got dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Literally, the only thing that was around us were fields. We did see a sign pointing left towards Tara, and having no other option, we followed. And followed. And followed. I was getting concerned because no other signs were popping up, except for a Visitor's Center near the beginning. Where was this promised Visitor's Center, or better yet, WHERE WAS TARA? Finally I flagged down a passing car with an elderly couple inside and asked them if we were close. Apparently we had already been walking for a mile, but it was just up the bend a bit further. The lady offered us a ride, but since we had made it this far, I thought we should just keep on truckin'. Just as we made it to the hill, so did the rain. That's the thing about Ireland, one minute it's sunny and warmish, and the next it's pouring down rain. Then ten minutes later it's all cleared up again.
Well we trekked around the hill for a little while, but that's all it really was, a hill. It had markers were different ceremonial things once stood but were long gone. We started Monday the same as we had two days before, with a tour of the Old Jameson Distillery, with another complimentary whiskey at the end. At the beginning our guide asked for volunteers, to which I of course raised my hand. I was chosen and handed a cardboard stick. This meant I was selected as one of eight whiskey tasters for our group! Easily one of the proudest moments in my life. I held on to the coveted stick throughout the tour like it held the key to eternal youth. Then finally after enough talking about how the whiskey was made and yada yada, we got to the good stuff, namely a shot of scotch, Jameson whiskey and Jack Daniels with my name written on them. After sipping each liquor and clearly tasting for ourselves that the Jameson whiskey was obviously the smoothest, with a more vanilla-y bouquet, we were allowed to finish them off. I tossed 'em back like no big deal, much to the other tasters surprise. Half of them couldn't even finish theirs, to which I took it upon myself to go head and soldier on. I think the Irish would be proud.
After the distillery, we walked around Dublin for a bit more, making our way to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was quite an awesome church. What was not so awesome was the torrential downpour we had to walk through to get there and back. After drying off back at the hostel, we decided to finally go out and sample some of the Irish nightlife. We had the most delicious fish and chips for dinner (and I don't even LIKE fish!) while listening to traditional Irish music and then watching a Celtic dance show. I could not believe how fast those people's legs could move and with what force they could stomp it out to. This led me to say, "Give me a pint of Guinness and I'll Celtic dance for you!" Haha yeah right. After that we went to the original Temple Bar in the Temple Bar area for of course a pint o' Guinness and some live music. At another bar I started chatting to this guy sitting next to me, only to find out he was Italian! Ah what is it with me and those Italian boys? We are just drawn together like magnet and steel, I swear! Live it to me to find the only Italian guy in an Irish pub! He spoke little English and we all know the extent of my Italian language skills, so our conversation was kind of halting, but it was nice to have a little reminder of home.
We had an afternoon flight booked to London, so during our last couple of hours in Dublin we decided to check out the National Museum. Word of advice: don't do it! The museum was super weird and confusing to get around and there wasn't anything even remotely interesting inside. The most fascinating exhibit for me was clothing from the 18th and 19th centuries. Definitely not worth the trip, but at least we didn't waste money since it was free!
All and all Ireland, along with Switzerland, was probably my least favorite place. I did enjoy my time there, it was nice, but I think it was just too many days with not so much to do. Since I've been back, people show the most interest in going to Ireland. That is probably the one place almost everyone mentions they'd love to go. I mean I liked it and everything, just to me, it wasn't that amazing. I guess the cold and the constant rain have something to do with me not completely love Ireland. That and it was my first place after Florence, so maybe I wouldn't have liked anywhere that I went. It was hard to get me motivated enough to get up in the morning. And plus, I think Ireland would be a place for someone who enjoys the countryside and all that green. I am most definitely a city girl at heart. Which is why I was so excited about my final stop: London.
But I did want to enjoy my time in Ireland, so Alys and I also sat down to figure out the game plan for the next couple of days. Saturday started out right with a tour of the Guinness factory with a complimentary pint at the end at 10 in the morning. From there, we walked to the Dublin Castle and toured that, then walked through the famous Trinity College and Merrion Square and St. Stephen's Green. Still tired and recuperating from the previous days exertion, we spent a lot of time just hanging out back at the hostel.
Since we had always wanted to see the countryside of Ireland, and of course after having read Gone With the Wind and Scarlett in high school, we decided to take the bus to the Hill of Tara, the site for the mythological kings of Ireland. The bus driver announced our stop at our request, which was a good thing since we got dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Literally, the only thing that was around us were fields. We did see a sign pointing left towards Tara, and having no other option, we followed. And followed. And followed. I was getting concerned because no other signs were popping up, except for a Visitor's Center near the beginning. Where was this promised Visitor's Center, or better yet, WHERE WAS TARA? Finally I flagged down a passing car with an elderly couple inside and asked them if we were close. Apparently we had already been walking for a mile, but it was just up the bend a bit further. The lady offered us a ride, but since we had made it this far, I thought we should just keep on truckin'. Just as we made it to the hill, so did the rain. That's the thing about Ireland, one minute it's sunny and warmish, and the next it's pouring down rain. Then ten minutes later it's all cleared up again.
Well we trekked around the hill for a little while, but that's all it really was, a hill. It had markers were different ceremonial things once stood but were long gone. We started Monday the same as we had two days before, with a tour of the Old Jameson Distillery, with another complimentary whiskey at the end. At the beginning our guide asked for volunteers, to which I of course raised my hand. I was chosen and handed a cardboard stick. This meant I was selected as one of eight whiskey tasters for our group! Easily one of the proudest moments in my life. I held on to the coveted stick throughout the tour like it held the key to eternal youth. Then finally after enough talking about how the whiskey was made and yada yada, we got to the good stuff, namely a shot of scotch, Jameson whiskey and Jack Daniels with my name written on them. After sipping each liquor and clearly tasting for ourselves that the Jameson whiskey was obviously the smoothest, with a more vanilla-y bouquet, we were allowed to finish them off. I tossed 'em back like no big deal, much to the other tasters surprise. Half of them couldn't even finish theirs, to which I took it upon myself to go head and soldier on. I think the Irish would be proud.
After the distillery, we walked around Dublin for a bit more, making our way to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was quite an awesome church. What was not so awesome was the torrential downpour we had to walk through to get there and back. After drying off back at the hostel, we decided to finally go out and sample some of the Irish nightlife. We had the most delicious fish and chips for dinner (and I don't even LIKE fish!) while listening to traditional Irish music and then watching a Celtic dance show. I could not believe how fast those people's legs could move and with what force they could stomp it out to. This led me to say, "Give me a pint of Guinness and I'll Celtic dance for you!" Haha yeah right. After that we went to the original Temple Bar in the Temple Bar area for of course a pint o' Guinness and some live music. At another bar I started chatting to this guy sitting next to me, only to find out he was Italian! Ah what is it with me and those Italian boys? We are just drawn together like magnet and steel, I swear! Live it to me to find the only Italian guy in an Irish pub! He spoke little English and we all know the extent of my Italian language skills, so our conversation was kind of halting, but it was nice to have a little reminder of home.
We had an afternoon flight booked to London, so during our last couple of hours in Dublin we decided to check out the National Museum. Word of advice: don't do it! The museum was super weird and confusing to get around and there wasn't anything even remotely interesting inside. The most fascinating exhibit for me was clothing from the 18th and 19th centuries. Definitely not worth the trip, but at least we didn't waste money since it was free!
All and all Ireland, along with Switzerland, was probably my least favorite place. I did enjoy my time there, it was nice, but I think it was just too many days with not so much to do. Since I've been back, people show the most interest in going to Ireland. That is probably the one place almost everyone mentions they'd love to go. I mean I liked it and everything, just to me, it wasn't that amazing. I guess the cold and the constant rain have something to do with me not completely love Ireland. That and it was my first place after Florence, so maybe I wouldn't have liked anywhere that I went. It was hard to get me motivated enough to get up in the morning. And plus, I think Ireland would be a place for someone who enjoys the countryside and all that green. I am most definitely a city girl at heart. Which is why I was so excited about my final stop: London.
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