Italy

(Originally posted September 2011)

Sunday, July 10th

While delayed in the Sevilla airport, we held fast to our spot in the line despite the airplane not intending on taking off for another three hours. Even as the gate changed, we were forced to hustle to maintain our position (this all-out sprint nearly caused a fist-fight a few rows up). This line is loaded with passengers eager to get a place near the front of the line as the airline doesn’t assign seats.

We arrive late at the airport in Rome and realize that we aren’t going to arrive at the hostel before midnight. The phone appears to be broken, a fact confirmed by the kind Italian woman that offers us her phone and helps us communicate with the hostel manger. Then we grab a bus to the city and are assisted by three more strangers to find the hostel that has no label on the outside of the building.

Exhausted we venture off find an open pizza stand at two in the morning.

Monday, July 11th

Off to Florence this morning, so after quick showers and packing up we return to the train station.  We over-passed the city of Florence and stow away to backtrack to the station in the center of town. After getting settled into our hostel we set out to explore the city.

We started at the Cathedral where we waiting in line yet were denied entrance because of our attire.  Apparently, Italian churches require full coverage of shoulders and knees to enter. So, instead, we climbed 463 top of the dome. My fear of heights first kicked in as we walked around the inside of the dome. Look up to the God-fearing Catholic paintings on the ceiling or look down 80 meters to the ant-sized people on the Cathedral floor. I slowly made my way to the top, outside portion of the Duomo. I enjoyed magnificent views of the city in all directions, although didn’t get too close to the edge.

Next we went to Piazza della Signoria and saw the replica of the David statue (the closest we were going to get since tickets have been sold out for months). Then we made our way over and around to the Ponte Vecchio. The famous bridge, once home to butcher shops, now houses jewelry shops.

We returned to the hostel for a late afternoon nap, which was quite the accomplishment to doze off since I don’t take siestas, like my travel companions. Just as I fell asleep, we hear a knock, knock on the door. I go out to speak with the owner, Maurizio.  I pay the bill while he’s dealing with relocating another party that he had overbooked. Once the other group left he turned to us and ask for an additional 6 euros, cash for a “tourist tax.” We questioned this because it wasn’t mentioned before and wasn’t enforced at the previous hostel. Immediately he freaked out and accused us of refusing to pay. He was all fired up and stormed up and down the hallway saying he was calling the police because we wouldn’t pay. Well, he was beyond negotiation since I held six euros in coins in my hand as we were only looking to confirm this tax was, in fact, legitimate. This ridiculous situation ended with us leaving the hostel and getting our money back. We were briefly without lodging at 8:00pm in high tourist season, walking the streets of Florence, hoping to find a spot in a hostel or cheap hotel rather than spend the night in the train station. Fortunately we quickly found a place with an open room for cheaper than we were originally going to pay with the added bonus of not having Maurizio for an owner.  

Once settled into the new hotel we went out on the town to eat gelato and enjoy street performers in Florence.

Tuesday, July 12th

Early this morning we started at the Museo del Bargello with many statues and paintings in an old palace with a central courtyard. Next we visited at the Palazzo Pitti built in the 1500s and now an enormous building housing several museums filled with centuries of fashion and art. Outside we strolled through the Boboli gardens with statues lining the pathways.

We ate lunch at a small authentic Italian café, delicious pasta and lime granitos so tart that make my eyelids flutter and my checks squint in. Next stop, the hotel to grab our bags and walked to the train station for our trip back to Rome. On the train, we shared a compartment with an Italian woman with no sense of the volume of her voice. She was loudly trying to convert our fellow train travelers to her religious beliefs.  

We walked to our fancy hotel in Rome. Good thing we started our trip in little hostels because after this elegant establishment, it would have been hard to go back to big dorms and shared bathrooms.  We walked around the neighborhood and enjoyed a midnight dinner of crepes with nutella and bananas.

Wednesday, July 13th

Finally lodging that serves more than Corn flakes for its continental breakfast; we filled up this morning before our big adventure around Rome.

Jackie and I hit the metro to the Coliseum first. We plugged into our audio guides and were sent back in time to the Ancient Romans and imagined gladiators and tigers fighting to the death in the arena, in front of emperors, senators and 40,000 other spectators.

We walked the main avenue passed block after block of more ruins, dipped into the Veterans memorial for some shade from the 99 degree heat and hiked to the Palatino. We spent hours hiking around the ruins listening to which temple honors who and which monument celebrates what. The frequent bubblers are a lifesaver with this heat and direct sunshine. After traveling with two Wisconsinites, Jackie has acquired “bubbler” into her vocabulary..

It’s amazing to see how many buildings have survived centuries of weather and humanity. It’s debatable if earthquakes or Catholics have done more damage.

After many miles we head back to the hotel to get cleaned up and ready for dinner. We find a nice Italian restaurant, clearly located in a tourist area where the waiter tells just “don’t even try to speak Italian.”

We have some gelato and walk to the famous Fontane Trevoli. We throw a few coins over our shoulder to ask Neptune if we can return to Roma again someday.

Thursday, July 14th

Up at 5 am again this morning to get to the train station and the airport for our flight to Amsterdam.  We just barely catch the train after a ½ kilometer sprint with all our luggage as we hear the whistle blow and a conductor waving for us to jump on.

We arrive in Amsterdam a little later because of a delayed flight but quickly check in at the Bulldog Hostel and some shawarmas to go. We make it to the Anne Frank house just in time for our timed tickets. The Anne Frank house is incredibly powerful to walk through and read diary excerpts.  To consider the Frank family and the millions of families affected by the Holocaust was very painful and overwhelming.

In Amsterdam it has been raining since we arrived. The wind and rain are miserable. Our umbrellas are flying inside-out and bikes are falling over. Piles of wind-ravaged umbrellas are next to every trash can.

In the evening we stayed warm and dry inside a coffee shop and rain between raindrops to a Chinese restaurant.

Friday, July 15th

We parted with Ellen early this morning since she had an earlier flight. Jackie and I took a few hours to walk around the city since it finally stopped raining and we set off for the airport. There we also went our separate ways.  I stopped through Iceland and Toronto on the way home. I finally arrived in the early hours of Saturday after a wonderful and exhausting journey across Europe.