Day 116- Firenze: Heat, Leather, and La Bistecca

Back in Rome again...Each trip here in Italy gets better.

Florence and Liguria was as close to perfect as it could get. On top of the beauty of the places themselves, the travelling was smooth sailing...everything we planned worked out, we saw what we wanted to see...no regrets.

Thursday, after dragging my overpacked bag a few blocks, I met Pilar at the school's international relations office to do the last of the official paperwork. Ironically for the first time since I've been in that office, things were quickly taken care of. No tears over never seeing the woman in charge again though. 

From there, we caught a bus to Termini Station, but not without a little old lady criticizing my outfit first. In a strong Italian accent she quite efficiently humiliated me, pointing at my skirt, saying "No so short in city! No so shooorrt!"(It was not that short). Not knowing weather to apologize or what, we got off the bus, and yhen caught our train to Florence. This time, the train had little cabins you could sit it, so we got out or food and had our little picnic in the train while enjoying the amazing and very Tuscan view, complete with beautiful villas and thousands of Sunflowers. Like a dream...

A few hours later, we were there, and easily caught the right bus to Julie's house. Julie is my mom's friend's daughter, and last time I was in Italy (about 11 years ago) we also visited her in Florence where she was studying at the time. In fact, I hadn't seen her since...so it was a nice re-encounter. How quickly time passes...Now, after being in New York for a few years, she is designing shoes (I know) and beginning to develop her own company. Of course Pilar and I immediately wanted to exchange lives with her. Not bad. After she so kindly welcomed us into her very charming apartment, we were off again to see the city.

Not only is it charming, but Julie's apartment is also in a great location, with the Boboli Gardens as a backyard, and only a few blocks away from the Palazzo Pitti.  Walking through the area, we got a feel for the small and colorful streets of Firenze, until reaching the Arno River and historic Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in the city. After collapsing and being rebuilt numerous times, it became a goldsmith market in 1953 and has been filled with gold and jewelry shops ever since; shops with displays we both could only gawk at on our student-abroad allowance. I might just have to go back for a ring one day though. I also discovered that it is said that the concept and term "bankruptcy" originated here. When a merchant couldn't pay his debts, the table or "banco" on which he sold his things was broken, "rotto" by soldiers; now without a table, the merchant was not able to sell anything. Banco rotto; bankrupt. Cool huh?

So after imagining ourselves covered in expensive Florentine jewelry one day, we continued on to Piazza della Signoria, and the Galleria dell'Academia, where famous David (with that great bod of his) gazes into the horizon. And they definitely know how to set the mood for tourists; as the sun began to set and the orange light covered the plaza, crowds gathered around a guitar player, strumming calming Italian music, and aromas began flowing from the restaurants, opening for aperitivos and dinner. We decided to keep moving, and saw the Duomo or the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, complete with Giotto's famous bell tower, and the octagonal Bapistry with its beautiful bronze doors. After that, we began to make our way back, going through Piazza dalla Repubblica, and crossing Ponte Vecchio again, with perfect timing for the breathtaking sunset.

              

   

 It didn't seem like anything could be missing, but our stomachs soon began to disagree, so we met up with Julie (who rode in on her bike-Italian style) at a great little piazza frequented by locals, and chose a small osteria for our gratinated cheese gnocchi dinner. On that note: both Pilar and I had originally decided to get half portions of two different things so we could try a variety of foods, however when our first dish of gnocchi smothered in steaming melted cheese and truffle oil arrived...thank god we could cancel the other things. Not a normal half portion. So if you're ever in that position, you might want to clarify what the half portion looks like. Unless of course you're up for it. Which I would have been if it had been anything else but gnocchi-the bomb of all pastas...

After the delicious dinner and great conversation, we walked home, I was tempted by Julie's digital scale and weighed myself for the first time since I've been here (why I would decide to do so after the dinner I had just had is beyond me), and went to bed, maybe the slightest bit disturbed. Haha...Still, nothing would keep me awake after our long and busy day, so I could only think about a pretend future diet for about 3 minutes. Too bad.

Friday morning began bright and early with some necessary coffee (thanks again Julie!). We headed for the Uffizi Gallery, which holds the works of da Vinci, Giotto and some of Boticelli's greatest pieces (Birth of Venus and Primavera amongst others). We were hoping to reserve tickets for later since I read the line was never-ending, so we asked about it and they directed us towards a different ticket window. Since reserving turned out to be more expensive, and the line wasn't too bad, we started to go back...when I see Pilar near the regular ticket booth, behind only about 6 people waving me over. So we get our tickets in under 5 minutes and as we're going through security we realized that little did we know we had just cut a cue of a lottt more people that we couldn't see from inside. Oops. The whole thing was innocent, but I thought it was great that we totally cheated the famous Uffizi lines. As I said...everything about this trip worked out great for us.


After spending enough time in the museum, we went towards the San Lorenzo leather market Julie told us about, which ended up being crazy. Walls and booths covered in all things leather. Bags, Belts, Gloves, Wallets, Jackets, Accessories...everything, and in every color. And so much cheaper than in Rome. It was a little overwhelming because it just kept getting better. So hard choosing just one beautiful leather purse.

Finally tired of wandering the market, we happened to stumble upon a little restaurant in the midst of all the Italian "pelle", offering what we had been searching for for lunch-the highly recommended, you can't leave Florence without eating one- Bistecca Fiorentina. Basically a grilled T bone. Now nothing beats the barbecues we have in Chile, but after not having one for the past 4 months, and barely having any red meat at all...the Bistecca was very well recieved by myself and my co-chilean diner.

After lunch, we decided to escape the heat (which by the way was borderline stifling, no less than 31 degrees Celsius all day) and freshen up at Julie's. We were originally trying to get to a wine festival there was at Palazzo Pitti, but there was only a couple hours left of it while we were ready...Thereforeee we bought our own bottle and went to sit outside the palace instead. And that was it...completely surrendered to relaxation, wine on a warm summer night, walking around, pausing to listen to more guitar music-one guy even played the Godfather theme song-and some noteworthy gelato to finish it off. It was definitely one for the books, great night in Italy. <3

All in all, I loved Florence all over again. I was telling Pilar that I feel like most of my memories of Italy seem to be images of Florence...it's almost seems like the essence of Italy in many ways; the postcard sights, the food, the shopping, the balmy Mediterranean nights. From a foreigner's perspective, it's also smaller, and much easier to conquer than Rome.  After only two nights there I felt like I knew my way around some places...and like I could stay forever. It is in Tuscany after all-you can't really go wrong.

Saturday morning, I decided to get up extra early and take a last stroll along the main streets, casually ending up at the leather market again (not with any intention at all of getting something). But even more than the purse I bought, I loved being out at that time of day...A place like Florence is obviously always full of tourists, and as I was walking I just kind of watched the true city wake up. On the way out, there were only a few people -locals- on the streets; shop owners beginning to unlock their stores, setting things up, people going to work. And then on the way back, there were already some tour guides out with their little flag up and the herd of people behind them.

Distracted by the glassy reflection of the river from Ponte Vecchio, I almost forgot the time, so I hurried home to get Pili and our bags, we said goodbye to Julie, and made our way to the station and to Sestri Levante in Liguria...

Day 69- Napoli, Pompei and a Barbecue in the Rain

This is a little overdue, so I'm just going to dive in...

Besides pizza, Napoli is a city that smells of the sea, with roads even more narrow than in Rome, full of laundry and whizzing motorcycles, smelly old men that yell at you in strong Italian accents, wonderful fried food, castles, and a lot of churches. Our hostel was tucked into a little corner besides my favorite church in Napoli, even though it gets no attention and you can't get inside. It's completely abandoned, but has still held on to its terracotta color and the shape of it's exterior carvings. I was quickly intrigued by it because at the top there's a masonic eye (pyramid with the eye in the center), supposedly representing the all seeing eye of the higher power, but quite uncommon to see on churches here. I looked up the church, but nothing came up. Anyway, it was very uplifting to see as we walked in and out of Contrera Hostel during our stay. For our first day in Naples, we basically stayed within what is considered the city historical center, seeing church after church, including the Dome of Napoli, the church that holds the vials of blood of San Gennaro (Naples' patron saint), that's said to miraculously liquefy twice each year. Quite interesting. We also made our way up the Christmas alley, or "Via Saint Gregorio", a street where you can enjoy Christmas year-round thanks to the seasonal props and nativity figures sold there by artisans. That night we took up the very convenient offer at the hostel: buy a drink at the bar and it comes with a pasta dinner. Okay. Pasta and wine it was.

Christmas Alley - Via San Gregorio

The next day it was off to Pompei, to which we took a 40 minute train ride, standing up. It was sufficiently hot too, so it got old pretty fast. But, we arrived as planned, and began our exploration of the streets of the city frozen in time. Now I'm going to be completely honest. The story is fascinating, and what you can see that is obviously still very in tact from all those years ago is very beautiful...the petrified bodies, the ceramics, the stucco paintings, an entire amphitheater...leave you wondering what it would all look like if something like that were to happen in your city. All the while, the Vesuvius volcano follows in the background, bestowing upon you it's capacity of damage and the threat it implies still, after so many years. However after a while, the streets just look like streets, and the run down entrances of houses just look like rocks. It all begins to blend together and without the specific details of what that structure in front of you is, it's downright tiring. So, if you go to Pompei, pay for a tour. Or at least the audio guide. It's a great experience either way, but I think I would have gotten much more out of it with a little more information.

Back in Napoli, we decided to go to the "concert" we had been invited to at the hostel that night, but were quickly informed, after trying some of the food set out at a table, was actually a private party. How gracious. It was our turf though, and we had been invited, so we stayed and ate, and finished our bottle of wine..and ended up being served birthday cake by the birthday girl herself and chatting away with a younger version of Martin Scorsese, glasses and all, cigar tactfully lit. Some Italian guitar music ended the night, reminiscent of being at the beach in Chile, listening to the guitar there, in front of a fire...only not so alone.

Anyhow, the next day was our day to see the coast, the lively and glistening Golfo di Napoli, where cruise-liners harbor, regatta sailboats slide across the water, and local people slowly develop their famous Italian tans in little fishing boats and sprawled over the grey rocks along the bank. Getting there was actually a highlight, since we had to take what is an everyday part of the public transportation system in Naples: the "Funicolare Centrale". I didn't realize before doing so, but Naples is built along a coast with a large slant, so to get to sea level would mean a lot of time and walking. So the funicular did it's very amusing job; lowering us 168 meters, across a 1235 meter distance, basically acting like a downhill subway or train.  Definitely a little more modern compared to the little wooden funiculars in Valparaiso. After our descent, we passed through the Galleria Umberto II, where I finally had a warm Svogliatella, oozing with ricotta; then the Royal San Carlo Theater and Palace, Plazza del Plebescito, and finally the Castel del'Ovo, with it's beautiful panoramic view of the city.

Funicolare Centrale

Svogliatella

Castel del'Ovo

It was already getting late, so we made our way back to the historic center for another pizza, this time at Sorbello's (also mind blowing...I almost had two this time), and were on our way back to Rome. The train ride took longer than planned, so we got in around 10, but it was only Saturday, and we had the rest of the long weekend ahead of us. :)

In Rome again, besides resting, making a firm decision to do some intense exercises for the next few weeks, and determinedly studying Italian, I went out with Maria on Sunday to the first mall I've been to, and then for a romantic drink at sunset in Fiumucino, another little coastal town, also where one of the airports is. I didn't see that much of the area, but it seems like it has a lot of potential for summer, to sit and have a slightly sweeter drink in hand.  I tried Campari for the first time, and as much as I wanted to like it, I didn't. Just way too bitter. Lemoncello is still trying to win me over too. We'll see.

Tuesday for the "primo di maggio" day off, it was to Lago di Martignano for a barbecue, about 60 kilometers from Rome. I got a taste of the crazy fast Italian driving, as Valerio just nearly spun the car out of control, through the curvy country streets on our way there. The weather didn't really cooperate though- as soon as we got there the drizzle turned into rain- but supplied us with an adventurous and unusual barbecue under a makeshift "tent" of towels tied to trees. The amount of chicken, pork and Italian sausage I ate did make up for the weather, as it did for the protein deficiency I currently had. I also got to be around kids, something I was missing after being surrounded by my fourth graders last semester.  Still, after a few hours, little Anna and Gaia (pronounced "Galla"...O sea, gallla! jaja) had both Maria and I ready to go home, and just as the sun came out (isn't that how it always goes), we were on our way back.

Valerio, Flavia, Me, Maria

Gaia

The whole thing made me blissful - it was things like this that I imagined myself doing, with people I would hopefully meet here.  So it made so grateful to be living here, with them, who can show me special places like that and allow me into their lives to experience what I think is something so much more Italian than seeing the Colosseum. Nice note to end the weekend with, and after some classes, before I know it.......

It's Friday. And...clearly I'm at home. Haha...but it sounds like a party in the kitchen so I'm off. Maybe there's a bottle of wine opened. Cross your fingers.

Day 59- Happy Birthday Rome

Productive weekend. Catalina came and stayed with me and we went to a few of Rome's prime attractions. I went into the Basilica di San Pietro and saw the Pieta for the first time since I've been here, as well as to the Panteon, Castel Sant'Angelo and the Spanish Steps by daylight. We also stopped at Piazza Navona for lunch which was really nice. I had the Spaghetti alla Carbonara (egg bacon and cheese). It was not what I've thought a carbonara sauce consisted of this whole time, but sooo good. The egg was awesome. Of course eating in the tourist area means it was so overpriced, so that stung a little, but good nonetheless. If anything, what you put in your body to stay alive is worth it, right? More so than the beautiful 50-euro leather wallet I saw in a window? Haha.

Spanish Steps from afar

Italian flag Peek a boo 

View from Castel Sant'Angelo

Cupola in Basilica di St Pietro (Vatican)

Anyway, the highlight of my day was definitely this historical parade we stumbled upon, in honor of the Rome's 2,765th anniversary.  I just basked in the scenery watching procession of people dressed like Romans from thousands of years ago - dancers, soldiers doing war cries, the senate in their white robes, gladiators in...cloths. With the backdrop of the huge Vittorio Emanuele II Monument in Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum peeking from the distance, I basically felt like it was 700 BC. I could just imagine all the people and the festivities, with all these beautiful buildings just recently built and the Roman Empire thriving. It really makes you realize, it's all so old...

Later, while Cata went for the Collosseum, Pilar and I took advantage of the free entries this week and went to the Galleria Borguese, a modern arts museum that turned out to be completely worth a look. They had some really interesting expositions there now, especially the op art one. I was quite satisfied and thoroughly exhausted when I got home.

So classes this week were tough to stay awake for, but it's almost over. I had another Italian class today and on the way back, under the rain (still. raining.) I realized I was talking to myself in Italian. It was good practice okay? But then at some point I was just talking to myself period..."So laundry...then defrost the chicken, look up things to do in Naples, run?" I guess at that point what I needed to say was well past my abilities in the Italian language. I was pretty organized when I got home though.

And the more I'm in the kitchen with Valerio the more of a genius he proves to be. Today plain old mashed potatoes. But throw in some noce moscata (nutmeg) and it's Perfect Mashed Potatoes. He is going to be in trouble when the plane can't take off because of how HEAVY I WILL BE. God. :)

Anyway, I'm trying to get organized for my trip on Thursday. I leave with Daniela and a friend of hers, Nadine for Napoli! I'm not sure how long it takes to get there yet, but I know I leave around 10. So we're thinking we'll look around Napoli the first day, then on Friday visit Pompei and then Sunday leave after lunch. In preparation I did go running today after all...even with the rain, since you know my plan is to eat nothing but pizza. After all, they say it's the best pizza in Italy..which means it's the best in the world. I'm salivating a little...

I did go ahead and find the address for the pizzeria mentioned (and shown) in Eat, Pray, Love "L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele" (Via Cesare Sersale 1, if anyone's in the area). It definitely had to be one of my favorite parts in the book, so I cannot wait! They say there's a line, but really, who cares? It just means it's worth waiting in line for...

So I leave you with this. See if it doesn't make you want to meet me there in a few days:

"So Sofie and I have come to Pizzeria da Michele, and these pies we have just ordered - one for each of us - are making us lose our minds.  I love my pizza so much, in fact, that I have come to believe in my delirium that my pizza might actually love me, in return.  I am having a relationship with this pizza, almost an affair.  Meanwhile, Sofie is practically in tears over hers (...) "

"Pizzeria da Michele is s small place with only two rooms and one non-stop oven. It's about a fifteen-minute walk from the train station in the rain, don't even worry about it, just go. You need to get there fairly early in the day because sometimes they run out of dough, which will break your heart.  By 1:00 PM, the streets outside the pizzeria have become jammed with Neapolitans trying to get into the place, shoving for access like they're trying to get space on a lifeboat. There's not a menu. They have only two varieties of pizza here - regular and extra cheese. (...) The dough, it takes me half my meal to figure out, tastes more like Indian nan than like any pizza dough I ever tried.  It's soft and chewy and yielding, but incredibly thin. (...) How was I to have known there could be a crust in this world that was thin and doughy. On top there is a sweet tomato sauce that foams up all bubbly and cream when it melts the fresh buffalo mozzarella, and the one sprig of basil in the middle of the whole deal somehow infuses the entire pizza with herbal radiance, much the same way one shimmering movie star in the middle of a party brings a contact high of glamour to everyone around her."

-Elizabeth Gilbert (from Eat, Pray, Love)

Day 52- Milan, Budapest, Paris

Hello again! Well I have to admit I've been dreading this entry because I feel like I have so much to say and it's going to take too long to do it...but I'm going to try and keep it short and sweet.  During my trip I did have the chance to write a few times, but at the end of each day all I wanted to do was pass out, so it just never happened.  Anyway...Milan, Budapest, and Paris:

I would have liked to spend more time in Milan, to be able to really figure out how it's different than Rome. It's a very pretty city as well, from the little that I saw, and you could tell it was smaller than Rome, and definitely much less touristy.  I think I liked that a lot about it right away. Needless to say it's also the fashion capitol of Italy. But part of the experience of being in Rome for me is being surrounded by all the monuments and soaking in the history...not necessarily by going into museums, but just by living in it.  Other than that, Milan was also a bit of a party weekend for Coni and I. It definitely seems like they have a fun nightlife there. And it was an intense two days, but we had a really good time and met some great people. I'd definitely go back.

Spin on the bulls testicles to return to Milan!

Duomo di Milano

Then, Budapest. It was beginning to get really warm in Rome, so of course both of us thought it would be the case in areas close by. So no boots, or gloves, or jackets. And we step out of the airport and I thought we were in Russia. It was cold....and very windy. It made for an interesting sight as we began the journey to our hostel...we were definitely being blown down the street with our suitcases while we simultaneously tried to look at a map and ask someone for directions. Actually, finding someone who spoke English came first because there was no chance whatsoever that we would be asking for directions in the Hungarian language.  Hello is pronounced an equivalent of  "See ya" and Goodbye is "Helo". Come on.  It was a miracle we found the place as quick as we did.  I know we felt pretty proud.

Once settled in at Blacksheep Hostel (amazing and completely recommended), we set out to see Budapest. It definitely felt foreign. I was a little dumbfounded by the whole place really...Again it seemed like you were in a regular city, after all there is a McDonalds and Starbucks within blocks of each other...but something just seemed different. I think the language was the determinant factor really, because being able to somehow communicate is always comforting. But here there was no such thing. People really didn't even understand the flapping hand gestures we'd make. And the look they'd give us was a little scary to be honest. You would think after repeating "WHICH WAY" three different ways and pointing to a place on the map, they would get the point....right? Haha. It's so nice being a tourist. I have to remember to enjoy it next time I'm in Chile and someone with a camera and a map asks for directions.

Anyway, we saw the sights...mostly thanks to a wonderful free walking tour that we went on and the charming guide we had. The view from Castle Hill is definitely high on my list, the contrasting colors were gorgeous.  I also loved this fair we came upon at a little square in town. They supposedly have it running all year and it's a display of traditional Hungarian foods, drinks, artisan work, and music. I thought it was special though, because it seemed very genuine and also enjoyed by local people more so than tourists. It was Sunday, so along with Coni and I, many families enjoyed the food as the sun set. We had an interesting version of what I can only compare to a Quesadilla (so good), some typical sausages with mustard and bread, beer of course, and an amaaazing dessert, this pastry dough that is slowly roasted on a fire and then rolled in whatever topping you want (we went with cinnamon). It was absolutely my kind of thing, crispy and sugary on the outside and then soft and doughy on the inside...almost like a cinnamon bun. Mmm. I do think I'll have to go back someday because we didn't get around to the thermal baths or seeing the city lit up at night. We did go out one night and ended up at this totally kitsch bar - fabrics on the ceiling, chairs on the wall, and waitresses selling both hookahs and...carrots. Yes. Freshly peeled carrots. Want a carrot with your beer? Only 150 Hungarian Forints. Haha They had to have something in them. Anyway, by the time we left the bar and went to take pictures by the Danube River, the Parliament Building's lights were off. So...next time.

View of the Parliament from Castle Hill

#2 on the menu: Rooster Testicles!

The fair at Deak Ferenc Square

Enjoying "Kurtos Kalacs", the sweet Hungarian pastry

A Hungarian tradition:
Write the name of your other half on a lock and throw the key in the Dunabe River.
The bigger the better?

Central Market Hall (Nagy Vasarcsarnok)


For more pictures: Szia Budapest

And Paris. Oh Paris. (I say that with a french accent by the way). Let me begin my saying it's not everyday you get a chance to be in Paris in APRIL. It's not a song for nothing.  Although it was still a little cold for our oh so winter savvy wardrobe, flowers and trees were in full bloom and any rain or fog just made everything more perfect. I took about 900 pictures. And inevitably I think maybe 300 were of the Eiffel Tower. What can I say, it is truly stunning. Shred it of all it's fame and extravagance and it would still be stunning. To me, it's more about the view of it as a whole, it's grandeur and shape, how it fits so effortlessly into the skyline and at the end of Champs de Mars. I mean really, up close, it's not that pretty. Looking at the intertwined iron bars while we walked up the tower, you start to wonder about the choice of paint. It all just begins to look like an abandoned construction site.  But sure enough the color does suit it; it all comes together, when you just barely see it peek through the fog on a cloudy day. Or when the sun does shine it stands so distinctly against that ocean sky. I could get all philosophical and say that it's similar to so many things-where little pieces make a bigger whole...how that's all we are in this world too...But I won't.

So...we saw the Eiffel Tower. By day, by night. That was a first for me, seeing it's little show of sparkles, plastic cup of wine in hand. I actually had one of those moments where you're just like..that is beautiful. I think it was because it was so cold out. It was one of those nights where your nose gets red and you can feel every bit of air that gets into the back of the neck of your jacket. And you're not sure you really have hands anymore. It made me really awake. And very aware of where I was and what tower it was I was looking at, on what would otherwise be a completely ordinary April night. It was like everything just sort of blurred away and all I could see was the sparkles. It made me stop thinking for a second. I hope someday something I do makes at least one person feel like that. I hope Gustave Eiffel knew he had created so much more than a piece of architecture.

Of course we saw so much more. I'm impressed by how much we got around to, most of our circles on the map were accomplished. Louvre, check. Hotel des Invalides, check. Musee de Rodin, Moulin Rouge, Montmartre, Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, Pont Neuf, Latin Quarters, Place de Vosges, Place de Vendome, Palais de l'Elysee, Arc de Triomphe. And other things along the way. And Versailles. Which truly merits an entire day, but we did what we could. I'd be a size 0 and eat croissants everyday if I lived close by, because running in those gardens would be irresistible. Oh to be royal. Such luxury. "Let them eat cake!" as the lady of the estate would say.

So we were really busy. And the walk back to the hostel every night put us right to bed as soon as we finished our Korean dinner...when we managed to get there in time. The whole experience at the hostel is really a whole different story. Because of it, we truly experienced two cultures while in Paris: the French and the Korean. The hostel was basically run by what seemed like a Korean family, and they very genuinely took care of us from the moment we walked through the door, with warm cups of tea, amazing authentic food, and happy smiles. I must admit the Asian writing on the walls kind of freaked me out at the beginning...buuut, then you just sort of realize the people must have felt so at home. By the end of our stay I was even getting used to the slippers and tiny beds. If anyone needs a place to stay in Paris, it's the "Paris Namdemun Guesthouse".

Other suggestions? You can never eat too much in Paris. Have a croissant a day, try the different flavored macaroons, (especially the fruit ones) on Rue Sainte Dominique. What is called The Latin Quarter, (an area in the 5th and 6th arrondissement of Paris) had good and less pricey restaurants, especially for some fondue! Um..Place des Vosges has great bakeries and cafes for brunch. There are also a lot of nice shops there. Don't leave Paris without buying at least one piece of clothing. Go into the designer stores to look even if you can't afford anything in them.  Also, look out for days when museums are free, like the Louvre on Fridays after 6 (under 25 years old). Sainte Chapelle is not to be overlooked-it's just as beautiful if not more beautiful than Notre Dame. And last...if you can, do the combination of stairs and elevator at the Eiffel Tower...it's cheaper and the line took no more than 10 minutes. So there you go.

Musee de Rodin

St. Chapelle

                                              

From the top of the tour

Versailles castle steps

Versailles estate

By night

My favorite picture

For more pictures: C'est Paris (Part 1) (Part 2 coming soon)

Besides the obvious and inevitable (that I had a great time and each place was stunningly beautiful), this trip quickly became so much more about growing and learning than anything else. When your wallet is lost with all your money in it, and you're basically broke in a foreign country, it's pretty much a crash-course in travelling. Plus luggage and flight problems...The whole thing just breaks you down and makes you want your mom. But. I am 23. So I had to figure out what the hell to do on my own. Which I did. And I'm now safe and sound back in Rome, so I'm going to go ahead and assume I did an amazing job.

It was exhausting though; having a combination of such opposite feelings in such close intervals of time does that. It was feeling courage, and angst; nerves, excitement, beauty, anger, peace, awe...It was understanding how to give and take, to be tolerant, to compromise and about trusting that somehow, everything would be alright.  Little by little I'm realizing that everything absolutely does happen for a reason.  How many bad experiences can you honestly look back upon now and still have only negative feelings about?  Of course it must have been hard. And the moment sucked. But I would bet that there are also positive feelings surrounding the experience as well. If not a lot of laughing....So the good cancels out the bad, and it just becomes experience.

I'm already laughing thinking about this trip. I've decided anything else isn't really worth it...