Ciao Bella!

This past week has been a whirlwind as I explored the beautiful country of Italy for spring break. I visited two regions, three cities, and five villages all in the course of four days. Despite the time crunch, I saw more history than in any other country I have visited; I also ate more pasta, pizza, and gelato than I ever have in my life. The first stop of the trip was an overnight stay in the small city of Pisa. You can’t go to Italy without seeing the infamous leaning tower and taking the cliché picture of pushing it back in to place! The day we went was Easter Sunday and the streets were bustling with people shopping at the local flea market taking place in the city square. There was much more to the city than I had anticipated, and snapping that one picture was definitely worth the overnight stay.

The next morning, my friends and I made our way to the city of Florence. Easter Monday proved to be yet another busy day in Italy. The streets were once again filled with locals and tourists travelling around and visiting the sites that downtown Firenze has to offer. In the heart of the city is the majestic marble church, the Duomo, and from here you can find your way anywhere. We had been planning to go inside and gawk at the beauty of the church, as well as the spectacular views from the top, but there was a three hour line just to get in and we had not dressed for the chilly wind we encountered in the northern part of Italy. We had thought that the Tuscan sun would be a welcome from drizzly Galway, but it was actually warmer in Ireland last week! So, after marveling at the Duomo’s elegance from the outside, we walked a little ways farther in search of a man named David.

My mouth hit the ground when we finally got to meet David after our hour and a half wait in line. I knew that he was handsome, but I had no idea how large he was! Yes, I am talking about the statue! Michelangelo’s David is a work of art; it stands front and center in the Academy Gallery of Florence, and he commands the room. Up close, you can see every detail of his marble body; the abs, the biceps, the veins, the buttocks, and yes even the… man parts. David is a fine specimen of art but boy is he also a fine specimen of man! I wasn’t aware of the sheer size of the statue until I saw it for my own eyes and I just couldn’t believe the talent it must have taken to create such an incredible piece of art.

You can’t travel to Italy without visiting the beautiful Tuscan landscape and exploring a vineyard or two! My friends and I booked a tour through a great study abroad tour group out of Florence called Smart Trip. They took us through the Tuscan countryside and we got to visit two gorgeous, rustic vineyards of the Chianti region. Of course there was a bit of wine tasting in which I learned that red wine STILL is not my thing, but what impressed me the most was the homemade Italian salami and the olive oil that the two vineyards also offered for us to taste. Now, I am not much of a meat-eater, but this salami I swear was the most delicious food I have ever eaten on a cracker. It was made with home-grown fennel and it melted right on your tongue. The olive oil was so fresh that I could taste the earthiness of the olives and breathe in their pungent scent. Don’t let the beautiful skies deceive you, though; it was cold up there in the hills of Tuscany!

In one day I saw five villages. I didn't actually get to walk through them all, only three, but I did see them all from the boat we took from one village to the one at the other end of the peninsula. The Cinque Terre means “five villages” in the Italian language. These five villages sit atop the side of the cliffs that fall into the Mediterranean Sea on the west coast of Italy. The houses are all varying colors of peach, blue, coral, tan, and pale green and from the boat, the blend of colors up on the hills is mesmerizing. The smaller villages were quaint with a few restaurants and shops, but the village that I enjoyed the most was called Monterosso. We got off the boat ride here and you could immediately see the size difference of this village compared to its smaller neighbors. There was more hustle and bustle, though not too much because tourist season was just beginning, but you could still feel the vibe of community. The sun was shining and the weather was finally warming up and so my friends and I had a perfect little lunch outside on the beach at one of the local restaurants. The Cinque Terre is famous for their pesto, so of course I had to get the pesto bruschetta. They weren’t kidding! The pesto was creamy and garlicy and so delicious! I wanted to order a second lunch, but I decided that buying a jar of the pesto was a better idea. After lunch and a bit of exploring, we headed toward the beach and parked our bums in the warm sand. The Mediterranean water was still a bit chilly, but I dipped my toes in regardless so that I could say I had done it. We let the sun soak our skin and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to head back to Florence and pack up for Rome the next morning. I left with sand in my shoes and a lovely red sunburn on my face.

They say that Rome wasn’t built in a day, but a day was the only time I had to explore this incredible city, and I fell in love. If I could do the study abroad process all over again…. I would still study in Galway—it’s my second home—but I would definitely have spent closer to a week in Rome. I felt like Lizzie McGuire walking down the streets of the Eternal City; granted I wasn’t riding a Vespa or singing as a foreign pop star, but hey I’m on a budget here! Sadly, I wasn’t able to see the Vatican City or the Sistine Chapel because the Pope was in town visiting and people were lined up for three hours waiting just to buy tickets for the museum. Instead, we headed for the Coliseum and the ancient part of Rome. The history, the architecture, and the romance in the air all stopped me right in my tracks. The Roman Empire had been one of the greatest of its time, and to see it all still there, even in ruins, proves the strength of the city. The only disappointment was the Trevi Fountain; not due to the fountain itself, but the scaffolding that covered it due to the construction being done that won’t finish until October. Even that one eyesore though couldn’t take away from the utter beauty and magnificence that is the city of Rome. I want to go back and visit again someday and really spend a significant amount of time seeing every part of the city that I can. When in Rome!