Florence: A Finale

Last night we hopped off a train in Florence. To start our time in Florence right, we ate a big meal of Florentine steak. SO GOOD! They actually cooked it rare like we like and gave us a bunch of rock salt. Bailey was in heaven! We haven't eaten lots of meat since we got here, so it was the perfect way to shake things up but to still enjoy Italian cuisine.

And then today was an art history nerd's dream! And if you know me, you may know that I am definitely an art history fan. We got up first thing this morning to fulfill a lifelong wish of mine, to see Michelangelo's David.

We were the second couple in the gallery, which was such a neat experience because we had the place practically to ourselves! But also good because we had someone to take our picture haha.

I will say, David is way larger than I anticipated. We spent some time just staring at the masterpiece. So beautiful!

The rest of Galleria dell'Accademia was small but tasteful. A nice way to start off the day!

Something great about Florence is that everything is in walking distance. So convenient! We hopped on over to the central market to find some breakfast. If you go upstairs there's like a food court and it's super cute and clean with lots of options! We grabbed some breakfast and left with plans to come back for lunch.

Then it was time to fulfill some of Bailey's Italy dreams. Shopping! I'm ok with shopping but Bailey is a definite fan. We were sad that there's no Primark close by, but Shey told us to check out OVS which ended up being a similar sort of deal. Kind of like a cheaper H&M. We went there as well as some other fun shops. There were so many, I think that a lot of tourists who come here must like to shop. Then we went back to the market for lunch! This may be terrible but I'm over Italian food, so I went to a Chinese stand and I do not regret it. They had hand pulled noodles in beef broth and it tasted exactly like the kind we would eat in Changzhou! I was in heaven!

We had a 12:00 reservation to climb to the top of the Duomo which I have been looking forward to ever since learning that climbing it was a thing. So maybe for like two weeks haha. From the outside the basilica is unlike anything I've ever seen!

The inside of the basilica is fairly simple which I found surprising. Of course, the inside of the dome is filled with a massive and beautiful last judgement scene. Most of the climb up was in the walls, but they did take us around the inside of the dome to see the paintings close up. So amazing!! And a little scary looking over the edge into the Basilica, knowing that you're standing on a really old, narrow balcony.

When we reached the very top we were able to walk around outside on the tippy top of the dome. Such a gorgeous view of Florence! I love the orange roofs and being able to spot other various churches and domes. I think climbing the dome might have been a highlight of our Italy trip!

Unfortunately the dome museum is closed today, which was a surprise to me. Bummer! But we were able to see the replicas of The Gates of Paradise on the baptistery doors which were beautiful, and inside the baptistery was also quite the sight, I loved all the gold!

After a little bit more shopping we stopped by Piazza Della Signoria to see the outdoor statue gallery which was impressive. There were some beautiful sculptures there! It's also a quick walk from Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio by itself was a little underwhelming. But the view of it from the side was pretty cute!

The Uffizi Gallery was also high on my list, so we made that the last visit of our Italian adventure. They have such an amazing collection! My favorite was Botticelli's Birth of Venus, but I also love a good Caravaggio as you know. It was nice and relaxing moseying through the gallery, which was actually pretty huge.

The evening ended with our last Italian meal! I ordered my last caprese salad, my favorite food of the trip and something I'll try to continue eating at home.

We have had such and amazing time in Italy. I feel so blessed to have been able to see the works of masters that many can only dream of seeing for themselves. What a time to be alive, and to have these opportunities!

We fly out in the morning to head back to our normal lives. I hope to come back soon though, there is so much more in Italy that I still want to see!

The Flavian Amphitheater & Other Famous Attractions

Today was our last day in Rome. So sad! I have loved this city. We finished it off with the grand finale of the Flavian Amphitheater, also known as the Colosseum. We really enjoyed walking around two different levels of it and learning about the events that would happen there so long ago. It was astonishing to me how much money and effort was put towards entertainment in such an ancient time! We enjoyed the sunshine as we strolled through one of the wonders of the world. It is the third wonder of the world that Bailey and I have been able to visit together!

The ticket to the Colosseum includes access to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Both also really cool sights! Palatine Hill was beautiful and a quieter visit, and the Roman Forum was a little busier but super cool. Some of the remains are just massive and it is difficult to imagine just how grand it must have been!

I made a good decision at lunch and ordered something delicious - ravioli with butter and sage. It was really tasty!

We then stopped by the Pantheon which I have been so excited to visit. BAD NEWS. It was closed!!! Today is Epiphany but according to my research it shouldn't have effected our plans. I was wrong! Super disappointing, but I was able to get a glimpse inside through a crack in the door. Guess we will just have to come back!

Our friends were ready for some gelato at that point. I confessed already my disinterest in Italian food, and I must admit also that I am not really into ice cream these days. So Bailey and I ran off for a quick visit to Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. We were able to go inside and walk around and it was gorgeous!

Unfortunately then a sad time came. We met up with our friends at the train station, only to part ways. They're headed to Paris tonight! Before this trip we only knew Shey and Dillon, but now we feel like we've made forever friends in Anna, Matson, and Jake as well. We are so grateful to have been able to meet them and hang out with everyone all together. Turns out we make a great travel group! We all travel in a similar way, fast paced but low stress, with an emphasis on finding the best food. We were sad to see them go but already have big plans for our next adventures as a group of 7.

Bailey and I just hopped onto a train heading to Florence. We will spend tomorrow exploring the city before flying home. The end of our trip is approaching too quickly!

Roaming Through Rome

We started the morning at a cute little American restaurant for breakfast, then headed to Campo de Fiori to walk around. On our way we came across an iconic Italian street so we stopped for a little photoshoot!

Eventually we made it to Camp de Fiori and it was such a cute little place! Bailey bought some fresh pomegranate juice and it was fun to watch the guy make it. And it was delicious! I sampled cheese at all of the stands and couldn't resist buying a cone of salami haha. So tasty!

We hopped on a bus and headed over to the Baths of Caracalla. We didn't know much about what we'd see there, so we were going in with no expectations. It happened to be free day which was a nice surprise, and holy cow! It was so cool there! I knew a little about bathhouses, but we were able to learn some cool things and were so impressed by how gigantic they were. I never imagined bathhouses to be that big! I can't even imagine it outfitted with it's original mosaics, frescoes, and statues. How grand it must have been! Walking through the ruins of it was awe inspiring enough. We were able to see some remains of the mosaics and get a feel for the huge community space as we walked through. We loved our visit there and I'd totally recommend it to anyone visiting Rome!

Lunch today was a true adventure. We found a little restaurant out of the way of tourist paths with great reviews. Willing to walk for good food, we made our way there. Upon being given menus though, we found ourselves completely confused! We've been given menus in Italian before but usually we can figure them out. The words on this menu, however, were completely unfamiliar. The waitress, who must have sensed our distress, proposed a plan. She asked for our trust and put together a true Roman feast for us, three different courses, family style. We tried things we never would have ordered for ourselves (like fried tripe) but ended up loving (my favorite being the deep fried artichokes). I'm so glad we were able to have that authentic experience!

After lunch we went over to the Catacombs of St Callixtus. Bailey and I both are super into catacombs for some reason and have been looking forward to this visit. You can only visit the Catacomb in a guided tour and we could see why once we got down there. If we went down alone there's no way we'd ever find our way back out! It was kind of eerie walking through it. No pictures allowed, but it really was quite the sight. I swear we were pretty far underground with the "ceiling" way above us, but we were only on the first level, apparently there were two beneath us. About 500,000 people were buried there! I cannot imagine being in the catacomb by candlelight to bury or visit the dead. I know it's supposed to be a sacred site but honestly it felt like a creepy maze. I loved it!

Do dead people make the ground more fertile? I did get a picture above ground at the catacombs because the area was just so gorgeous! I love the foliage here!

From there we went to the Basilica di San Giovanni which was gorgeous. I love a good basilica and I love these ladies!

We decided to take the long way home so we could pick up some tiramisu and walk by Castel Sant'Angelo. It's so lovely at night! There were little vendors by it, but even more exciting were the electric Uber bikes. Bailey and Matson had resisted the temptation too long - it was finally time for them to try out the bikes! I went for a little test drive myself and I can report that they were indeed fun.

Tonight was our last night in Rome! It's been a little crazy because of their holiday weekend, but we've had tons of fun and we've been so lucky with the weather. Our time is not quite over yet though!

The Vatican (& Other Nearby Attractions)

I have been so excited to see the Vatican! With my art history studies and fascination with world religions, I knew this would be a place I'd like. Also, I recently watched and read Angels & Demons so that also created some hype haha. The morning started off with the most gorgeous pink sunrise I've ever seen. I knew it was going to be a good day!

The view out our Airbnb window

We started with a tasty breakfast at a cute little restaurant and then walked right into the Vatican museum entrance. Be sure to buy your tickets online ahead of time like we did - the ticket line was crazy long!

Bailey and I had a half hour earlier start time than our friends so we took the time to see a quality Caravaggio and some other fabulous artworks (including the Pope's spacesuit?!) We then continued on and saw the Laocoon!! The Laocoon is one of my very favorite masterpieces. I love the story of it and how it is portrayed through the sculpture. Beautiful!!

Augustus Prima Porta was also a highlight. This sculpture is extremely important politically because of its role as propaganda. Strangely enough, the museums were crazy busy but nobody came even near Augustus?? We weren't complaining though! This whole corridor was fairly deserted and we loved stopping to see all of the beautiful Roman statues.

Turns out that section was empty because it wasn't on the way to the Sistine Chapel. Soon enough we found our way to the herd heading to the Chapel. And I really mean herd - there's no other way to describe the following events than herding. In a huge dense mass of people, we slowly made our way through the exhibits leading to the Sistine Chapel. They were lovely exhibits but hard to enjoy without running into the person one inch away from you! We did find a way to stop in one of the Raphael rooms because I was determined to enjoy The School of Athens. Probably one of my most favorite frescoes ever! So beautiful and symbolic!

We eventually made it to the Sistine Chapel which was surprisingly chaotic. I was hoping for a quiet Chapel to be able to peacefully enjoy the art, but it was really noisy unfortunately. Nevertheless I loved the experience because I am a huge Michelangelo fan! It is really an overwhelmingly beautiful place to be - we stood in awe staring at every depiction until our necks couldn't take another second of it. An experience to never forget - I feel completely humbled and blessed to have been able to witness the Sistine Chapel ceiling for myself.

After making our way through the exit and gift shop, we stopped at a little pasta to go restaurant. Best pasta I've ever had!! We got our food and sat on the curb to eat it. It was so romantic in every sense of the word!

We then stood in line to go into St Peter's basilica. The line went over halfway around the square but I was set on going inside so we waited.

It actually didn't take that long at all! The inside of the basilica was breathtaking. I was expecting grand but what I saw was something beyond. What a rich depiction of the grandeur of heaven! Of course it was the biggest cathedral I've ever been in, yet every inch of it was covered in intricate detail. So beautiful. We left the building through the grottoes where we saw a few Pope's tombs and the tomb of St Peter which was surely interesting.

The sun was setting as we left through St Peter's square. We had such an amazing day in Vatican City but the day wasn't quite over yet! It was time to enjoy some of what Rome had to offer so we stopped by the Spanish steps and the Trevi fountain. Both gorgeous lit up in the dark!

The Trevi fountain particularly is an amazing sight. So over the top and powerful! We threw in some coins because apparently that's what you're supposed to do. I looked it up and the fountain makes crazy amounts of money that way and it all goes to charity so why not pull out those 2 euro coins?

We also stopped by the Fountain of Four Rivers which I really enjoyed because who doesn't love a good Bernini? Bailey and I circled that thing a few times, enjoying it's size and intricacy.

The night ended at a restaurant near our Airbnb. I must say, the food here is amazing for Italian food, but Italian food is still not my favorite! I've been trying a new dish for every meal and still haven't found a favorite (though maybe today's lunch ranks at the top!). Tonight I was lame and got a salad. Kind of a nice break from bready things!

We accomplished so much today, I can't wait to spend a few more days here in the Eternal City!