To the Duomo and Beyond

LOVE. I love the colorful and rustic churches; I love the intelligent and artistic people; I love the smell of brand new leather; I love the taste of sweet gelato and bitter espresso; I love the atmosphere with a culture so esteemed and proud of their rich history; I love this place. Firenze, Florence, home; whatever you call it, it is amazing. 

A view of the side of the Baptistry with the Duomo lurking behind 

In the breath taking scenery and gentle rolling hills of the Tuscany region, every corner and turn is filled with a scene worthy of a snapshot and something beautiful and exciting. If I were to ever consider living abroad, it would be in Florence. It is a large town (well city, I guess) but feels so central and small. The birthplace of the Renaissance, most key players of that day, and home to the world’s most beautiful leather, Florence is a dream. 

The famous Ponte Vecchio ("old bridge") that crosses the great river
in Florenece

Coming off of a whirlwind of an exciting weekend in Switzerland, we hopped right onto the bus at 6 am Monday morning and headed North. Sienna was our first stop. This town is exactly what I always pictured when I thought of Italy. Quaint, cozy, and rustically beautiful. After a day there, we loaded the bus yet again (I won’t miss the days of constant travel once I’m back stateside) and rolled into Florence. We got to stay in Florence for five days so there were plenty of adventures; so I’ll just tell you about the highlights. We got to tour the world famous, architectural brilliance of the Duomo with the famous dome. It sure was a beauty. For mere entertainment purposes, try saying duomo really fast. Fun, right? We thought we were so hilarious and would walk up to people in the main square and ask them to point us in the direction of the duomo (if you’re missing the joke, it’s the most famous church in Florence and is in the middle of the city...obviously you cannot miss it). Or my personal fave, we’d ask if Rome is on the street or the next. Oh, we thought we were so funny. Anyway, we also got to speak with a couple who has lived through the Facist Mussolini regime, World War II, and the great Firenze Flood of 1966. I also found the most amazing vintage consignment store. Was that exciting or what!? I purchased a Gucci handbag from the 1950s and a pair of vintage Prada heels; this girl is a happy camper. The next day while we were touring the Gucci Museum, yep that’s right, we came to their handbag section. They had an entire case of priceless “Icon Bag” handbags that looked exactly like the one I had bought the day before! I told our tour guide the serial number and she informed me that I was a very lucky girl; I was the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind Gucci handbag! Ecstatic I was and still am. 

After some incredible days and nights soaking in every bit of my favorite Italian city, we were off to our fourth city of the week (wow, two countries and four cities in a matter of six days; no wonder I’m so tired), Cinque Terre. If anyone out there has a Pinterest account, I guarantee you have seen pictures of this amazing area. The name literally translates to “five lands” because there are five tiny towns all built and nestled into the cliffs of the northern Italian coast. All of these little homes, shops, and churches are painted with the most beautifully rich earth tones. The little bays are speckled with fishing boats and sailboats leisurely floating by. We went on a five hour hike that toured us up, over, and through all the little villages. And at the end, we swam in the salty Mediterranean just soaking and being thankful for such an incredible day and unforgettable adventure. 

The beautiful cliffs and structures of Cinque Terre.
Plus one avid hiker. 

How could I put into words how amazing this is? After every visit and blog post I feel like I have a new favorite place. So yet again I type, and think, and smile, and wonder if Florence and Cinque Terre will ever again grace little ole me with their captivating presence. I sure hope they do. 

Mediterranean beaches and pebbles 

After an absolutely beautiful and amazing all day hike. Hands up for
finishing and lemonades on the shore!

Alpaholic

That's it; I'm addicted. Have you ever seen a picture or a postcard that instantly took your breath away? Or maybe you, yourself, have visited such a place? If so, then you can empathize with me when I say, it is absolutely unforgettable. I will never, for the rest of my days, forget Switzerland. It was early in the morning as our plane crossed the Italian-Swiss border and I looked down to see the incredible Alps marching below us. They are massive. I wish there were other expressions, but nothing quite captures the magnitude and beauty of these wonders. I was in love with this place before I even landed. As we stepped off of our plane, I took as many deep breaths as I could; like the cool, crisp air was going to run out if I didn't hoard it all for myself. 

After all sorts of transportation (literally in one day I conquered planes, trains, and "auto-buses"), we finally arrived in Interlaken! Wow, I'm smiling as I type that name. So after we checked into our world renowned hostel, Balmer's, we explored the town. Nestled right in the foothills of the Alps, this town is known for its extreme sports-seeking tourists and of course, delicious chocolate. 

Obviously the main event was 8:00 a.m. the next morning. After not nearly enough sleep (as you could guess sharing a hostel room with a stranger from South Korea named Kim, doesn't exactly guarantee the sweetest sleep...), we waited on the curb for our "carriage". A crazy, and I mean wild, reckless, and looney, Australian named Bernie aka "Birdman Bernie", picked us up in a shoddy white van and we were off. He sped us to the drop spot, and two by two we were lead to our adventure. 

As the van twisted and turned up the face of an alp (is that correct?), we finally arrived at the top. I guess I always had this idea in my head that you literally jump off the side of a cliff when hang gliding, but I was wrong. We unfolded and set up the giant kite and ropes, took some pre-gliding pics, and strapped in. He said the only rule was to keep running and do everything he says...easy enough, right? So once we were both strapped in, we ran. And we ran and we ran. Down the face of a sloping, 12, 000 feet above sea level mountain. Next thing I knew, we were flying! It was amazing! Literally. we floated and drifted all over the beautiful landscape of Interlaken. Lakes, mountains, towns, and trees. We soared above it all. 

There was something about that mountain air. Cool and crisp, yet warm and comforting all at the same time. That place; that untouched, not land not sea, but air. A space where one cannot be found, but finds. That place is sacred, that place is magical.

If I could jump off of cliffs, with that kind of view, and feel that free every day of my life, well I certainly wouldn’t hate it. 

“So if you can’t find me, look to the western sky...”

-Wicked

Too Busy Having Fun

HELLO WORLD!

So sorry, it's been too long (embarrassingly too long) since I have blogged last. There is just so much we need to catch up on. They are in the works. Sorry, I've just been too busy having fun!

Let's chat soon.

This little face just about says it all! 

sandy toes and orange peels

This past weekend, myself and four other girls went on our first weekend trip. What better way to start than the Mediterranean coastal Spanish town of Valencia. I don't know if you heard me correctly, but yes, I said Spain! I was always indifferent to Spain; never thought much in favor of it or thought I would ever choose to visit. But me oh my, am I glad we did! It was beautiful. Our flight out on Friday morning was brutal, being picked up by our taxi at 4:30 a.m. from the palace. But so worth it when we spent literally all day out on the Valencian beaches. After a delicious lunch of fresh shrimp, sea bass, and of course, sangria, we stopped by the market and bought Valencia oranges then hit the sand and surf.

The sun was bright, hot, and perfect. The weather here in Italy has been a bit overcast and cool for our early summer expectations, so the heat and light was refreshing. The grains of sand were the most beautiful caramel color and the sea was extra salty. At one point, I found myself wading deeper and deeper into the salty bath and just letting the waves break into my back. I knelt down and picked up a handful of the wet sand and rubbed the natural exfoliant all over my legs; best spa treatment ever. If I could have bottled that stuff, I would have! If you have ever been in an ocean this is no well kept secret, but there is something so mysterious, majestic, and awe inspiring about just being in that water. It's all connected; every sea and ocean connect somewhere somehow. Being in it, you are a part of this "greater whole". It was a very sobering and moving thought, standing alone in the Mediterranean Sea. Ah, take me back.

So after a long day traveling and in the sun, we hit the sack pretty early on Friday night and slept in on Saturday. We have picked up this mantra that we'd rather travel than eat, so in that same vein, we had trail mix and oranges for lunch, then made our way back to our beach spot. We made new friends from Barcelona, Norway, and even some Italian gentlemen celebrating a bachelor party. So needless to say, we had a lovely afternoon filled with more sand, sea, and socializing. Sunday was another early morning packed with metro navigating, security lines, and even almost getting escorted off an international flight...ok it's a good story now, mom and dad didn't think that one was so funny when I called to share! Well, apparently, when one travels through the Eurozone, a)they do NOT stamp your passport, but only your boarding pass, so that's no fun and b)at the inital gate, they should stamp both boarding passes. Well when three girls in a row boarded a plane with no stamped passes, Lydia the flight attendent got suspicious. As we were sitting in our row, waiting for take off, a man in sunglasses accompanied by a holster and walkie talkie, found our seats and asked to see our passes. Long story short, the pilot wanted to "float" us (airline lingo for kicking the ignorant Americans off of his plane) and leave our sunkissed little rumps right there in Espana- no thank you. After enough plaeading, praying, and eyelash batting we were given a stern lecture and allowed to stay. Being on our best behavior, of course, we finally made it home. 

So I said I wanted adventure, and now I fully understand what it means to "be careful what you wish for". Spain was good to me, my dear friends are good to me, Lydia the flight attendant ended up being good to us, sangria is my new favorite, this life is a dream, and I'm just getting started.

“andiamo!”

If you are reading along, I’d love to hear from you. I want to know all about your side of the pond, too!

P.S. Did I mention we got hair wraps and fresh coconuts from the gypsy woman on the beach?!

A Dangerous Beauty

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if time simply stood still? Well, I have. I guess that is not too shocking coming from someone who has always had an overactive imagination, but an interesting thought, nonetheless, right?! Believe me when I say, I witnessed time standing still. Last week, we visited Pompeii; the ancient Roman city that was buried beneath soot and rubble after the massive eruption of Mount Vecuvious in 79AD. A town that was known for its wealth, luxury, and beauty died in a flash.

The Pompeii city center with Vecuvious looming in the background. 

That is what is so incredible about this town. Many people do not know this, but there were actually four towns that were swept away in the wrath of the "mountain", but Pompeii was the most developed. And because the city was hit with a soot and smoke combination, not boiling lava, everything in the city was just buried under rocks for centuries and preserved, only to be discovered again in the 1740s. 

 

A plastered cavity of a Pompeiian
attempting to escape the invading smoke,
thus suffocating. 

This program has been amazing and has taken us to some pretty unbelievable places, but I might go out on a limb here and say that Pompeii has been my favorite so far. The mystery, the wonder, the tragedy; this town is so marvelous and so fascinating! I love the history and the stories. Though morbid, it is amazing how the ash has preserved the cavities where the trapped bodies once lay and we can learn so much about the lives of the people who lived here and died here. 

Or maybe I like Vecuvious' strength. She was reckless, she had no rules or limits, her path was her own. She was imaginative and free. She was a kind of beauty that was dangerous, and for that all the more alluring. 

On an Evening in Roma

So riddle me this. How does one possibly summarize the Castelli Romani, beautiful shopping in Albano, first encounters with sangria, new friends who speak no English, the Roman night life scene, lazy days in Ariccia, first trips to an Italian farmer’s market, private tours of Rome, daylight dance parties, and history lessons that are far beyond just an educational experience? If you guessed “impossible”, you are so correct. As much as I wish it were possible, there is no way I could ever explain to you how magnificent, glorious, exciting, and wonderful my first two weeks have been. 

A little birdie once told me that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will show you how fabulous this life is instead of telling you...

First gelato experience in Albano. Mixed berries, coconut, and dark chocolate. Mama mia, so delish. And how pretty is she?!

Solo shots on Via Appia. The ancient Roman road that leads from Rome all the way to Southern Italy. Ancient, rustic, and vintage. I can dig it.

a light apertivo dinner with friends (Ann Burgwin and Kelsey) in Albano. You pay for a drink and one plate, as full as you would like; check out that dish. We can put away a few groceries. Living like a true college student; gorging. 

                                   On our way into Rome! 

One of the greatest architectural feats of all time; the Pantheon. I’m in awe of this picture. Certainly will be framing this on a large scale when I get home

Who doesn’t love a good “selfie” at the ole Trevi Fountain. 

Piazza Navona. Glorious

fresh flower market in Campo di Fiori

I wonder how many people have sat right there at the Fontana de Trevi and smiled like that 

“When you walk here, you walk on history”

Everything is so fresh and bright, it’s an organic lover’s dream come true

Ariccia Monday Market

The most glorious chapel. Wanna know where I found this little gem; across the street from our palace. 

All of these works and arts are a tribute to our King. Hallelujah and amen!

Upon visiting the Non-Catholic Cemetery, we walked by this bush. I bent down and smelt it and instantly was in love (many of you know where this is going). It’s a type of lavender bush that had hints of lemon and rosemary! I will be planting this at home and wish I could just toss this bushel in my suitcase. 

Lavender does something wonderful to my psyche.

Oscar Wilde’s John Hancock at the Keates and Shelley house at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome.

All that stood between me and literary history was a thin piece of glass...and a snippy British museum guard 

the blondie is me and the beauty is a little place called Rome

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” 

-John Lennon

YOU HAD ME AT "PALACE"

       So I’m all safe, secure, and settled into my new home. This life I’m living cannot be real; I feel like a queen. And speaking of royalty, my new “quaint” little nest is actually a Roman palace. So that’s pretty cool, I guess! It is called Palazzo Chigi Ariccia, named after the noble family, the Chigis, who ruled this quiet little valley town centuries ago. 

Yesterday, (which completely blended with Monday) was an exhausting day, but amazing none the less. We arrived in the bustling Roman airport at 8:00 am, after having traveled all through the night. We were welcomed by our new tour guide/sister/bestie, Cinzia. She’s the man, for real. After arriving at our new abode, we promptly began our personal roaming, opening every door and cabinet, snapping pictures of every marble square inch of this place, and proceeding to scream like the little school girls we are, then, of course, claim our beds. Each room has two to four beds divided into floors and lofts. I’m in the back of our loft with two other girls, in “my own little corner with my own little chair”. 

The view down the street in front of our humble abode.

After unpacking and taking a tour of the town, we went to our welcoming dinner. I mean, like, whoa. We sat at a huge family style table and had the best food, I mean BEST food I could dream of. My personal favorite, was a tortellini dish, homemade and hand wrapped noodles stuffed with smoked gouda and pears. I’ll pause while you go wipe the drool from your lips. Every curtain was drawn and every light off as we left our fantastic meal, so we quietly tip toed home; obviously kidding!-try getting twenty sleep deprived girls to softly skip through the streets; it was more like a stampede of giggles and camera flashes. As I was crawling into my bed last night, I felt the corners of my lips curve as I sat, for the first time, and allowed myself to really feel this. This, my lifetime adventure to Italy, with some of the greatest people I could ask for to be with me, the most amazing tour guides and mentors, and a breath taking backdrop to paint all of the memories on. Who am I to get all of this?! 

A group of American girls draws quite the crowd, but
we don't hate it :)

After a refreshing night’s sleep, we woke up to a packed schedule. More touring, pictures, and delicious food. Today we could do more independent travels around town.  A few of us treated ourselves at a local cafe, where we spoke “Itanglish” with the waitress. The locals are so patient with us, trying to learn their lovely language. Our new friend Luciano at the coffee shop said if we came in every day during his siesta, he would help us learn. These people really are as charming as they seem. 

Tomorrow is our first traveling day and I could not be more excited. I am the first “expert of the day” tomorrow, so this should be interesting and entertaining as my southern tongue wrestles with the rolling syllables and inflections. Wish you all could be there to witness it in person. 

So needless to say, life is so good. One of dad’s favorite quotes, by J.R.R. Tolkien says “not all who wander are lost”; amen J, amen. So salud and chin chin to wandering, discovering, growing, and even getting lost. 

Our first sunset. I've looked at this picture about a hundred times and it
still takes my breath away.