Euro Trip Day six: Florence/Firenze

A view of Florence from Piazza Michaelangelo

9-17-09 Florence

The following is an excerpt from my travel journal which I kept on my trip through Europe.

"Woke up at 10 to 10, checkout is at 10. I had to hustle to pack up my things. Got out in time, and walked to Termini to catch a train. I also tried to get my train arrangements for Venice to Munich, but the ticket guy said it was sold out, even sleeper cars. Shit! I am in trouble. So I just get on my train, and brainstorm on the way. I discover that I can get a night train from Venice, Florence or Bologna, and worst case, I could go on an earlier train and either attempt to find a hostel, or sleep in a park. That is all for now...

At the Florence train station I talked to the ticket lady, and she initially said that it was full, then said I could go, I would just have to pay an additional 45 Euro to upgrade to a sleeper car. I had no other options, so I went with that. At least now I know I will get there, and will be able to rest, relax and sleep. As I write this now, I am in hostel, b. It is a very nice and scenic viewing spot for the city of Florence. The views from here are absolutely spectacular. I love the vibe of Florence, it is very similar to Naples in that respect. The people here are very friendly, and were helpful when I got lost. Also, the women here are super hot.

Although there are tourists here, it seems a lot less touristy than Rome. When I got here, my hostel I guess was full, so I was handed off to another one. No problem. The accomodations look good enough.

I struck off through the city through a slight rain. I saw the museum with 'David' in it, but the line was way long. No time for lines with only one day here. Then went to see the copy/fake 'David'. What's the big deal, I look better than him. Just kidding, it was really cool. The piazza where the fake Davis is located has some really awesome statues in it. I sat down near them, and examined them from every angle. Some of my favorites so far.

Saw a few nice churches, the Duomo, and a few piazzas. Then got really F---ing lost, I mean, I was off the map that I had of Florence... but I saw some nice scenery--a winding road with massive and beautiful villas. The people helped me get back to where I wanted to be. Apparently my accent is alright, because when I ask for directions, they answer me in Italian even if they know English, as they don't know that I am American. Now I will strike off back toward the hostel.

later that night, I walked through the streets of Florence to the 'David' copy. I stopped at a produce market for an apple to eat in the Piazza. I felt really safe except when I walked down a really dark, dirty, and littered street that was loaded with maybe 50 gypsies. At that moment, I knew that all eyes were on me and if shit went down, my only defense would be flighty feet, and a single flying apple. Luckily nothing happened, and I hada great night time stroll. When I walked back to the hostel, I avoided Gypsy Lane. Florence is nice, I would like to go back there at some point."

On top: Man fighting a Centaur

Bottom: Fake David

Euro Trip Day 4: Rome Italy

The following is an excerpt from my travel journal of a day spent solo traveling in Rome.

9-15-09 ROME UBER-Tourist Day

"The New Zealand guys planned to rent scooters today, and I would prefer to see Rome from foot, so I am striking off on my own. I walked everywhere today. I pretty much saw all of the major sights, and did it all by foot. I must have walked 20 miles or more. "

"I walked by the Santa Maria Maggiore, for anothe rextenal visit with the Coliseum, and again checked out the Arco di Constantino, Arco Tito, and the Domus Aurea. From there, I went to the Monumento a Vittorino Emanuele II, which was absolutely spectacular. Such a sight. Near here, I also saw Colonna Traina and Mercati Traina; one is a statue on a tall post-like tower, and the other is semi-building, semi-ruin."

I walked through a small park, where it looked like a flock of gypsies were protesting something. I guess the gypsies are in a union. While walking in this park, and small boy probably 3 or 4 years old started running toward me from behind, and tried reaching into my pocket. Luckily I had my head on a swivel, and I picked him up and punted him into heavy traffic, but actually, I ran from him like a frightened girl while holding my pocket closed. I am sure the adult gypsies were delighted by the free entertainment.

At one point I got lost, which is pretty much what I do, and kept wandering and discovering new sights around every corner, it was great. I recommend that everyone should get lost alone in a foreign country it is quite a pleasant adventure.

"I found the Arc Pacis, the Mosoleo Augusto and the Piazza Espana(Spanish Steps) this way. I went to the Piazza de Popolo up north which was really nice. At this Piazza, I went into some

Augustine(?) church which had a great domed roof, and paintings on the ceiling. Next, I went south, and finally found the Trevi Fountain, which I had been looking for for a while. The fountain is awesome, (although this may be racist,) but it was a little too crowded with Americans. Other sights are less crowded and the tourists are a mixed bag. It seems as if the Trevi is the only place American tourists go. "

"After that, I visited the Pantheon, which was really cool. I went in although I was not supposed to wear shorts within the sacred building. The dome there is a work of architectural genius, and the religious paintings and sculptures are nice too. "

Shortly after leaving the Pantheon, I was walking to Piazza Navona, and was heading down a narrow alleyway in between buildings. I was hugging the wall to the right of me the best I could in order to give the cars ample berth, and they passed with ease. I continued on, immersed in my own thoughts, and contemplating the beauty of the day, when suddenly I was thumped on the left shoulder with incredible force. I nearly tumbled to the ground, as I unleashed a string of expletives and vulgarities. I looked up, from a half slouched over position with my hands on my knees, to see a large truck speeding away. I had been hit by a truck's mirror, and as he sped away, his mirror was touching his window. He had hit me hard, at probably 33 or 35 miles per hour, and who knows how many Kilometers per hour. I was pissed, so I looked around for a rock to throw at him. The thought struck me 'is this worth a trip to a Roman jail?' I quickly determined that in fact it would be worth it, but I could not find a rock. Maybe this was some kind of Karma for pretending to be dead under a truck the day before, or for wearing shorts into the sacred Pantheon. I was bruised, but decided to not let it ruin my day. I continued walking.

"I walked to Piazza Navona, and Campo de Fiora. At all of these places I went, I took pictures, but I tried to be more than the typical tourist. I took a little while to have a seat, and truly drink in the entire atmosphere of the sights. On my walk home, I revisited my two favorite sights of the day, Vittorino Emanuel II and the Collosseo, and had a nice sit at both places. "

"When I got back, the Kiwi guys invited me out to dinner with them. We went to a place down the street that looked good, and the menu sounded good, but the portions were minuscule, the food took forever, and the waiter forgot to bring my Chicken until we were already ready to pay. After leaving, we were all still starving, so we went to get pizza. I got a few slices of caprice salad pizza that was great. "

"What a great day!, full of excercise, and seeing almost all of the sights of Rome. Now it is a little after ten, and I am taking it easy, as myself and one Kiwi are waking up early to go to the Vatican Tomorrow. Tomorrow is Wednesday, and the Pope gives a speech every wednesday, so we might get a look at the old guy. Today I had a very introspective day, It was very peaceful, and I enjoyed the solitude, even when I was within crowds. One of the many perks of traveling alone. "

The Pantheon, Rome

Trevi Fountai, Rome