We Came, We Saw, We Ate

How does one sum up 10 days in Italy? Probably with a menu. I just spent the most wonderful long holiday in the Mediterranean with one of my best friends in the whole world, celebrating my birthday and eating a LOT of gelato. While I would love to give this trip the travelogue-esque attention it most certainly deserves, our adventure was so full it would take a blog post per day to do it justice! So instead I will do my best to sum up, show pictures, and share anecdotes from what is easily one of the best vacations I have ever taken.


Kaitlyn came to play!!! She is the only one of my friends who has been able to make it over for a visit, and I believe it is safe to say she does not regret it:) It was SO WONDERFUL to see her after about eight months apart! Just getting back into the groove of things, laughing, hugging, and fitting felt so good! It was like putting on an old pair of jeans (with Kaitlyn, that would be designer skinny jeans with cute boots, but still). It was also like a little taste of reverse culture shock...it was nice to know that even after all the time and distance, I still fit in with my life back in America.


So where to being? How about Florence! Firenze...the capital of Tuscany, Athens of the Middle Ages, birthplace of the Italian Renaissance! Home of a 13th century duomo, the Lorentian library (designed by Michelangelo), Michelangelo's David sculpture, museums holding "The Birth of Venus" and da Vinci's "Adoration of the Magi," Galileo's telescopes (!!!), unbelievable views, delicious food, AND a good-luck bronze boar! What more could two girls ask from a destination?





Where does one go from Firenze? Roma! We took the train from Florence down to the Eternal City, where we were charmed by the Italian capital's history, architecture, and gastronomy. There is so much to see and enjoy there; Kaitlyn and I had our work cut out for us, but really loved roaming...and using "when in Rome" as much as possible;) We wandered through the winding streets to the Pantheon, the Piazza Nivone, the Trevi Fountain (my favorite site of the trip..and yes, we threw in coins and made wishes!), the Spanish Steps, and the Piazza del Popolo, where Nero's imperial ghost is said to haunt. And that was just our first afternoon!




Our second day in Rome was really a special day. We went to the Vatican in the morning and saw the most incredible art...mainly on the walls and ceilings! Unfortunately, pictures are not allowed in the Sistine Chapel, but we must have spent a good half an hour with our necks cranked trying to take it all in. We even got to go downstairs and see some Pope-mobiles! A real treat. Lunch was spent with another incredibly beautiful aspect of Rome...our waiter. We did not get a picture of him, but man was he delicious. We pretty much just kept ordering food because we could not say no to his horrible yet adorable English. After an incredibly satisfying visit to that restaurant, we spent the afternoon checking out the Colosseum. It really is amazing to see up close!





Our trip to Italy was a birthday celebration, and Kaitlyn arranged the classiest and coolest gift I could have imagined- a trip to the Opera in Rome! That's right, we went out for a fine pizza dinner and then to the opening night of Mefistofele, an opera in Italian that takes place in Frankfurt, of course. It was such an amazing experience- the music, the singing, the sights, the theater...it was a spectacular show and a special night!




I think this is enough show-and-tell for one Italy post. Make sure you read my "All You Need Is Love. And Cake" post to see the adventure right after this- my birthday on Capri! I'll be sure to fill in our escapades in Naples and Pompei; hope you're enjoying the vicarious traveling!
















xoxo
kw (and ke)