Rome was simply breathtaking. The amount of history surrounding you is a feeling unfit for words. On our first day, we wandered through the Vatican Museum open-mouthed and wide-eyed. The maze of hallways and rooms parallels that of the Louvre. The ceilings were ornate with paintings and gold was everywhere. We then walked over to St. Peter's Basilica, but the church was closed so we relaxed in the open area and ate some authentic pizza. Once we returned, a line had formed to enter the Basilica, and we decided to wait because of how beautiful we knew the inside would be. After an hour and a half, the gates opened. We were confused as to why there was so many people, especially nuns. When we asked a priest why everyone had yellow tickets, he simply handed us three tickets from his jacket. Those who did not have tickets sat outside, those with tickets entered the basilica. When the ushers handed me the program, I read that it was Mass being held in honor of the anniversary of Pope Giovanni Paolo II's death. At 6pm the procession of priests, bishops and soldiers began, followed by Pope Benedict XVI. We were shocked. We had waited simply to see the church, and now we were at Mass being given by the Pope. As we were nearly 10 feet away from him, it was unreal how everyone around us fretted over a celebrity. After the spectacle of the grand entrance, the service was lovely. The bright lights were turned on, illuminating the baroque basilica. A full orchestra and beautiful singing voices echoed as the crowd of hundreds were silent. After two hours of such a spiritual experience, we enjoyed some wonderful lasagna at a ristorante. (Pictured: Mass at the Vatican)
The next day was full of sightseeing, from the Colosseum to the Spanish Steps. It was amazing to stand in the massive Colosseum, imagining that the Roman Emperor once had 10,000 Gladiators and 11,000 wild animals to fight as spectacle. Our overall favorite was the ancient town
of Palatino and the Roman Forum. Such beautiful flowers and remains of columns and buildings. After climbing up the steps to the Campidoglio, the view of Ancient Rome was remarkable. I then enjoyed my first gelatto, pistachio flavored, as we wandered through the rest of the city. Exhausted at the end of the day, Aileen and I went to a small ristorante close to our hostel, which was busy with only Italians. Needless to say, the pasta was homemade and tasted how pasta is supposed to be enjoyed. I would pay $30 back home for what I got for 8 Euro in Italy! (Pictured: Me in the Roman Forum)
Venice was by far the most unique place we visited. Over 100 islands connected by over 400 bridges! We stayed across a large canal from the main islands, on Guidecca island. Our hostel was right on the water. You have to take "water taxis" to and from many places, which is remarkably similar to the metro but far more peaceful and scenic. On our first night we ate on Guidecca, watching a beautiful sunset (Catherine and I pictured right). Her seafood risotto had quite the octopus surprise, and I tried gnocci for the first time. Besides being in a room with 14 rude high school French girls, the hostel was good.
The next day we headed straight for San Marco Square, known for its pidgeons and St. Mark's Basilica. Everywhere I turned there were painters and gondolo boats. We decided to wander all day, finding shops full of glamorous masks and colorful Venetian glass. We walked through a maze of houses and buildings with weathered walls and flower-filled window boxes, crossing over uncountable small bridges with gondolos passing underneath (pictured left). It was fun to get lost! We enjoyed sitting in the warm sun (so different from Ireland!) while eating fruit and watching the busy canal. We ended our wandering at Ristorante Riva Del Vin, where we had a wonderful meal and indulged in everything from red wine to tiramisu!
