decided it’s about time I wrote about my recent travels.
Italy first I suppose.
I was not way thrilled to be going back to either Rome or Florence because neither of them were favorites from last year’s trip to Italy. Rome was where we stood in ankle deep water to listen to the Pope and Florence was so quick the only thing I really got from it was Michelangelo’s David and a really really good Panini. So I felt like I had checked these two cities off on my list of places to see in life, and was ready to get onto new travels. Alas, I still had to go.
So Saturday afternoon we packed up our lives here in Vienna to move out for a week, stuffed our packs to the brim, and got on a train to Roma. It was an overnight train and when we got into the compartments we were all pretty excited about it. And even though we had all slept until 11:30 am that day, we were quickly lulled into a stupor and decided to go to bed. But even though we were super comfortable sitting up, we were not lying down. I woke up with every stop, I was too hot, or people were sooooper loud. Plus we had all been freaked out my stories from people getting their things stolen in night trains, so I had that running through my mind all night.
We arrived the next morning safe but tired in Rome. We got on a bus that took us to the Baths of Caracalla. I actually hadn’t been there yet, and for the billionth time in my life I wished that I could time travel and see it in its’ former glory. The walls were super tall and even more were missing. Our sweet guide Roberta told us that all the walls we saw and even floors were covered in mosaics and marble. I can’t even begin to imagine how long and what type of skill that required.
Next we saw the Forum and the Colosseum and that night I had the best chicken of my entire life. :) We saw the Catacombs of San Callista, the Borghese gallery, the Vatican Museum, and St Peter's. I think St Peter's is the best church I've ever seen in my life. I wouldn't say that I felt God there just because of it's grandeur, but every where I looked I saw something glorious. I also really enjoyed the Sistine Ceiling. I wish that they had had couches to lay down on so you could look up without hurting your neck.
Even though I was/am really tired of art, the Borghese was worth the time and effort to go. They had several Bernini sculptures and I'm pretty sure I have found my favorite artist. All the sculptures and things we have looked at thus far have been rigid and stiff and just examples of perfect beings. But Bernini as we learned was on the cusp of High Baroque where they were experimenting with more emotion and movement. His David was the first one we've seen that hasn't just been standing there placidly, he was in the movement of throwing the stone at Goliath, biting his lip, and putting all his energy into killing this terrible giant. Apollo and Daphne were equally or more beautiful. It tells the story of Apollo chasing Daphne and her being turned into a tree. Her arms were turning into leaves and her feet into roots. So magnificent!
That night we went to find the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. We got on one bus which happened to have to go to the bus wasteland. So we were on this one bus for about an hour and a half. And then the bus which took us back to the hotel didn't come for like 40 minutes and while we were waiting we had several buses, cars, and Vespas honk or blow kisses at us. We probably looked like the most modest hookers ever to be on the side of the street. But when bus 49 FINALLY came, there happened to be about 12 other Lipscomb kids on there as well. Apparently they had been waiting for awhile as well.
Wednesday we went to Pompei. What an adventure. We had to get up really early to catch the train and barely made it. We took a EuroStar to Naples which was wonderful but that was the only train whole day that was non-sketch. Then we hopped a train to Salerno, thinking that we would get off in Pompei, however it didn't. But I'm so glad we ended up in Salerno. It was absolutely gorgeous. I still can't get over that landscape. When we finally got back to the train station the train we got on was like a huge piece of scrap metal grating along a track. There was graffiti everywhere, no seats where there should've been, and it kept breaking down. We finally made it to Pompei and then had to walk a ways to actually get to the site. Daniel had hired this cute old guy to be our guide for the day.
Even though I had been there once before, I was surprised because this cute old man took us on a completely different tour. I didn't learn anything new, but at least the scenes were. Afterwards we got some pizza and drinks and did souvenir shopping and headed back. The train to Naples wasn't so bad, but the Rome one was horrible. There were so many people on the train that they were having to kick people off, and it was hot and stuffy and I was so cramped.
Our final dinner in Rome was alright, we went to some restaurant run by nuns from different countries who dressed up in their traditional garb. We had pasta, chicken, and GREEN BEANS. mmmm I had missed vegetables. When we got back to the hotel I wanted a shower but Meredith got in first and somehow the knob to make the shower work broke off so she decided to just lay down in the tub and try it that way. Well soon I hear laughing and apparently when she soaped up she just slid around a lot and did barrel rolls. I obviously decided to not take a shower that night.
We had to get up super early again to go to Florence and we got there ok. We had an hour and a half to eat and we found this place that was a little shady but alright and we all got our own liter of water. Because for some reason Austria is about the only place that is ok with giving you free water... We went to the Accademia to see David (and saw a man who had more back and chest hair than head hair, and decided that it was ok to let it poke out from his shirt thus giving him a fur collar), the Medici family tombs by Michelangelo, and to the town hall where the copy of David is outside. We were all dead, our feet hurt, and several of our group wasn't feeling well, so we came back to the hotel to take a nap. We woke up and walked back to the Il Duomo to meet up with the group for dinner. Out dinner was pretty awesome- pesto/red sauce pasta, pork chops and fries, and then some rum ice cream cake. That was actually pretty gross, as well as every salad they have here. Why do they feel it necessary to put such nasty dressing on it?
Friday was quite a day. We went to three museums that day, which was bad enough, but it was rainy and my shoes wouldn't stay tied, so I was dragging my laces through water, and then I feel something hit my head, and what is it? Yup bird poop. Luckily not the white kind, though I hate to think that some bird peed on me. Ewwww. Laura was very kind to me though and got as much out as she could.
The first museum we got to was Casa Buonarotti which was the family home of Michelangelo and housed several of his original sketches and pieces that were either never finished or never put on display. Next was the Il Bargello or the National Museum. There was so much stuff there that I didn't really get to look at, but I was basically more impressed with the building itself than the artwork inside. For our lunch break we went to the pharmacy for assorted drugs for people, the bank, and then to the sandwich shop my dad, Robin and I found last year when we were there. I still can't get over how yum-tastic those sandwiches are. We met up at the Gallery Ufizzi after lunch. It was actually very interesting, though it went on forever and I don't think I've ever seen so many Madonna and Childs in my life. Good grief.
I actually think my favorite part of that museum was the view of the Ponte Vicchio bridge and of the river. We actually went to the bridge first to look for shopping but everything was basically the same and basically way too expensive for me. So we headed to the market, and umm I'm a little ashamed to say how much money I spent there. :/ I think I spent 260 euro on two leather purses, a leather jacket, a leather journal, 6 scarves, a ring, and some keychains. But I felt like that was pretty good, especially since I had to kiss my way down from 220 to 150 for the jacket. Is that a good price for a real Italian leather jacket? I dunno.
Saturday we went to Siena. Again, absolutely gorgeous. Very hilly which was strange and hard to maneuver but the view was worth it. My feet don't even hurt that much but perhaps I'm just used to hard core walking all the time. We went to the basilica where St Catherine's head and finger are, some other church place (I think called the Duomo as well) that had a pretty awesome library with illuminated manuscripts in it, and the town hall square where they had horse races twice a summer. They let us go for lunch and we went to this place that had student prices, so for 7,50 I got a pizza, coffee, and water. Definitely the cheapest meal we had the whole time we were in Italy. We talked to a girl at the cafe where we ate at because she was obviously American and she told us that she was from Seattle, had studied abroad there 3 years ago, met her husband, and now lives here with him. We have met so many people here that were just willing to pack up and move to be with a person they loved. I find it incredibly romantic, but on the other hand, I'm not sure I could be THAT far away from home.
Later that night when we were meeting for dinner this guy started watching Meredith and even when she was in the huge group of kids he was still eyeing her. Since we were around a huge tourist area, there was a man with roses, so he got one for her and had the guts to walk up to her and give it to her. They talked for a bit and he gave her his number and email. And he wasn't even the sketchy one of the night. The sketchy one was the one who came up to Laura and I and kept trying to kiss and hug her. Too bad none of the guys in our group are observant or care enough to come rescue us.
That dinner was alright, pasta chicken and potatoes, what more can you ask for? Plus the waiter was the epitome of Italiano and liked singing to loud arias to us. Daniel said his goodbyes there and we were all pretty sad. He was such a great guide and I really will miss him when we go on other trips.
On our way home we were having the discussion of where we would rather be studying... Italy or Vienna. And a bunch of people said Italy, but I'm unsure of why. I love Austria almost as much as I love America. It's clean, friendly, lively, and beautiful. I missed Vienna two days into the Italy trip. Every time we couldn't have free water, or when I had to pay to use a bathroom with out toilet paper or a toilet seat, I just ask why, why in the world would you want to live anywhere else in Europe but Vienna!? In Italy I would always feel like a tourist and have my space invaded. Yuck.
Sunday was possibly the most uncomfortable day of my life here so far. The first train was ok, though we're always stared at on trains regardless of whether we're actually talking or not... but I had drank a huge carton of orange juice and needed to go to the bathroom badly before we hopped on a three hour bus to Villach. Meredith and I ran back to the train station and found the toilet, but it wasn't much of one. I'm unsure of why a sliver of a bowl of a toilet on the floor counts as a toilet at all. I'm just glad I got out quickly and without paying for that one. We ran back to the bus since it was there and we tried to get to our seats and quickly as possible, however a bunch of women were sitting in our seats and since the bus started moving I just tried to sit in the closest empty one possible. But as I swung around to plop down, my right knee didn't come with me and I heard this really awful popping sound. Bethany told me later that my face scared her to death, and I'm pretty sure it's a face I've never made in my life.
That bus ride got much better though. We drove through some of the best scenery ever. High mountains and deep green valleys, foamy rivers and blue blue skies. It was the epitome of Austrian hill sides and it was continued in our trip from Villach to Vienna. Cute little churches nestled into hills... yes I could definitely live here.
School is boring, so I won't say much about that, though I was pretty surprised by the weather changes. We went from 80s in Italy to 40s and snow in Austria.
Thursday afternoon we hopped onto a train headed to Munchen. It was actually a pretty fabulous train compared to anything we had ridden in Italy and we didn't even need to get reservations. After a fairly short 4 hour trip we made it to the city and were instantly impressed. The train station alone was superb. Clean and indoors with a really awesome food court, I really wouldn't mind having to stay there for a little bit.
Meredith's parents were actually staying in the city for the night before they headed back home so they met us at the train station and walked with us to our hostel. The hostel actually turned out to be pretty good. Pretty nice lobby and bar area and the room wasn't bad at all. Two bunkbeds, four lockers, and the bare minimum in the bathroom, but I guess that's all you need for a few nights anyway.
After we put everything away we walked to the Hofbrauhaus which is this huge beer hall and is exactly what I think of when I think of Germany. No joke. Loud music, loud people, it was warm, and you had to sit with other people picnic table style. Which was really awesome, we ended up talking and practicing our German with these two guys sitting next to us. They were from Kassel and were in Munich working on tanks for the army. They happened to both be named Andy or Andreas... one actually told me to look him up on Facebook, so I guess I should maybe get on that.
Friday we got up and went to Marienplatz which was where we were meeting a guide to take us to see Dachau, the first ever concentration camp. What a day. It was probably the most depressing day I've had in a while, the weather was awful and even though it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, just knowing that so many people were tortured and basically murdered here hurt my heart to no end. I think the saddest part was seeing all the things people had brought with them and were no longer allowed to have, including baby pictures and wedding photos, it really hit me that these people were just ripped from their families, unsure of whether they would be back or not. We watched a video and they even showed all the bodies that the Americans found when the troops arrived there. It was horrifying that people could find it in themselves to treat other humans that way.
By the time we made it back to the city we were all starving and depressed so we decided to go back to the Hard Rock Cafe we had seen the previous night. Our waiter was Canadian so we were excited to be talking to someone who understood us. We had REAL burgers with cheddar (not something you find a lot here) and BACON. MMMM best burger I've had on this side of the pond. Plus free refills. He completely made our night, so I asked him if he knew he was our hero and the wind beneath our wings, and he said "What are you guys? Like hard core Christians?" We kinda laughed, I guess that is better than being asked if we were Mormons for the hundredth time, but still I didn't think Canada was far enough away to not get Bette Midler references...
Saturday we got up early to go to Neuschwanstein, the castle that Cinderella's castle is based off of, and also one of my sites for my project. We had to make a connection in Buchloe and in Kaufbereun, and actually successfully made them. We met up with the Swanns, Cari, Sarah, Ricki, and Leah and made our way to the castle. They were all hungry so we stopped to get some grub and talk. Apparently they had had a much worse time in their hostel than we had. :/
We got tickets and started our hike up the mountain. And it WAS a mountain. I'm actually quite proud of ourselves. The guide said it would take 40 minutes but it really only took us about 20. We made it to the top and were just completely blown away at the beauty of it. This was the first castle I've ever been to and I've got to say, it was definitely one of the coolest things I've ever done. We went inside and just were in awe of all the things that this Mad King Ludwig II did. But he had some rich taste... Everything was lavishly decorated like it should be in the Renaissance/Baroque era, but I was surprised to learn that it was built in the mid to late 1800s. Nothing really even happened in this castle, Ludwig actually died before it was even completed. But I was still very very excited to visit it!
On our long journey home we met this guy named Jeff, who actually happened to be from Canada as well. He was very friendly and we invited him to come to dinner with us.
I think that's my favorite part about Europe. Just how many people you can actually meet. Every single day we met someone and got to know people from all over the place. Whether they were there on business or traveling or for love, it was awesome to realize that people are friendly wherever you are. And I've also learned that I don't ever meet a stranger, anyone I talk to is going to get a small dose of my personal life (all perfectly safe I promise, no addresses or anything). But I like it. :)
Sunday we were going to get up really early and catch a train to Salzburg so we could take the Sound of Music tour and get it out of the way, but I had misread the time and we were going to be about 30 minutes late for it. So we all ended up just getting back into bed and sleeping for another hour and a half before the free tour of Munich started. We were actually afraid we were going to miss that tour as well because we couldn't find anyone speaking English around the square, but when we did finally find them the tour guide happened to be the same guy who did the Dachau tour, Travis. He was from Australia and came here to be with his girlfriend after he had lost his job. He was a great tour guide and we were all really glad we got him again.
After the tour we made our way back to the train station and got on the train headed to Wien.
I really enjoyed this weekend. It was low key but busy and exciting all at the same time. I didn't feel stressed out at all, and actually really enjoyed the few days off from school. So now that we're back I am back to worrying about tests, projects, and papers. Woo!
Next up: Fall Break including Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Barcelona, and Zurich :)
