Day 11: Cinque Terre (The 5 Villages)

Today we went to the Cinque Terre, which is a collection of 5 villages on the Italian coast with gorgeous views. 

 

We went to 3 of the 5 villages and spent most of our time on the fifth, which had a beautiful beach. To get to the villages we had to take a train because the streets are too narrow for cars or buses. 

The beach in the 5th village was super rocky though, which made it really hot and was very painful to walk on, but the water was perfect and super refreshing! 

It got really busy on the beach around 1:30 after everyone finished with their lunches and my group witnessed the weirdest thing. There were these 3 Italian kids just playing around on a towel and then this random Asian family came over and started taking pictures of them and with them like they were a tourist attraction or something. We were so confused and when the parents of the kids notices they were laughing so hard and started taking pics of the Asians taking pictures with their kids. It was all very strange.  

At the end of the day we headed back to the hostel we are staying at and saw a first communion procession in progress (there is a Catholic Church across the street) and the kids were so cute!

Tomorrow we head on to Venice for 2 days and then we go to Munich were we will be going rafting!

Days 12, 13, & 14: Venice, Verona, and Rafting

The last three days have been both relaxing and exciting, unfortunately I have been unable to post about them until now because of not having wifi. Fortunately the hotel we just arrived at in Austria has free wifi in the lobby and the hotel is GORGEOUS, I wish I had some good photos to share. But enough of that, let's get to what I've been up to the last 3 days!

So 3 days ago we left Florence and began our journey to Venice. It was a fairly uneventful bus ride, we did stop at a bus stop along the way to get some snacks and that was where our tour guide brought out a cake for one girl's birthday and it was a bit comical. When we got to the hotel we found out there wasn't wifi, which caused a massive freak out on the part of many in my group. I was just upset that I wouldn't be able to keep up with my blog for a few days.  Our hotel was close to the ocean though, which was probably the only good thing about it because the rooms were very tiny and our bathroom was awful (the toilet was literally in the shower). The beds weren't very stable either and one just collapsed in on itself while a few of us were hanging out and playing card games (it was raining outside). After the rain stopped we went for dinner and on our way back we ended up getting caught in a rainstorm and ended up dancing around because why not?

Yesterday we took a water taxi toVenice  because our hotel was on the mainland.  The only way to get to and from Venice is by boat and so we all piled on and off we went.

Once in Venice we were able to wander around a bit and go to St. Mark's Square and Basilica, which was amazing. I ended up reading for a bit on the steps on the edge of the square and when we went into the church I was awestruck. It was a gorgeous building, I only have pictures of the outside though because we weren't allowed to take pictures inside.

The inside was gorgeous and the walls and ceilings were covered in detailed mosaics that were very beautiful. There were musicians playing classical music in the square, which really added to the romantic atmosphere. Another girl and I wandered around the city together as other members of our group went on a gondola ride and we found a cute cafe on a side street with good food for a really good price and also saw the Acedemy and ventured into many Cathedrals and Museams throughout the city. We also found the military headquarters which were surrounded by a really cool wall.

Since the city of Venice uses canals as the main mode of transportation instead of streets, boats were used like cars. And like any city, there were also taxis - the only difference was hat, in Venice, these taxis were boats. It was so cool!

A lot of entrances to buildings were only accessible via the canals as well and there were no cars on the streets. 

The stores in Venice had a lot of Renaissance-style costumes and masks, which was super cool!

After we got back from visiting Venice a bunch of us went for dinner and then went down to the beach by our hotel to sick our feet in. We got there around sunset, which made for some pretty cool pictures.

This morning we left Venice and headed towards Austria. On our way we stopped in Verona, which smelt like flowers and it was such a beautiful scent. We also got to see Shakespeare's inspiration for Juliet's balcony.

There was also a statue of Juliet in the small square that many people were lined up to get a picture with.

Leading up to the balcony was a tunnel with a ton of graffiti hearts and names on the wall. Apparently if you write your name with your lover's name on the wall you will be together forever.

After a very quick stop in Verona we continued on to Austria, but just before we crossed the border we stopped and went white water rafting through the Italian Alps.

(I'm the one with the black helmet)

It was an amazing experience and I loved every minute. Our guide was super funny and the water was really cold, but we had wetsuits and jackets on.

After that amazing experience we continued to Austria and got to our hotel. It is in a cute little Austrian village and I want to come back someday (I'm thinking maybe a future honeymoon haha).

(I took a lot of pictures, the last is of the hotel.)

At dinner I tried an Austrian beer and I actually didn't mind it. Everyone at my table was so surprised, it was hilarious (everyone is so used to me not liking the drinks I try at this point that they didn't expect me to not be repulsed by it).

Tomorrow we are going to tour an Austrian castle and then we leave and head to Munich. I wish we were spending more time in Austria, it feels like the Sound of Music and I'm definitely going to be back someday!

Day 10: Exploring Florence and Wine Tasting

Today we began with a walking tour of Florence. You could really tell we were in the fashion capital of the world because the streets were lined with high end fashion shops like Gucci and Prada and H&M. Walking through I felt like a broke college student because everything was so expensive. 

Our tour guide pointed out some funny street signs that a French artist who lives in Florence adds to. They were super cute and had all sorts of different designs.

Then we saw a boar statue where people stop to rub it's nose for good luck. There is also a belief that if you stick and coin in its mouth and it falls out into the grate below it, it means that you will return to Florence.

We also saw this building that is now a museum and there are statues of famous artists from Florence in the outside columns. 

After we got a few goes to wander around and see a few palaces that are now museums or government buildings.  There are statues everywhere in Florence and today I found out that the bag I bought yesterday might actually be real Italian leather. Who knew?

A bunch of us tried to climb to the top of this one cathedral, but it turned out to be €15 to climb it and none of us really had the money to climb stairs so we wanders across the river and found a cute park where we just sat for a little bit.

For lunch we had some paninis that have been voted the best in Florence for the last 2 years and gelato that is the best in the city as well. 

Then we went wine tasting in Tuscany! The drive there and back was super fun because we got music going and everyone was dancing and singing (though we were much louder on the way back because of the wine).  I didn't really like sny of the wines, but the vineyard was cool and we got to see where they make and store the wine as well.

I didn't like the wine here either so I guess I'm just not a wine person. We did go or for drinks when we got back, but I onlyot an virgin cocktail that was actually really good. Everyone was so funny because they thought I was drinking and I've kinda established that I don't really drink at this point, so everyone was surprised until I explained that my cocktail was virgin.

Tomorrow we are off to some islands (I think) and the beach! 

Day 9: Sienna and Florence

Today we left Rome and travelled to Florence with a quick stop in the beautiful city of Sienna.  

In Sienna we had lunch and then went to see the "Domus", a large cathedral in the city center.

After we continued on to Florence where we are staying in a hostel which is surprisingly nice. There are 5 people in a room, but each room fits 7 and I got a whole bunk bed to myself! The room is actually larger and less cramped than I would have thought, which is really nice. For some weird reason our room is completely pink and no other rooms are. It is a little funny.

After getting all settled in our rooms at the hostel we had a few hours to relax and then we had a short walking tour through the main part of Florence. We saw a HUGE cathedral that is just gorgeous and our tour guide bought us all gelato, which was really nice of him (the tour guide for this trip is amazing!).

(The cathedral, actually only part of it because it was too big to get into one picture - and I tried super hard)

Then we had dinner in this cute market and on or way back to the hostel a few of us girls stopped in a shop selling some really nice purses and wallets that were made in Italy (they aren't real leather, but are a really good fake). I actually bartered for the first time and got a purse for only €15 that was originally €35 and it is super cute!

Tomorrow we are going to get a guided tour of the city and then we also have a wine tasting and dinner in Tuscany tomorrow night. 

Day 8: The Vatican City and an Italian Opera

Today was jammed full of activities, we woke up at 7am and went to the Vatican City to tour the museums and see the Sistine Chapel. The Vatican is technically it's own country so I can say that I was in 2 different countries today, which is pretty cool.  The gardens in the Vatican are beautiful and the museum is amazing. 

(A fountain in one of the gardens, it doesn't run anymore.)

(A statue in the museum.)

Our tour guide told us that apparently there are so many pieces in the museum that it would take 8 months to see them all, even if you just stopped for only a second in front of each one.  We saw some amazing statues and tapestries and then we saw (arguably) the greatest piece of all; the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately pictures aren't allowed so I wasn't able to take any, but I stood and stared at the ceiling for almost 20 minutes taking it all in and I still don't think I really saw everything, it is so detailed and beautiful.

We finished our tour of the Vatican in St. Peter's Square where the Pope was actually out on the steps because every Wednesday from 10am to 12pm he goes out to speak to the people. I was on the opposite side of the square, but I was able to get a picture of Pope Francis and it was really cool! (The picture is on my camera so unfortunately I can't add it on this post.)

After we left the Vatican and headed to the outskirts of Rome to get a short tour of some catacombs. It was a little creepy, but really awesome and we got to see both Christian and pagan burial tombs. We were at the catacomb were a Catholic Saint was buried (St. Sebastian) and so there were a lot of really cool decorations and a small church built on top of the catacombs.  Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures in this place either, which was sad because they were really cool!

Then we went to the Opera and had a 3 course meal that was amazing. There was a salad, pasta and a rice dish, veal with spinach and potatoes, and a traditional Itlaian dessert tiramisu (which I couldn't have unfortunately because there were almonds in it and so they gave me an apple instead). The venue was smaller and the set up was really awesome and beautiful.

My last night in Rome has been very memorable and tomorrow morning we leave for the beautiful Venice! 

Days 6 & 7: Beautiful Roma

I missed posting yesterday because I was exhausted and there wasn't much to write about. We spent the majority of the day traveling from Athens, Greece to Rome, Italy via plane. Unfortunately I left my sunscreen in my carry on so it got confiscated, but I did leave an extra bottle in my suitcase so I got lucky and still have sunscreen!  When we got to the hotel we walked to a little pasta place where we had dinner and saw one of the side entrances to the Vatican City.

After authentic Italian pasta and seeing the outside of the Varican we went to St. Peter's Square and it was gorgeous! 

Then, of course, we went for our first gelato and it was very good. I've had it 3 times today as well because when in Rome you do as the Romans do and that means eating lots of pasta and gelato. 

Today we went to the Colosseum and I was so excited! It is so amazing to be able to see the places that I've been studying in my history classes (we also saw the Pantheon today).  

(Me at the Colosseum)

After the Colosseum we walked through the Roman Forum and saw the place where Julius Caesar was assassinated by the Roman senators. After this we walked to the Spanish Steppes which were being cleaned, but a few of us were able to walk up the side to the top! We also walked around through the city center and had some authentic Italian pizza, which was amazing. Our tour guide got us all free gelato for dessert and we ate it as we sat in front of the Pantheon and I took a TON of pictures (but they are all on my camera, not my phone).  Then we had free time to wander around and do some shopping for awhile and after that we went to this amazing terrace at sunset and learned how to make pasta from scratch! We even got to make it ourselves and then eat it when we were done.

It was so good! And now I know how to make authentic Italian pasta from scratch, which is pretty cool. 

Tomorrow we head to the Vatican and maybe an Opera performance, Rome has been so amazing so far and I am definitely loving it! It is our last day tomorrow though and then we are off to Florence.

Day 5: The Return to Athens and a Protest

Today we spend the majority of the day on the ferry from Paros to Athens for our last day in Greece. Once we got to the hotel we all went our separate ways for dinner (and drinks, though I did not drink). Another girl and I went to the Hard Rock Cafe Athens and then decided to walk back to our hotel, which was about a 30 min walk where we noticed a large amount of cops.  When we had arrived in Athens earlier we were told that there was a strike for public transportation (except for taxis), but we didn't think anything of it. However, we saw the Parliament building on our way back and noticed cops everywhere with shields and fire hoses along with a large amount of people gathered at the Parliament building with flags and signs (they were on Greek so we don't know what they said) and when we continued on we noticed a large van filled with cops in SWAT gear that unloaded and we got nervous. We did get back to the hotel safe and sound and I even found super glue on the way (my bag had a small rip that I was able to sew shut and I wanted super glue to put on top to keep in secure but every market was closed because it's Sunday, so it was lucky that I found a stand selling it for less than 1€).

(Parliament and the people, there were a lot and we saw a bunch on the side streets bordering the building)

Day 4: Paros Cont...

We had a jam packed day today in Paros. Originally we were going to go on a cruise around the island, but the winds were insane so instead we had a bus tour and took a short ferry across to another island called Antiparos. 

After our tour and short walk on the second island we went for lunch and I went swimming in the Aegean Sea, which was super amazing! We got back to the hotel around 6pm and then a group of us went to hike a small mountain by our hotel. It was really fun and we got to bond and see mountain goats and sheep. On our way back we saw the moon and it was gorgeous!

After hiking we all went into town to get some dinner and then went back to the hotel, took showers, and crashed. Tomorrow we take the ferry back to Athens for our last day in Greece, this trip is amazing!

Day 3: Paros Island in Greece

We began today by getting up at 5 to catch a 4 hour ferry to the island of Paros in Greece. The island is absolutely beautiful and the water is like glass.  

Once we got to the hotel we dropped our bags off in our rooms and went to the beach. We walked through the water and it was nice and warm, I've never been in such a warm body of water.  There was also this cute little restaurant where we stopped for food and got various appetizers to share.  After we met up at the hotel and went to dinner and celebrated the birthday of one girl with this amazing cake.  The food was really good to and everyone got some baclava to try.  Then we went browsing through some shops in town and finished off the night at a bar.  I just hung out and didn't drink anything because I'm trying to save my money for food and souvenirs.  It was a fun day and we didn't get back to the hotel until almost midnight, so I'm exhausted. I can't believe it's only been 3 days! 

Day 2: Athens and the Acropolis

Today was a jammed pack day. We ate breakfast and left for a bus tour of Athens at 9:30am. Our tour guide was so funny and she stayed with us until we went to the Parthenon/Acropolis.  I took so many pictures, the history nerd in me was freaking out. 

After we got lunch at a cute cafe and tried a small shot of this Greek alcohol that was 25% alcohol and I didn't mind it. I wouldn't drink it again, but I liked it better than the wine and beer I tried yesterday.  

Then we went to a museum that was super fun and wandered through the streets of Athens, doing a little shopping along the way. We got dinner at another cute cafe, had some AMAZING gelato, found a cute pastry shop and had what was like a mini whoopi-pie with a hazelnut chocolate filling, and I had fresh coconut for the first time.  

As I'm posting this I'm actually sitting in an adorable bar and tomorrow at 6 am we leave for the Greek Isles for 2 days and then back to Athens for a day and then on to Rome!

I'm having a great time so far and I can't believe it's only been 2 days!

(Me at the Parthenon)

Day 1: Traveling to Athens

The flight from the US to Athens was pretty uneventful... Well, except for the fact that we almost had to emergency land because someone on the plane got really sick. I don't know the details of what happened, but luckily there was a doctor on board and everything was okay.  It as a little chaotic for a bit though as the flight crew tried frantically to find a doctor, almost like in the movies. 

Also I got to see the sunset and the sunrise from the plane, I didn't sleep much because I just couldn't get comfortable so I watched movies the whole time.  I also saw the moon and stars and tried to get a picture, but it didn't come out. I'm also pretty sure I saw the Alps as we were flying, but it could have been just another random mountain range.

Landing was pretty cool, I could see all of these little towns nestled in the mountains (which were gorgeous).

When we got into Athens, which was a short bus ride from the airport, we first stopped at the hotel to drop off our bags and then wandered around for a bit. A few of us stopped at a little cafe, but none of us actually got any coffee. It was a warm day, which was somewhat unexpected because the forecast called for rain so many of us were overheating in our sweatshirts.  After walking around we headed up to the rooftop garden in our hotel and sat down to just chill until we went to our rooms to take showers and short naps before the busy night.

We walked through the city center to get to our opening social at this really cute restaurant with a beautiful view of the Parthenon. I had my first glass of wine and I only ended up drinking 2 sips and then another girl finished it for me, I didn't like it very much. Everyone was super sweet when they found out I've never had alcohol before and they made sure that I knew how to drink the wine and that I ate enough (even though I only had 2 sips).  It was really nice. After dinner we stopped for some desserts and I had a bite of some amazing chocolate cake! 

As far as first days go, today was pretty fun!

(This is me trying - and failing - to get a cute selfie with the Parthenon)

(Documenting my first glass of wine that turned into 2 sips)