When in Italy

Happy Monday! Grab a fresh cup of coffee and settle in because I am very excited to tell you all about my 5 day adventure in Italy!

The adventure began last Tuesday morning when my new travel bff Andre and I flew from Prague to Bergamo airport. We hopped a bus to the city center of Milan where we were greeted with the most intense heat either of us had ever felt. Luckily we figured out the public transit quickly and got to our Airbnb where there was AC in the room!! I cannot stress enough how amazing this was. AC is almost nonexistent in Prague and is not common in apartments or places of residence. We shared our Airbnb with a couple from Poland and got to chatting. This encounter finalized our decision to book our final trip this summer to Krakow, Poland (coming soon!). We really only had an evening in Milan by the time we got settled, but we got to go out with a local! Andre’s research mentor here in Prague has a very good friend that lives in Milan so we took her out to dinner! Giovanna was easily one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and she had such a positive outlook on life that it was difficult not to smile the whole time. After dinner we walked around for a bit and met her friend Alessandra who took us for gelato at her favorite local place. We didn’t see much in Milan, but we had some incredible food and some excellent company!

The next morning we took a train to Florence for our second stop in Italy where the temperature would climb to 100 degrees. Our Airbnb did not have AC, sadly! Don’t worry though, we have learned that drinking lots of water and taking a cold rinse in the shower can do wonders. Wednesday evening we wandered around the city, traveling down to the river and to the best gelato shop in Florence thanks to recommendations from a few travelers before us (shout out to my cousin Gaby and my friend Marissa for the tip)! We ended the night by wandering up the hill to see a gorgeous view of the city!

The next morning we woke up early, grabbed a croissant and espresso in true Italian fashion, and got to the Accademia Gallery 45 minutes before it opened to ensure we got to see the David as tickets ahead of time were sold out weeks ago. Thanks to the internet we learned if we got there early enough, we could probably get in. And it worked!! We got in the minute the doors opened and got to see the David before it became packed with people. Guys, I can’t express how incredible it was in person. The pictures truly don’t do it justice, so if you get the chance, go see it for yourself!

The rest of the day we spent milling around leather markets and in and out of shops. We then caught our train to Rome in the late afternoon. The minute we left the transit station in Rome to go to our Airbnb I realized how special Rome is. There are ruins everywhere and you can feel the immense history of the city.

Friday was spent walking (17.6 miles to be exact) all around Rome. Our tickets for the Colosseum were for 8:30 am when it opened, and again, we got there early per the advice of the internet and it was worth it! We got into the Colosseum before everyone else and got to experience it before the crowds. Again, the pictures don’t do it justice. It was absolutely incredible!! Our tickets just let us in for the basic access, but it was incredible to be able to just wander around and take in the ancient history that is there. The structure itself is thousands of years old which I just can’t quite wrap my head around. Following the Colosseum, we quickly visited the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, both of which are home to many ruins. The Roman Forum was amazing to walk through as there are so many skeletons of structures still there that it almost feels like you are taking a walk through time. It was so cool to be able to visit these places that I’ve learned about in school so much. The middle school Jenna in me was freaking out just a little!

Friday evening took us to the Vatican City where we had 8:30 pm tickets for the museum and Sistine Chapel. Before we did that though, we visited St. Peter’s Basilica. This was the most beautiful space I had ever been in (until we got to the Sistine Chapel of course). The Basilica was massive and full of incredible architecture. I may not be Catholic, but I could feel the magnitude of this space as a Christian. We also got to go into the grotto where many of the Popes are buried. The AP Euro was coming back to me yet again! After a dinner of incredible pasta, wine, and tiramisu we got to visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. We thought with these special night opening tickets we scored that it would be less busy…we were wrong. It was pretty packed through the whole museum so we just shuffled along and worked our way to the Sistine Chapel. Now, I don’t have any pictures of inside the Chapel as it is forbidden to take pictures in there as it is a Holy space. I completely agree with that though and let me tell you, pictures wouldn’t do it justice. The artwork is unlike anything I have ever seen. The detail in each and every person depicted and the expressions are just spectacular. The color is so vibrant, it looks brand new. I really don’t have words to describe how incredible it is, so I will just say that if you get the chance to see it, you should!

While we only got 5 days in Italy, we still got 5 days in Italy! It was a short trip but one that was full of new experiences, good food, and amazing sights. I am so so thankful for the opportunity to do something like this. Now it is back to work (yes, I am still doing research don’t worry) and getting ready for birthday celebrations this coming weekend!