Italia, non basta una vista (Italy, a lifetime is not enough)

It's been about a week and a half since my vacation in Italy, but there are still vivid and lasting impressions of Italy that I can't forget. Their food, for example. Never have I seen so many gelaterias in my life - I felt like for every boutique there was in Florence, there was a gelateria to balance it out. There were so many different and unique flavors that I've never seen before like chestnuts, Nutella, and dark chocolate and orange. Yuna and I had many, many pit stops to enjoy the different flavors. Other than desserts, Italy's food was amazing. We made sure to try all of the Italian classics like spaghetti, fettuccini alfredo, panini sandwiches, pizza, and risotto. mmm, parfait. Everything was so delicious and savoring.

The first day consisted of a lot of traveling. We left Paris early in the morning and caught a flight to Milan. We spent a few hours there to grab lunch, sightsee a little bit, and then to catch a train to our next destination, Venice. I was really looking forward to Venice to see the gondolas and canals run through the city, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment because we weren't aware that we had to take a train out to the city. We would have loved to just jump on the train, but we had a hostel booked in Florence for that night, so we had to make sure we got there in time. Instead of being in the actual Venice, we were at the train station area for two hours and we killed the time by walking up and down the street...hoping to see something interesting or noteworthy, but it was a complete bummer. The only thing I got from "Venice" was that there were a lot of men. Seriously, the ratio was like 10 men to 1 woman. To avoid any uncomfortable situations, we just stayed at a restaurant right around the corner from the train station. Dinner was good and that is probably the only thing I can claim I did in "Venice." When the time came, we hopped on to our next train to Florence. We got in close to midnight, but the city is very manageable so we found the hostel fine. As we were walking to check in, we passed the Duomo Cathedral. It was SO magnificent and grand. I felt swallowed by its enormous size. It was almost scary to view it by night, but it was very beautiful. There were still a lot of people out on the streets, so it seemed like a safe area. We snapped a few photos and checked into the hostel and just passed out right away. It was a day with heavy traveling.

The next morning, we checked out of the hostel and got the chance to fully appreciate a city in Italy. Florence is very beautiful. I loved how it is manageable and you can walk everywhere. We did a lot of window shopping, sightseeing around the museums and cathedrals, and we also walked out of the city towards a big hill. It was a bit of a hike to get to the top, but the view was worth it. We had a panoramic view of the city of Florence and even a few villages outside of it. There were red roofs everywhere, random cathedral domes popping out, and visible rivers running through the city. The weather was also really nice that day, so it made the experience that much more enjoyable.

After Florence, we caught another train to Rome. We wanted to make sure we had enough time in Rome so we stayed there for two nights. The first day was hectic because there were complications with the train ride, but we managed to get there in one piece. We didn't have much time to do any sightseeing so we just ate and drank at a local bar/lounge. Our waiter prepared special drinks for us called The Colosseum - it was interesting and tasty. We also came across a bakery called Panella. It is a nun-owned bakery and they really make art out of making breads. There were animals, floral bouquets, mini figurines, etc. You would never think it is bread...it looked like ordinary things made out of clay.

The second day was really great - it was the perfect preview day to Rome. I wish I could have gone into all of the museums and buildings, but there just wasn't enough time and the lines were ridiculously long, so we just had glimpses of each place. But even with that, I was more than content. Seeing the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and Saint Peter's Basilica...it was all memorable. It was crazy walking through the Roman Forum because I was amazed by how well preserved everything was. I mean, it was all ruins, but there were still pieces that were intact and you could imagine what it would have looked like hundreds of years ago. The entire city was just very historical and beautiful. We did a lot of piazza hopping and it was fun to see how each piazza varies from another. One was known for their restaurants, another for their shopping, another for their social scene, etc.
There are many thoughts that ran through my mind before, during, and after the trip, but I don't think words can express the experience. But to me, Italy is a place where I would definitely love to go back to for a full experience (going into all of the museums and cathedrals).

Some of the impressions I had of Italy.
-Two sorts of people: the rude, pushy, and smelly ones. or the friendly, nice, and helpful ones.
-Lots of cathedrals and historical architecture
-Trendy and fashion forward (but similar to France with the dark hues)
-The language sounds vulgar
-They have a passion for food
-Most people spoke or understood English
-Lots of gypsies
-Lack of efficient public transportation
-People are content and complacent - they have no rush to get anywhere (I noticed two men who just stopped their day to watch a building being renovated)

Overall, I enjoyed Italy a lot, but it made me more appreciative of France. I definitely missed it while I was there because I was getting used to hearing and speaking French with the locals, and also the cultural adjustments. It was like being lost in translation all over again while I was in Italy. I picked up a few survival phrases, but nothing more to carry a conversation. Thankfully, most of the people spoke English since there are always so many tourists.