It was the first time for either of them to stay in a hostel or travel with only a backpack, so I took the initiative to plan a great deal for the group: the route, the hostel reservations, the plane flights, the train schedules, etc. Of course, I love planning these things, so I was glad to do it!
Photo: Left, Pigeons at the Cathedral in Milan. Right, the three of us in Parma.
Our first stop was Milan, Italy. We flew into the airport from Paris, dropped off our things at our hostel, and headed straight out to the city. I didn't really have many expectations for Milan- but it was beautiful nonetheless. We saw a gorgeous cathedral and let the street solicitors cover us in corn so that the pigeons would flock around for good photos. Yes- I know! It's super touristy. But sometimes you have to give in to the tourist traps if you want to have your body covered by dirty, mite infested birds. I don't regret it!
Photos: Left, stuffing it in! Right, cappucino and croissant breakfast.
One thing I definitely learned about traveling with others (since last time I backpacked alone) is that everything goes A LOT slower. Whether waiting while they rangle with their backpacks on the floor, trying to stuff in that last sweater, or explaining for the fifth time why you know that a certain metro is, in fact, the correct one, everything takes a bit more time.
Nevertheless, it's always a bit more enjoyable to share your experiences with friends... and sometimes you get to do things you would never get to otherwise- like meeting locals!
After Milan, we headed to see Amy's ex-exchange student brother, Andrea, in Parma.
Photos: Left, Andrea. Right, raw horse meat for dinner!
Andrea took us to a nice local restaurant and suggested one of the finest local dishes for us to try... raw horse meat!!! Only a little disturbing and a tad tasteless, I enjoyed trying something truly different-- and truly particular to the region.
After Parma, we headed to Pisa for the night.
Photos: The Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Pisa is one of those cities that gives exactly what it promises, though little more. The leaning tower really leans an incredible amount and makes for great trick photography. Beyond that and the charm of being in another Italian city, I wasn't terribly impressed.
The highlight of our stay there, perhaps, was Amy's offhand comment to Sergio when the server could not understand her as she tried to place an order in English--
"Sergio, come help me!" she said.
"I don't speak Portuguese!"
The decision to spend a full 3 nights in a hostel in Rome, however, was definitely a good one. Though I'm not usually a fan of gigantic cities, Rome definitely deserves some attention.
Photos: The colosseum.
Sergio helped us to meet up with a wonderful Mexican woman who lives and works in Rome as a tour guide. She gave us a personal tour of the city, showing us everything from the Colosseum to the Patheon to the Trevi Fountain.
Photos: Left, the Patheon. Right, the Trevi Fountain.
The next day we headed to the Vatican.
Photo: Left, the Sistine Chapel. Right, a square in Rome at night.
I will admit: I thought the Vatican would be more impressive. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of beautiful and old objects there to see-- lots of nice sculptures and paintings by famous artists. But I guess it just lacked something more. Vatican city is a religious center for millions of people, and while I don't consider myself to be Catholic, I am a spiritual person.
Photo: Left, dipping souvenirs in holy water at the Vatican. Right, guards at the Vatican.
Rather than feeling happy, or amazed, or at peace, I felt a constant sense of being hurried, of being one of several in a giant flood of people, rushing to take a cheap photo to post on facebook or swarm through the masses to see the Sistine Chapel.
Even when I tried to slow down and enjoy the sights, I felt sickened and cross-eyed at the sheer magnitude of objects and people around me.
Perhaps the pope is in Rome, but peace is more likely to be found in your hometown church, somewhere quiet where meditation is possible.
Nevertheless I joined the mobs and took many photos of beautiful, nameless things that I dare not post online lest someday someone actually asks me about them.
Photos: Left, with Peruvian singers in Rome. Right, amazing pizza outside the Vatican walls.
One of the greatest joys of traveling is food. In my opinion, there are two types of good restaurant food while traveling--
1. The tourist trap. Exactly what you dreamed the country would have, exactly what you read about online. Expensive, classy food.
2. The hidden find. The cheap, local variety that you only get with a bit of good luck by accidently walking into a run-down looking shop or by meeting up with a local who decides to show you the real thing.
Both can be good. And in Rome, we found both. Our last day there, Amy and I stumbled across an amazing and amazingly cheap pizza place just outside of the Vatican City walls. Then, for dinner, we ate high and mighty nearby the hostel at an expensive joint with traditional touristic Italian music... only to be pleasantly surprised to hear the musicians speaking Spanish!
I greeted them, learned they were from Peru, and we proceeded to get a very special (however still incredibly touristic) personalized serenade in Spanish, that I was proud to be able to sing along to!
After Italy we headed to Poland and the Czech Republic... those posts are coming soon!
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