When in Rome...go to Venice!!

I am about halfway through my first independent study break. I took off for Italy with my friends Ben, Becky and Sam. First stop was Rome. I am very glad I got to see it, but it was definitely not my favorite place. The Colosseum was awesome, as was the Pantheon. I loved the fact that ruins were everywhere. However, it was too tourist-y, the people too aggressive, and the city too dirty. Everything was very crowded and very expensive. Lots of waiting in lines, lots of pushing and shoving. The street vendors were everywhere, and even pushier than in Paris. The most unpleasant change was the restaurants. The waiters would stand outside, waiting to shove a menu in your hands and try to convince you to come in. That got old fast. Also, the Vatican was a huge tourist trap.

But I complain too much. It was Rome, and that in itself is very cool. It is the source of classical architecture, "the epicenter of a structural revolution." Classical architectural language was everywhere, even on the most mundane buildings. We stayed in a less fanc corner or town, which actually wasnt too far from the Colisseum. We made reservations at a Bed and Breakfast, which turned out to be an apartment that a couple rented out rooms in. It was clean and had plenty of space, and the people who owned it were nice and obviously tried very hard to make our stay pleasant. The woman who was there to greet us the first day was fun to talk to. The funniest part when she was telling us about her sister in California, who she keeps in touch with through facebook. She asked us if we used Facebook, and then said "do you know Farm Ville?!?!!" in a thick Italian accent. We all just laughed.

Anyhow, we spent three days walking around Rome, but were very ready to leave by the end of three days. Next stop, Venice. I was inlove with the city before the plane had touched down. Its still touristy, but much more relaxed and pleasant than Rome. We are staying in a hotel that is truly a diamond in the rough. Its small and quaint, but cozy. I love all the water in Venice. In Paris we used the metro, in Rome we walked, in venice we take boats everywhere. The shopping is great too, tons of shops with blown glass, and lots of shops with Venetian masks. We visited the beach, which was awesome except for the stellar sunburn I got. SPF 50 is no match for mediterranean sun.

And in closing, a brief shout out to my dear friend Liz, who just turned 21 while I was away. Miss you Liz!! I hope you had fun!