Ciao Italia!

Well, Tomorrow I fly back to the United States and my time in Italy is coming to a close. It’s been a wonderful journey unlike any other four month period in my life. I’ve gotten to experience places that I never imagined I would, and I enjoyed it every bit as much as I had hoped when I arrived. I really want to thank my parents the most for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I can thank my sister for telling me to push out of my comfort zone and ultimately inspiring me to come. And I’m thankful for my friends I met here, who made my stay so much more enjoyable, and my friends back home who didn’t abandon me despite being an ocean away. Thank you all so much! I’ll never forget Milan and its wacky, laid-back, friendly culture. Who knows, maybe I will be back one day. But for now, ciao Italia!

Roma - Rome (Part II: Everything Else)

The Vatican was the only museum I went to, so that divided nicely into its own post. Now here are my pictures from Friday evening, Saturday minus a few hours, and Sunday morning. We got around a lot and there was much more to see. All I can stress is that if you come to visit Italy, give yourself time that isn't booked up to just wander. The Italians give themselves time; they don't rush for anybody. Maybe you should try the same if you come here. Maybe like, if you are in Rome, you should try to do as the Romans do. When in Rome. I honestly didn't have that phrase in mind when I started that line of thought... but it really fits.

See my Rome album here.

Roma - Rome (Part I: Citta del Vaticano - Vatican City)

Last weekend I took my final excursion out of Milan to Rome. I went Friday to Sunday and I even had some company from Ale, a Mexican friend I met here. Starting with a simple evening of eating and walking around, we soon hit all the 'must-see' spots of Rome. That was the goal for this trip, and I'm sure the city would be very beautiful if I had time to stop and look around. Still, it was great to see Vatican City (it's own state outside of Italy, and I thought I was done visiting places outside Italy), the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Pantheon, and even some Catacombs. For this post I'll talk about Vatican City, which was actually at 3:30pm on Saturday right between everything else. Sorry, didn't get to see the Pope. I was told I had to come back on Wednesday for that.

See the album here.

Cimetro Monumentale - Monumental Cemetery

On Wednesday I went to the Cimetro Monumentale, Monumental Cemetary. It is probably the most important place in Milan I had not gone yet. It's a gigantic cemetary to the Northern edge of Milan. It's not thought of as a tourist attraction, so there are no people trying to sell you things out front (though there are a few flower carts) and the place isn't busy at all. Because I mentioned to Massimo that I had not yet gone, he took us during Italian Design History. I'm glad he did because his inclusion brought it a step above simply viewing statues and mausoleums. But even without his help, this place is gorgeous. I didn't expect it to be so... monumental. I can't remember seeing any headstones, they were all either statues, mausoleums, or both. It was amazing really, and I'd recommend it right after the Duomo on a list of must-see things in Milan.

Check out the album of monuments here.

Inghilterra - England (Part II: Liverpool)

Strawberry Fields. Nothing is real. Nothing felt real when I got to Liverpool and began exploring the hometown of The Beatles. I'll admit it might be a little ridiculous to plan a trip to a different country around a band... but it's The Beatles! C'mon! I went to Liverpool to enjoy myself and learn more about one of my favorite bands, and I did just that. I also learned a thing or two about the city itself. A bartender I saw scolded me for not knowing who Robert Morris is; a founding father of the United States that hailed from Liverpool. Liverpool has a closer connection with America than any other place in England according to this bartender. Maybe that partly explains why The Beatles spent so much time there?

I went to The Beatles Story exhibit on Albert Dock and the Fab Four Taxi Tour during my one day in Liverpool. The Story had plenty to read and took me through the decade or so The Beatles were together. The Taxi Tour took me virtually everywhere that concerned the band: all four of their homes, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, places of birth, marriage, and death. My tour guide talked a mile a minute and his entire life centered around knowing about Liverpool. It was an experience I won't forget.

Check out my pictures from Liverpool here.

Inghilterra - England (Part I: Londra - London)

Last weekend I got to do my most desired trip, London and Liverpool! It was more beautiful than I expected. Honestly I wanted to visit mainly to see Beatles history, but I also wanted to see another area of Europe unique to all the others I've seen (and one that spoke my language primarily!). The trip, while fairly short, was a ton of fun and I would quickly go back to England if given the chance. This first part shows my first day, which was spent in London. Given only a day to explore, I had to stick to the tourists points. One of the main sections not pictured is the crown jewels in the Tower of London, where I was not allowed to take pictures. This is a shame because there were many exquisite gold pieces (the best of which strangely enough being the Grand Punch Bowl) and crowns of previous monarchs. But everywhere else I was able to take pictures, and you'll be able to see the beauty well enough. Check it out!

See my London album here.
Down below is the Grand Punch Bowl. Talk about over-the-top.

Firenze - Florence

To cap off my spring break, I made a two day trip to Florence. When studying art in Italy for four months just a few hours away from the place, it's ludicrous not to visit. I was excited to see their Duomo and compare it to our Milanese Duomo, and I was excited to see how the beauty of the city compared to others. Turns out it is a fabulous city to visit for a mix of traditional Italian atmosphere and modernity. It was like a mix of Venice and Milan, taking good parts of each. Florence is located in the Tuscany region of Italy, a region famous for its beautiful scenery. It really shows even in the city, with the buildings located by a river in a sort of valley, rolling hills above on either side. Seeing the surroundings made me want to get on a bike and ride far out into the suburbs.
While there, I hit the main tourist points and structures, but also went to two museums. The first was the obligatory museum where the David by Michelangelo is located (pictured). The other was chosen by a friend and turned out to hold more famous works than I knew were in Florence. Most notably is The Birth of Venus by Botticelli. You'll see that, along with some of the natural beauty of Florence, in the attached album.

See the album here.