Italy: Whirlwind Part One: Pisa and Rome

My entire time in Italy was a whirlwind: 4 cities in one week!

I started by flying into Pisa. Hopped off the plane and walked through the little Tuscan town to the Leaning Tower, of course. It exists solely for the purpose of tourism. And boy, were there a lot of tourists. This is so far the most touristy place we have been. So many people trying to snap the perfect "leaning" picture (and of course, I had to get my own). We then walked around the town a little more, had our first Italian gelato, and then decided there was not much else to do in Pisa, After only a couple of hours, we were on a train to Rome. Sorry, Pisa, we just came to say hello.

Rome! Boy, it sure is old. And beautiful, of course. And even MORE tourists. We did the essentials: the Colosseum and Ancient City, and the Vatican (including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica). All were beautiful (especially seeing Michelangelo's "Creation of Man" on the ceiling of the chapel. Once in a lifetime experience), but all were hard to enjoy just because of the hoards of tourists. We spent more time trying to maneuver our way through crowds and avoid being in other peoples' pictures than we did actually spending time reveling in the beauty and magnificence of the art and beauty of the old city. Rome is definitely a little too touristy for me, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
Favorite part about Rome (no contest): getting to see my good friend Dylan who is currently studying there! We hung out with him and his friends one evening in a really fun, hip part of town, chatted in the public piazza and found a cute little sidewalk wine bar to enjoy some pizza, bruschetta, and of course, Italian wine.
My second favorite part of Rome: Becca and I rented a cute little Vespa scooter and drove around the city! It was terrifying and so exciting at the same time (don't worry mom, we wore helmets). I was too nervous to drive, so I let Becca take the controls (since she had already mastered the scooter skills on her previous trip to India) and we hit the open (er, crowded) road! I enjoyed the view from the back, trying to snap pictures and hang on tightly at the same time. It was definitely the best way to see the city. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and travel via scooter.