Italy: Whirlwind Part Two: Florence

After Rome, we headed back to Tuscany to Florence for a few days.
Ah, Florence. So beautiful (I know, I say that about every city, but European cities are just so beautiful). I seriously wanted to take a picture of every single street we turned on to: they were all so cute and so quintessential Italy to me. I'm not sure why, and I can't really describe why they were so cute:: the architecture, the curved cobblestone roads, shutters and flower boxes on the windows, and cute old Italian women carrying home their loaves of bread from the bakery. I love the streets even more than the sights themselves! That being said, we did get out and see some sights: a lot of public piazzas (same as anywhere in Italy), more beautiful churches/basilicas, and the famous bridge, Ponte Vecchio. We climbed up hill at the edge of town to find a little church on the top of the hill, and Piazzolla Michelangelo, from which you can see a gorgeous panoramic of the entire city of Florence. We hiked up just in time to grab some gelato and to sit and watch the sun set behind the Tuscan hills. It took my breath away. I breathed  in the sweet aroma of fresh air, and I could feel every ounce of stress from the trip just melt away. It was easily one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

While in Florence, we also took some time to get out of the city a little bit and took a bus ride to a nearby small town called Fiesole. It is set up in the hills, so we could, again, see a view of the entire city of Florence below us. It was even more gorgeous than from the hill in town, because we could see even more of the city and more of the surrounding Tuscan countryside, hills and mountains in the background. I could have stayed up there all day. The town was really cute too: a sleepy little town with nothing more than a single piazza and a modest cathedral in the center. We explored around the residential area for a little while (and dreamed about what it would be like to have the Tuscan view right outside your window every morning) and then headed back down to Florence. We had been staying at a quaint little hostel; and by quaint I mean too small and crowded (3 rooms, each with 6 beds, everyone sharing one bathroom), but kinda adorable at the same time, run by an old Italian woman, who didn't speak any English and  had just converted an old apartment into a hostel. But for our last night in town, we ditched the hostel and were able to stay with a couchsurfing host, Anna, who was so sweet and generous. She is originally from the U.S. and moved to Florence after falling in love with it when she studied abroad there. She currently works with a study abroad program, helping students have a good experience in Florence, just like she did. Sounds like a dream job to me. Anna cooked us a delicious Italian meal for dinner before sending us off to Venice in the morning with wishes for safe travels.

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.

Spain: On the Pursuit of Happiness

I know, I know, I'm so far behind on blogging! It was a priority at first (and still is), but I would rather be out exploring than sitting at a computer. Sorry, I know you are all waiting with bated breath over there on the other side of the Atlantic. So let me back up a couple weeks and review:

How can I describe my love for Spain?
Madrid and Barcelona were both filled with beauty, relaxation, good food, amazing culture,art, music, friends.....basically all the things that combine to create one big pot of happiness

In Madrid, we did a lot of wandering (as I mentioned before), took siesta in the lush Parque del Retiro, ate too many tapas, saw the royal palace, and explored grand churches and shopping districts. My favorite part was probably just sitting in the plazas at night, watching all the Spaniards and tourists hanging out and drinking there. Our hostel was situated right in the heart of the city, near Plaza del Sol, with some al fresco dining right outside our door. Even though Madrid is such a large city, being in a central area made it feel like a small town. We didn't even mind the fact that we couldn't fall asleep at night because people were out in the streets dining and drinking wine on the patios until close to sunrise. The city really doesn't get busy until after midnight, and it doesn't stop til close to 6a.m. We would sit in the plaza til the early hours of the morning, and it would still be packed with people when we left. People here really know how to slow down, enjoy life, relax and not worry about the hour.

Barcelona was amazing in a whole different way. The city has incredible art all throughout the city, with an exceptional influence by Gaudi on nearly every block. His buildings and mosaics are art that you can experience, touch, walk around in, and feel connected to. We saw a few of his most famous buildings and also visited the Parc Güell, which is a park that overlooks the city and is filled with his artwork and influence. Since we stayed with our friend, Fran, in Barcelona, we also spent a lot of time walking around some not-so-touristy parts of the city, sitting in more plazas, and finding hidden gem restaurants with amazing food. Spending time at the various beaches and ports was also a significant (and relaxing) part of our visit. My favorite part of Barcelona was probably an area called Las Ramblas, a wide pedestrian street filled with little shops, cafes, souvenir and flower stands Although it is filled with tourists and not many locals, the area is bustling and filled with energy. It also includes La Boqueria, the largest outdoor fresh food market in the world! (I think) We saw and sampled fresh and local fruit juices, seafood, meats, cheeses, nuts, vegetables, ice cream, candy, empanadas....I could go on. (Behind wandering/walking, the number 2 most frequent thing I've done on this trip is eat, but no regrets. No holding back, only indulging allowed! Thankfully we walk a ton, so I hopefully won't come back and be a blimp!)


I was so sad to leave Spain. So far, it has definitely been my favorite place on this trip, but there's still more to come! I know I'll return to Spain one day, if not to live there, at least to visit and experience the true sense of happiness I found in the culture.

Not all who wander are lost: to live like a flâneur

"Not all who wander are lost."

I'm not sure where this quote came from, but it is one of my favorites, and definitely describes a lot of my trip so far. A lot of what we have been doing is just wandering the streets of the cities we visit. We don't always make it to every hot tourist place or see every corner of the city, but wandering seems to be a really great way just to get a feel for the culture and the people of the city, especially when we wander away from the tourist spots. And as a bonus, we usually come across some really cool things that we would not have found if we weren't wandering. I love wandering just for the sake of wandering. When we do have a specific destination, Becca and I both have the tendency to walk quickly. So we've gotten into the habit of reminding each other to walk at a "tourist pace," that is, to walk slowly, enjoy the journey, and keep your eyes open for things along the way. It's not just about getting from point A to point B, but about what you also see along the way as well. This also relates a lot to another one of my favorite quotes, found at the top of my page: "Life is a journey, not a destination."

One of my favorite words is the word flâneur. It is a french word, literally meaning "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", or "loafer." But it also means "a person who walks the city in order to experience it." It is not someone who walks through the city to get from point A to point B, but someone who walks just for the sake of walking, just to experience it the city. This is the way I want to live. Not only literally, but also as a philosophy, a complete way of living and thinking: to slow down, walk at the "tourist pace," and wander just for the sake of wandering. We so often go through our busy lives just getting from point A to point B. I know especially in a big city, it's all about the fast pace. But you can be a flâneur every day, anywhere, even when you are not a tourist. Try walking like a tourist through your own city. Slow down. Look around. You might see something you have passed every day but never noticed before.

Madrid has definitely helped me to live at this pace, since this is way of life here. Most locals walk at a slow pace through the streets. At first, this frustrated me, since I'm a fast walker. But then, I was glad for the reminder to slow down as well. We have done a lot of wandering through the streets, taking siesta in the park, enjoying tapas, paella, and sangria on the sidewalk restaurants, and sitting in the plaza for hours at a time. I could definitely get used to this pace of life.

¡Salud!

Amsterdam: City of Sin and Streets with really long names

Amsterdam is definitely the most eclectic city I have ever visited. It is a huge tourist city, and people come from all over the world, for all different reasons, to see it. Many people first think of the Red Light District in Amsertdam or the famous coffeeshops (NOT to be confused with cafés). Many people also come to see the beautiful architecture in a city of 100 canals and 1000 bridges. And still others come to see the many museums, markets, parks, churches, bicycles...the list goes on. We checked most everything off the list within a few days, and I would have to say that the city would not be complete without any one of those things (yes, even the things that give Amsterdam it's nickname, the City of Sin, are a part of the city's culture and make it unique). It should also have the nickname "City with Ridiculously Long Street Names". For example, our hostel was on Oudezijds Voorburgwal, and most street names were even longer. Not knowing Dutch didn't help. Thankfully, many people spoke English, and you can mostly just follow the canals to find your way. It is also true that everyone gets around by bike in Amsterdam. There are probably more bikes than people in the city (not including toursists) and so many streets are only a bike lane and a sidewalk for pedestrians. Just don't think that because there aren't cars on the streets that you can walk right in the middle. Stay out of the bike lane, or you WILL get hit. Or spit at. Lesson learned.

I have a strange love for bridges, so I think that is why I found Amsterdam so beautiful. With all the canals in the city, we were constantly crossing bridges, and I wanted to stop and take pictures at every single one (we probably crossed nearly all 1000 bridges by the end of our stay). We also took a cruise along the canals to see more of the city from the water. Thankfully, we had pretty nice weather there, and it seemed that every restaurant and café has outdoor seating right along the canals. We spent a lot of time just sitting on the edge of the canals, people watching (Amsterdam is also a great people-watching city).

We first visited the Red Light District, just for the experience. It's actually not that seedy during the day, as long as you stay out of certain shops. The streets are crammed with tourists of ALL ages, which was interesting to me, but not that surprising I guess. What was really interesting was, at night, seeing all the neon signs plastered right onto the beauitful buildings. The juxtaposition seemed really odd to me, but that is what Amsterdam is: odd, yet strangely very beautiful just for it's uniqueness.
But there was much, much more to Amsterdam. We ventured out and walked to other areas of the city with more eye-catching architecture, and found a lovely Antique flea market filled with a lot of junk and also a lot of really cool authentic Dutch antiques. I wished my pack was larger so I could buy all of it. But alas, that which you buy, you must also carry. So no old sewing machines or lamps or rocking chairs or coffeemakers for me this time. Bought some cheap sunglasses instead and called them a souvenier.

Belgium: Land of Waffles and Frites

Said goodbye to Ireland for a while, and hopped a plane to Belgium! This is our first non-English speaking stop, and with it came the frustration of navigating around a large city with no clue where to go and not many people we asked for help could speak English. We wandered around a very corporate area of Brussels for a while and began to think that it was a really dead city. But we eventually found our way to the Grand Place: a bustling center plaza surrounded by beautiful building and filled with flower stands and street vendors. We happened to come when the "Belgian Beer Weekend" festival was going on, so the plaza was even more packed then usual and was filled with tents selling beer from all local Belgian breweries. We wandered around the surrounding streets to find Manneken  Pis: the famous landmark is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. It wasn't anything to write home about. I'm not exactly sure why it's famous, except that they dress the little boy up in various costumes. He happened to be wearing an astronauts outfit on this particular day. Wandered around again (see the trend here?) to find some street vendors where, of course, we had to try a Belgian waffle and  Yummmo. Left Brussels with a good taste in our mouths and took a train out to a small town (with some long French name I can't remember) to stay with a friend of Becca's. They treated us to some frites (french fries, as they were first invented here) Yummo #2. They were so hospitable and it felt wonderful to sleep on a masttres on the floor and have a clean shower and a big breakfast. After a long week of no sleep and go go go, a long night's rest was much needed. As a result, my body relaxed and I got a little sick. Not enough to ruin the trip though. The next day, it was off to Amsterdam!

Ireland: Love at first sight

I'm in love with Ireland! Maybe it is just because this was my first stop on the journey and the excitement of being here just makes everything seem so much better. Regardless, I love Ireland and feel so at home here, especially in Dublin because it reminds me, in some ways, of Chicago. It is a big city, but not so overwhelming like London (like how Chicago is not as overwhelming as New York). Even though it is big and filled with tourists, it still feels really homey and cozy. People are friendly and diverse. There is the stereotypical view of the Irish people being drunk a lot, and I've found that to be kinda true, actually. But they are a jolly people and most embrace the stereotype and fully admit to it without shame, which I kinda like.

(See previous post for first activities in Dublin)
After a much-needed nap in the park, we went to the Guinness Storehouse to see how the famous beer is made. At the end, we got a free pint and a beautiful view of the city from the very top of the storehouse. Called it an early night and headed to our host Peter's place in the south suburbs. After a long flight and a long day, even a half-deflated air mattress on the floor was comfortable enough to sleep on. However, before hitting the pillow I realized that I had somehow managed to lose my American phone on the first day. The last I saw it was on the plane, so it is likely that is where I left it, or I could have lost it at any of the various other places we went that day. I was bummed, but in good spirits so I wasn't too upset. Can't change it now, and not the worst thing I could have lost. I still have a European phone to make calls, so I was only planning on using my phone for internet. Now I can only use internet where I can get to a computer, so expect less frequent and longer posts than I had anticipated. Oh well. Time to sleep and not worry about it.

The next morning, we woke up early to catch the bus to Galway in Western Ireland. It's a quaint tourist town, but among the locals, everybody knows everybody. It has a historic looking shopping street, pretty churches, and a pub on every corner (of course). We dropped our stuff off at a hostel and immediately hopped on a bus to see the Cliffs of Moher.

The Cliffs of Moher: WOW. They have been nominated for one of the new natural 7 wonders of the world, and with good reason! I cannot even describe to you the beauty and vastness of the cliffs, set right next to the picturesque rolling hills filled with sheep, cows, and little stone houses. There were various established 'viewpoints' along the cliffs, but they seemed very limited, so we decided to walk a little ways to see if we could see any more. We came across a sign that said "Please do not go beyond this point." Without hesitation (and because we were not the only ones to do so), we ignored the sign and continued to hike along the cliffs. Lesson learned: Always go past the sign that says, "do not go beyond this point." As we walked further along, the views became even more stunning than from the other side. We hiked along for about an hour, stopping a few times to snap pictures and then sat on the edge  for a while and breathed in the fresh air. It is moments like these that make all the hard work, money, and hassle to travel all so worth it. I wish I could have shared that moment with all of you. Pictures to come, even though, of course, they cannot do it justice (You can see a few photos that Becca took on her phone on my facebook).

Headed back to Galway for the night where we found our way to a local pub to have a pint with the locals and enjoy a live band playing traditional Irish music, or "trad." Galway is supposedly known for having great trad, and this place was quintessentially Irish. Walked around the streets of Galway for a little while with some new friends (it's a small town, so it doesn't take long to get from one end to the other) and they showed us where all the locals go after a night out: Supermacs. It's basically a glorified fast-food court that is open late for all the locals to come grab some greasy food after a night at the pubs or clubs. It was packed to the brim of teenagers and college students ordering cheeseburgers, pizza, and chicken and chips. We ate our fill, and then headed back to the hostel for a good night of sleep (in a real bed!).

Woke up this morning, grabbed some breakfast, and now sitting at the hostel in Galway (abusing the free internet!) and trying to decide what to do with our day before heading back to Dublin this evening...