Italy -24th Mar - 5th April 2006 (13 days)

Rome
Impressions
From Dublin I flew into Rome one way. I didnt have much of an idea of what to check out in this historical city. So I asked a fellow passenger on board the plane. He lent me his Rome Lonely planet. I really didnt expect to be mesmerised by the amount of history in the one city. My first impressions of Rome where that it was incredibly smoggy. Vespas everywhere. There is more Vespas than pedestrians. They park them in huge rows and turn all the tyres the same way. Women on Vespas dressed in suits and couples laughing through the streets. It was so much a european city. Dublin and London to me are now non Europe. Italy is Europe. You can feel it in the air. Each street has major history. We are talking BC here!. It was so intriguing to visit the Roman Forum where senates would work out political issues they had to face to take over the world. The ruins and especially the Colloseum freaked me out slightly because they were so old. I didnt go into the Colloseum, as the queue was just too long. I visited the oldest building in Rome- The Pantheon. The artist Raphael is buried there. The dome ceiling was cool. Nothing however beats the Vatican Museum. I've now become a lover of Michaelangelo and the Sistine chapel where his famous finger touching painting is. Took him 14 years to paint this chapel and every inch of the walls are painted in amazing images. The detail in all of the Vatican Museum walls was remarkable. How could these people so long ago come up with such detailed paintings. I was amazed. The best church in Italy is St Peters Basilica. This is where Pope John Paul II had his funeral. I was blessed by the Pope surprisingly, along with about 20,000 others in the square outside the church by the newest Pope Benedict. He gave his blessing to the crowd in Italian, french, german then english. Everyone cheered. He is a celebrity! You could hardly see him perched up in his famous window overlooking the square.
The food in Rome is lovely. Pizza and gelati was my daily diet. I dont generally like pizza, however Italy is where it is made simple and the base is thin and crispy..yum. Small delicatessens filled with chocolates and people who go in for a standing coffee. They dont have chairs to sit in. You have your expresso in a rush. I loved watching the Carabineri clean out the streets that have fake hand bag sellers. They just stand there in rows with little stalls of fake glasses and fake purses expecting every tourist to purchase them. When they spot Carabineri they run.
My bed and breakfast was on a major street and close to the underground metro so I had easy access to all the major tourist areas. The Spanish steps where crap. The best thing about Rome is the Vatican Museum, Trevi fountain, walking through the Roman Forum and of course St Peters Basilica. I partied with a scottish couple and a guy from QLD in the famous Campo di Flori. Its an open piazza that has fresh food markets during the day and party bars at night. They would previously hang criminals in public there. I found an Irish pub. They are everywhere! At night I saw the Colloseum and the Trevi fountain. Such a lovely fountain. Throw a coin in for good luck and a second to come back. The worst thing about Rome was the food poisoning I got from a bloody gelati and I wrecked my back with my heavy back pack. I couldnt bend forward for days. Also the traffic. Hard to cross the roads.

Florence
Impressions
I disliked Florence at first. I had trouble getting into my booked B&B. I gave a time on the net of my arrival and because I was early they had no one at reception and no one answering the contact numbers. I was about to cry. That was the worst moment in the whole trip. I went straight to the tourist office and booked into a single room at a hotel. I then called the bastards at the B&B and slightly abused them. I lost the booking fee and was charged for one night as a penalty with the B&B. Locanda B&B Florence- dont stay there. The hotel room was 35 euro so about $50.00 a night. Luckily it wasnt night time that I arrived. It took 3 hours on a speed train from Rome to Florence and cost me about $20.00. In and out of tunnel and weaving through mountains. Forget about using the radio to entertain you- always cuts out. Get an Ipod. I could tell why people like Florence. Its clean and has heaps of alley ways and back streets.
I checked out the replica Statue of David in front of the most famous gallery in Italy, The Uffizi. Next time I go I will see into visiting David, the real version. Florence had a lot of statues. Just like the Vatican Museum however free for all to see. Took a few snaps there at Piazza Venezia. Checked out the lovely bridge Ponte Vecchio and the shops on it that are full of gold jewellery. By far the most impressive church is Santa Maria di Fiore. Its made of pink and lime green marble slate. Its lovely. Florence is clean and has alot of designer shops and this is probably why people love it. However I found it was a little similar to Melbournes back streets and alley ways. I went up to Piazza di Michaelangelo where you can get a panoramic view over the city. That was the best part of my stay there. I drank at another Irish pub called 'The joshua tree' of course dedicated to my fav band. What else can I say about Florence. I suppose I was only there two days..oh I watched Italian TV for the first time as in Rome the B& Bs dont have TVs. I loved watching Dirty Dancing in Italian and Grande Fratello (Big Brother) Ha.

Venice
Impressions
Yeehaw now this is the best place ever.!! No traffic, no Vespas and such tranquility. Everyone strolls around. Venetians would have to be fit, as there is only two bridges that connect the two parts of Venice. Water taxis etc. I hated getting to my hotel as my back was still hurting and the place smelt a bit and I needed a map. I had no idea as the directions on the internet where so intense. Cross this canal turn left etc. There is just two many steps over bridges and this confused me. Venice is a Labrinyth of streets. You can take 70 different routes to one destination. I had to buy a map for christs sake. No other city makes you buy a map.
The Piazza Margarita in San Polo is where is stayed. This is the best area as everyone is young and funky. They were yelling and singing, celebrating graduations on architecture. There is a big University in Venice. When I layed eyes on a Gondola I was so impressed. They have beautiful fabric and seats. There is small romantic canals and the the larger major traffic canal being Grand Canal. InstThe only sounds you hear are of the speed boats and music. Venice will make you want to fall in love. I was teary eyed because I started feeling romantic and bored with being single. Ha! I look back now and think 'you numb-nut'. The streets have beautiful ornate shops full of romantic masquerade masks and famous hand made Murano glass..wow.
Ponte di Rialto and Ponte Accedemia are the two bridges that connect San Polo and San Marco together. You can cross the canal by water taxi or pay for an expensive Gondola. Best to walk to these bridges. St Marco Basilica and St Marco square are the tourist places to go. I fed pigeons with feed I stole of a little kid. I just had to feed the pigeons. That would be the epitome of being in Venice. They are like rats and swarmed all over you. It wa hilarious. The Basilica is open to the public and the walls and ceilings are covered in real gold mosaic. Its glittering at every angle. The building Palazzo Ducale is beautiful. Venice also has somewhat an influence from India. Some windows where very ethnic.
Sitting in the Piazza, I met two US navy doctors stationed in Silicy who where on holidays and also a Canadian childrens TV program host. We had Coronas on the banks of the canals. Had a blast afterall. The take away pizza in Venice was the best Pizza I have ever tasted in my life.
Dont do Venice alone. I knew I had to meet people and meet them fast to take my thoughts off the fact im single. There is nothing to say that is bad about Venice, except you may get sea sick on a water taxi, oh and the toilet water reaks!. ha

Bassano Di Grappa
Impressions
Such a town!! So mountainous, so alpine. Its the ritzy northern town in the region of Veneto. Porches line the streets and there is an ambience that feels like heaven. I have never seen so many mountains in one scenic view. They just feel so close yet so far. I loved it and seeing my family was so great. The town of Rosa is just outside Bassano and its a quaint farming town.This is where my family are from in Italy. Reminded me of country Ireland, except you can see snow capped mountains in the distance... oh and the vineyards. I rode a bike around the fields and just took in the Italian style. Andrea, a friend who I met in my hostel in Dublin saw me walking down the street and took me on his Vespa through the streets of Bassano. I had mixed drinks of grappa at Bortola Nardini on Ponte Vecchio, another bridge which I have always known about because my grandmother told me so much about it. I saw the trees where the Germans would hang the Italian soldiers from during WW1. The whole town and surrounding areas of northern Italy were the worst hit in WW1. Dedications everywhere. One house still has bullet holes and my cousin is still finding WW1 relics up in the mountains with his metal detector. Such a beautiful place. I loved going to the Alps and seeing the snow for the first time. The chalets with fireplaces in them. This part of Italy needs to be seen. Also went for pizza in Vincenza, a small town an hour drive from Bassano. The pizza was not bad.

Overall Italy is so great it makes me want to kick and scream with happiness. I will go back 50 more times if I could. Go go go to Italia.