Florence

I've been in Florence for a full day now. The city itself is a lot cleaner than Rome, but I can't really say the same for my hostel.

So far I've explored some of the cities museums and churches. All of the lines are pretty short except for the Cathedral di Santa Maria Fiore, Galleria dell'Accademia (where the statue of David is), and the Galleria degli Uffzi. My plan is to hit all of these hot spots tomorrow and spend my day standing in lines.

Today I visited Palazzo Vecchio and admired some art of Florence. There were a few other museums that had shorter lines that I went to, but they aren't really worth mentioning. I also took a free walking tour of the city and learned about the city's vast history.

Window shopping is a great way to pass the time as you walk from place to place. The streets are lined with designer stores like Gucci and Prada. The bridge Ponte Vecchio is also a great place to walk. It is one of the oldest bridges and is full of shops.

Sorry for no pictures, my phone was dead today. I did take some on my camera but I can't upload those until I get back to the States.

Until Venice,
Kristin

Vatican City

I'm not Catholic, but that didn't stop me from visiting Vatican City and attending mass lead by the Pope!

Yesterday I stood in line for an hour just to get a golden ticket to the Pope's weekly mass at Saint Peter's Basilica.

Ticket:

Maybe it's because I'm not Catholic, or maybe it's because I don't speak Italian, but it was as if people were worshipping him while he was performing the ceremonies. After every thing he said people cheered. As he was riding around before mass, people were handing him their babies to touch and kiss. Regardless of my uncomfort with this, it was still cool to see.

The Pope delivering mass:

While in Vatican City I also toured Saint Peter's Basilica. The church was beautiful, as most of the churches in Europe are. There is a dome at the top that you can visit. You can ride half way to the top in an elevator and enjoy the view from there or you can continue the climb through narrow stairwells to the very very top... Or...you can be crazy like me and climb all 551 stairs to the very very top of the dome. The view was breath taking, but they really should monitor the number of people who are allowed up at any given time. They might also consider a weight limit due to the extremely narrow passage ways.

Saint Peter's not during Popal Audience:

The Vatican museum houses hundreds of sculptures from throughout Roman times. My favorite was "Personification of Winter". I had never thought about personification through art and the beauty of this collection of personified seasons has inspired me to create a similar project during my poetry unit.

The statute:

At the end of the museum there is the Sistine Chapel. No photographs were allowed inside. One man tried to be sneaky and take a shot at the ceiling and a guard immediately took him away. The ceiling inside the chapel was definitely beautiful. I don't know why, but I didn't realize the famous painting of God and Adam was only a small piece of a much grander collection of art on the ceiling and walls. It was very interesting to see.

Tomorrow I catch a train to Florence.

Until then,

Kristin

When in Rome...

Do as the Romans do.

I'm not sure exactly what this means. Everyone I've met who is Italian is from another part of the country. However, they still know the go to areas for food, which are usually sketchy but totally delicious.

Yesterday and today I walked around the city and explored all that it has to offer. Of course I visited some iconic landmarks like the classic arch and coliseum.

There are so many museums and things to see here. Rome is also a very hot city during  the summer. I'm refusing to take public transportation or tour buses in order to save every Euro possible. I can also find a lot more interesting places on foot. But, this means that every place I see with shade and a place to sit I stop and take a break.

When I see all of the beautiful buildings it is hard to believe I'm actually in Italy. Sometimes I need to stop for a gelato or glass of wine just to soak it all in.

Tomorrow I am visiting the Roman baths. I enjoyed them so much in England that I decided to visit  them in Rome. I am also going to a park recommended by some Italians. Wednesday I am going to Vatican City and will hopefully see the Pope 's weekly prayer.

Until then,
Kristin

Winning big in Monte Carlo

I lied. We did not win big in Monte Carlo. In fact, I lost 10€. A girl in my hostel and I ventured over to Monaco for the day. The country is full of roads with twists and turns at every corner. The beautiful views of the sea and fancy cars made up for the inconvenient roads.

We visited the palace and were able to see the changing of the guards at noon. It took about 15 minutes and was interesting to see. From the outside there is not much to see, but I'm sure the inside is majestic.

The palace:

View from the top of Monaco near the palace:

Finally, we visited the casino. No pictures were allowed inside (they even took our cameras at the door) but I can say it was quite luxurious. Everything  was plated in gold or covered with crystals. I allotted myself 10€ to spend and lost it all. The girl I went with ended up winning 3€.

The casino:

After I returned to Nice, I spent my final evening having a bignet on the beach. I was sad to leave such a wonderful little town, but I am excited for Italy next.

Until Rome, 

Kristin

Nice is nice

Remember all those horrible things I said about France? Forget them. Nice totally makes up for the southern part of this country.

At the train station in Marseille I met a few other Americans so we kept each other company while our train was delayed and also on the train ride to Nice. 

On the first night here my hostel had a spaghetti and wine party for 2€. My roommates and in all went together. It was like being in a sorority again; I forgot how much fun it was to live with a group of girls (especially from all around  the world). After dinner we walked to the beach and hung out.

Us at the beach:

The next morning I went scuba diving in the Mediterranean Sea. It had been about 2 years since I've been diving, but I remembered all of the basic rules. A lifetime scuba certification comes in handy; who would have thought I'd have the opportunity to dive in the Mediterranean? While diving I saw many tropical fish and starfish and was even able to have a fish eat out of my hand.

Views from the dive boat:

While in Nice I also walked around the old part of town where there are tons of little shops. I also went to a Russian orthodox church that requires women to be in skirts and hair covered. Here is a photo of the outside; the inside did not allow pictures to be taken.

Cathédrale Orthodoxe Saint-Nicolas de Nice:

Tomorrow I will travel to Monaco for the day.

Until then,

Kristin

Adios Espana... Bonjour France

On my last night in Spain, some roommates and I ventured around the town of Barcelona in search of a party. We ended up having our own and enjoyed the conversation with each other. Note: Germans got the word "amazing" from us and some overuse it excessively.

As I waited for my train to France to board, I met some fun people. First, a group of Americans. One asked me for my blog because she was so impressed of my journey. This is when I realized... this is not a normal trip. I also met some peers who were also using the Eurail pass. It made me feel better knowing I was not the only one with a magic ticket.

My train had a 2 hour layover in Montpelier so I decided to tour the city. I came across a festival where Montpellier's twi showcased what they had to offer. Louisville was one of them; I went to their booth and the photos of the South really made me start to miss home. Fes, Morocco had a booth where you could have your name  written in Arabic.

I got "Kristin is on vacation" written:

I regret starting  my trip in Spain. It makes France seem so abysmal. The French do not like speaking  in English and judge people for not knowing their language. The Americans that vacation here think this is the best place on Earth and that everything is better here just because it's French.

Today I visited Château d'If which is an old fortress on an island near the Vieux Port in Marseille. If you've ever read The Count of Monte Cristo you would know this is the island in which the main character, Edmond Dantes, is imprisoned.

The fortress:

The view of Marseille from the top:

From this view, you can see the Notre Dame de la Garde on the highest point in the city. It has been known for people to end a pilgrimage here by crawling up the steps to the top. In the past few years, an elevator has been installed to make the cathedral easier to access. However, since I'm on my own sort of pilgrimage I decided to climb all the way up - praying the entire way. 

Notre Dame de la Garde:

The food in France is so expensive and not really all that great. There's a reason why America is full of Italian and Spanish restaurants but has very few French ones. Hopefully in Nice there will be a market near by so I can cook dinner (this will be cheaper and tastier than a lot of the places I ate at here in Marseille).

Until Nice tomorrow,

Kristin

Last day in Barcelona

Well, today is my last day in Barcelona. I ended up sleeping in until around 11. After my post last night I went to the beach and night-life area with a girl from my hostel. She is studying  at the university in Barcelona and we met up with some of her college friends. Although the beach was crowded, it was fun to hang out with a group of people who spoke fluent English. We tried to bar hop, but the steep drink prices and strict dress codes kept us from doing so.

I visited the Picasso museum today. It was interesting  to see and compare his early work to his late work (which he is more famous for). My favorite paintings were those of his early years. They were mostly landscapes on scraps of wood and cardboard.

I intended to end my day going to a restaurant that only served dessert; however, it was 35-50€ per plate. I settled for a tiramisu ice cream and watched people dance on the square.

I would have also included the decadent ice cream cone in the picture, but I ate it too quickly.

Until Marseille tomorrow,
Kristin

Mi encanta Barcelona

If I ever live overseas, it'll probably be in Barcelona. This city as so much to offer. No matter how many pictures I take, they could never do this city justice.

Yesterday I walked around the city and saw some of the tourist spots. I went to Casa de Batllo. However it was way too crowded and expensive to go inside. The museum houses the work of Gaudi. Luckily, I was able to see of his mosaics for free at Parc Guell. This park was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. It might top a few of the walks/views I had on the Wainwright coast-to-coast walk in England.

Here are some photos of his work:

It may be hard to tell, but these are mosaic pieces. The entire area was full mosaics and bit was absolutely beautiful. There are more photos on my camera. Unfortunately with no computer I cannot upload those until I get back to the States.

The Parc Guell also had many trails that provided some peace and quiet from the city's hustle and bustle. I was able to reach one of the highest points in Barcelona and get an amazing view.

Yesterday I also visited Temple de La Sagrada Familia. It began construction hundreds of years ago and is still being completed. I listened to some tours in English on the outside of the cathedral and learned that the original plans called for 18 towers and 12 sculptures I believe (one for each disciple).

Today I toured the Fundacio Dr Joan Miro. This was one of the cheaper museums and only cost 7 Euro with my student discount. The museum housed paintings and sculptures. My favorite was a fountain that contained mercury instead of water. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos inside of the museum.

I also walked around Placa de Espanyol. There I stumbled upon a mall and sight seeing.

Until tomorrow,
Kristin

The amazing race

If I were a contestant on the Amazing Race, I would have won today. I'm fairly certain I was made to travel. My flight from Kansas City was an hour delayed so I just had a beer and socialized with some fellow passengers. Because my flight from KC to Chicago was delayed, I literally had to run with my 50lb. backpack across the airport. Granted this is not my first time running  to catch a flight in Chicago, but it still got my adrenaline pumping so much that it was difficult to sleep on the way to London. There, my flight to Barcelona was delayed, which was fine by me because I am absolutely in love with the UK.

Finally I arrived in Spain. I was expecting most Spaniards to speak English, but I was wrong. Despite the language barrier I was able to exchange my currency and catch a bus to a stop near my hostel.

None of the streets are labeled here in Barcelona, and if they are it must be in tiny print distant from the street corners. I walked around  aimlessly for nearly 30 minutes and was finally able to communicate with a shop keeper in my broken Spanish. She helped me find my hostel (which wasn't exactly on the street... it was above some shops which made it difficult to see).

It looks like there are no SIM cards that will work for my phone so my only mode of communication will be internet. I figure if I found my first hostel without a phone ill be able to do the same elsewhere.

This evening I just walked along the main strip. I found a quaint seafood restaurant and ordered something to go. I'm not intentionally being vague... I literally didn't know what I was ordering. I brought the food and a bottle of wine back to my hostel where I am now eating, relaxing, writing this blog, and will soon be planning my itinerary for tomorrow-when I'm sure I'll update again.

Until tomorrow,
Kristin

I'm leavin' on an airplane...

Being the procrastinator that I am, I started packing this morning. Rushing around trying to find everything that I needed to bring for the next 7 weeks was a bit of an adrenaline rush. However, after 3 hours, I managed to fit the majority of my life into a single backpack.

This little beauty has 6 outfits, 2 pairs of shoes, some toiletries (seriously... someone needs to talk to TSA about their ridiculously low limit of liquids for part-time), and all of the electronics I'll need.

It's difficult to believe that I'll be in Spain in roughly 20 hours. I cannot wait to see what my travels have in store for me. If you also want to know, keep up with this blog. Traveling for 7 weeks over 10 countries, I have a feeling you'll be kept entertained reading this.

Prayers are appreciated as I start my journey today.

Until Barcelona,
Kristin