Italia!

Friday morning I woke up and went to the gym like normal, came home and packed a few last minute things (mainly snacks) and headed to the airport. After getting through security and eating lunch, Genna arrived just in time for them to announce our gate and for us to head to the very end of the airport. We flew into Milan, took a bus to the train station, and then hopped on the high-speed train to Florence. Arriving in Florence at about 9pm, we expected to be at our Airbnb by 9:30 and head to bed so we could get an early start Saturday. Well, needless to say that didn't happen. We walked to the closest bus stop only to find out that the bus we needed wouldn't be stopping there all weekend due to construction. So we walked to the next stop and the same sign was posted. We then looked up what other buses could get us to our destination and walked to another stop. Same thing. Then we found a bus stop nearby and missed the last bus of the night by 3 minutes. After about 45 minutes of walking from bus stop to bus stop we finally found one that was running and got to the Airbnb around 10:15pm where we promptly passed out for the night.

Saturday morning we woke up, got breakfast at a nearby cafe, and went on a "walking tour" that Sarah had found online. I put "walking tour" in quotes because while we did walk around the city with a tour guide, she wasn't extremely knowledgable on the history of the city and we caught her Googling facts a few times. But hey, at least she showed us all of the sights. After grabbing some lunch at a pizzeria near the Duomo where Sarah tried her first ever gluten free calzone we made our way to the Galleria dell'Accademia where we visited the Museum of Musical Instruments (of course I geeked out over all of the brass instruments), and saw some of the greatest artwork in history. The most famous artwork here is Michelangelo's "The David." The way the museum is set up you walk down a hallway and turn a corner and then he's standing there under a dome where natural light floods in. It took my breath away. This sculpture is so incredibly detailed it is unbelievable. And to think, this wasn't even supposed to exist. Thank goodness artists rarely listen to the advice of others. We left the Galleria and got some gelato on our way to meet up with Sarah's friend Jen who is studying in Florence for the semester. We went to the grocery store for some snacks and drinks and went to the Piazzale Michelangelo where we took in the views and watched the sun set over the city. After this we went to dinner at one of Jen's favorite restaurants, hung out at her apartment for a little bit, and then headed back to our Airbnb for some much needed sleep.

Sunday was rainy off and on, so we took it pretty easy. We met up with Sarah and Jen after a delicious breakfast at Cafe Vespé and decided to visit the Palace and Galileo Museum. We walked for a bit, grabbed a small bite to eat, walked by the Palace, and finally made it to the museum. It was super cool! There were original telescopes that Galileo himself used, as well as his finger (pictured above), and plenty of other interesting artifacts documenting how well we have progressed with science as a whole, but specifically astrology. We went back to the grocery store and got some food to make for dinner and returned to Jen's apartment for the evening where we cooked chicken and vegetables, sampled various meats and cheeses of Italy, and watched The Lizzie McGuire Movie in preparation for Rome the following day.

Monday was a long day. We woke up at 3:45am, got locked in a hallway, had to have the other girl staying in our Airbnb let us out, and got in a cab to the bus stop at 4:30. Our bus left for Rome at 5:30am sharp, putting us there at around 9:30. We dropped our bags off at the new Airbnb and headed straight for The Vatican City. After walking around and unfortunately not meeting the Pope we decided to get coffee and go to Piazza Navona followed by the Pantheon. We spent a good amount of time there, and then headed for the Spanish Steps where we soaked in the warm sunshine and gave our feet a break from all of the walking we'd been doing. We stopped for paninis and gelato and watched some street artist painting pictures of the city. The Trevi Fountain was up next, where yes, I did make a wish, and no, did not meet an Italian lip-syncing pop star. It was getting later in the afternoon and we had booked tickets to enter The Colosseum, so that's where we were off to next. The Colosseum was so. cool. We got the audioguides which explained everything from the construction to the games, and even where each class of people sat. Considering my mom is teaching her unit on the Romans when they get back from Spring Break, I'd say I went at a good time. After our Colosseum visit was over we walked back towards the Airbnb and stopped for dinner at a restaurant one of Sarah's friends had recommended because of the gluten free pasta. We turned in for the night full of good food and ready for all Tuesday had to hold.

Tuesday was a day of solo travel for me. I boarded my train heading for Pisa at 10am, listened to some podcasts, and enjoyed seeing the coastline most of my ride there. We were two stops away from my final destination when an announcement was made that my train was being rerouted do to "police activity" ahead and that all travelers heading to Pisa must get on a train a few platforms over. Thank goodness I planned plenty of time between when my train arrived and when I needed to be at the airport. After transferring I was in Pisa within 30 minutes, where I quickly walked to go see the leaning tower and enjoy the last little bit of warmth and sunshine I would have before heading back to Scotland. I sat on the grass and enjoyed some mango and cookie gelato, took some photos, and then wandered around the shops in the city (which is much smaller than expected), and then walked to the airport. Yes, the city is small enough that walking to the airport is normal. I waited for my gate to be announced between the duty free store and two restaurants that the airport had, made my way through passport control, and then got a water from the vending machine and ate some of the snacks I had packed for dinner. I boarded my flight, fell asleep, and woke up in Edinburgh. Thankful to be home and in my own bed, I called my parents to let them know I was home safe, talked to Garrett for a bit, and then passed out.

While my Italian adventure was incredible, the reason I returned home yesterday was because my parents arrive in Edinburgh tomorrow!! I'm so excited I could burst! I can't wait to show them around the beautiful city I've had the privilege of calling home for the past 4 months. Garrett arrives on Sunday morning, just in time to go to church for Easter, and then he and I leave next Wednesday for a Europe trip of our own. I'm going to be spending as much time as possible the next week or so enjoying time with my people while they're here, so I'm not sure when my next update will be. Keep an eye out for it though, as I'm sure it will be full of great photos and stories!