Ciao Bella!

 Ciao Bella!

So basically...this last week was amazing!  I was in Rome and Venice from Wednesday to Saturday! It was so fun.  

We flew Ryan Air. We could only bring a small size backpack(we all packed super light).  When we got to the flight, it was like movie theater seating.  So I got to sit front row with a ton of leg room! So cool.  The guy I sat next to was from Rome.  He told me some cool things to see.  He also helped us figure out how to get to our place(since he knew Italian and we didn’t know any).  He found out for us and asked if we had Euros... which we didn’t... so we ran to the atm and then got on the bus.  It took us right to our area.  We got there pretty late and went to dinner.  We were able to order our food with only knowing English.  We didn’t realize that not everyone would know English.  Since everyone in our group wanted to go to bed, I decided that I really wanted to go and see something in Rome since we had just gotten there.  So I went on a run from 12-1 in the morning.  I saw the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps... it was so cool because there were hardly any tourists(maybe ten compared to at least a hundred every other time the group went).  It was fun... a little tiring and hot.

First night in Rome and got Gelato!!!

Trevi Fountain the 1st night 

Our first day was packed with stuff. Thanks to my mom doing research, we were able to hit everything that we wanted to and more.  We went to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel at 8 in the morning.  Luckily we bought tickets online and got to skip right to the front of the long line.  Earlier was better because as we left the huge crowds came.  So it was great.  We then went to the top of St. Peter's Basilica.  Sydnie and I happened to meet the rest of the group there on accident(what are the odds of meeting in such a big city).  So we went up as a group.  Such cool views!  We then split and they went to the Vatican and we headed over to the Roman Forum, Palantine Hill, Colosseum, Piaza Venezia... It was such a fun area and so cool to see all of the Roman things! While walking around our final area on Palantine Hill it started raining a little.  It was a nice, refreshing ending!  My mom planned it so perfect!

Outside of the Vatican Museums.. don't worry
we passed all of those people outside.

Inside the Vatican

Cool statue in Vatican

Hiking to the top of St. Peters Basilica

Inside Basilica

Bottom of Basilica

Art in Vatican

Me and Sydnie at the Colosseum

Cool view from Palantine Hill

Cool Building at the top

Well... since we went and went all day yesterday, I basically passed out right when I laid in bed.  So I forgot to set my alarm.  We were planning on going to Venice early that next day and missed our train.  So we hurried and ran over to see if they could do anything(well we tried our best with English and their Italian)... We just had to buy a new ticket there.  We got to keep our return ticket so that was okay:)  While waiting for  our train we went and threw coins in the Trevi Fountain and saw the Pantheon! What a cool old building!  Sydnie and I made it to Venice and it was so cool!

VENICE

We saw the gold basilica! So cool!  We then got split up... luckily we talked how if we lost each other just to do our own thing and meet at train station a half hour before it leaves!

Cool bridge in Venice

San Marcos Basilica

San Marcos Square

Murano

It was fun and I took a ferry over to the Murano after cruising around venice.  It took like 25 minutes to get there and we went like 10mph.   It was fun to see cool views of things.  I bought some cool glass and on the way back I thought that I would check to see how much a taxi would be to go on the way back.  I really wanted to go back super fast.  Luckily I asked a guy who he and his friend were closing up their shop.  They only charged me a little more than the ferry and we got to go so fast! It was so fun and they put on Italian music on on the way back.  I had given myself so much time to get back to the station(cause I thought that I had to take the ferry and then walk back).  Since I took the taxi, I had so much extra time... so they invited me to a popular pub that Venetians go to. We got some drinks(I got sprite), and they just told me about the culture there and what Venice is typically like for locals. It was cool.  Than they took me right up to the station.  What a cool opportunity to hang out with locals:)

"Taxi" ride back to venice... much faster than the "Ferry" over! So sick!

My Venetian friends at a Pub

That night after getting back from Venice, Sydnie and I decided to take advantage of our stay in Rome and went for a late night walk(we got some pointers from local Romans of what to do at night).  So we went and saw the Four Rivers Fountain, Colosseum, and many other cool buildings.  It was so cool to see these things at night with the lights shining on them without any tourists around! We also checked out a cool night life area.  So we got some good pizza and crepes at a cheap little store! So fun.  We then went back and slept.. But I decided to just take an hour nap and then went for a run to see the Rome Temple grounds.  It had a huge fence around it so I went to a building and climbed the stairs so that I could see over it.  It is pretty far from the center of Rome, but good so that it is more for the locals and it can be seen from many down below.  We then packed and went to go see some final museums and buildings before airport!  I was wearing so many clothes so that I could get my gifts home in my bag.  We go front row seats again and had great leg room and chatted with the attendants.  They were funny.

Colosseum at 4 in the morning!  No tourist except for us in sight

Temple grounds in Rome! Went on a jog there!

Sick cars in Rome!

Right before going to the airport... I had so much glass from
Murano in my bag that I had to wear some of my clothes
.... I had two pairs of jeans, two shirts and my sweatshirt out...
It was so hot!!! ha but worth getting the stuff back:)

Great View from the Piaza Venezia after
taking a glass elevator to the top

Italy was so much fun and I wish that I had more time there.  Sydnie and I were able to do practically everything the other group did plus a day trip to Venice.  We were exhausted when we left... but looking back on it, it was well worth it!  Now that we are back in London we only have a week and a half left. Wow this time has gone so fast and I wish I could stay all summer.  I have had so many cool experiences here.  Well.... CIAO!

Ciao Italia!!!

A few days in London...

I've been back from our trip to the northern UK for a couple of days now, and I am already leaving for another trip! Wow, time just goes so fast.  Since I have been back in London, I have done quite a few things.  I went to service at St. Paul’s with some people in my group. I went to the Tate Modern museum(a lot of abstract, modern things), Tate Britain, and the Saatchi Gallery(some cool, different things compared to all of the other museums).  

Saatchi Gallery

A bunch of us, one night, decided to go to Pirates of the Caribbean 4 movie in the theater down the street in Notting Hill.  It was good! We were in the same theater that was in the movie Notting Hill(well that is what the girls said ha).



We also went to Windsor Castle. It was so fun to see because the Queen actually lives there sometimes throughout the year.  It was so cool.  We had to take a train there.  While there we did an audio guide(which was a really good one).  I even got some cool pictures with a guard.  Towards the end he didn’t want his picture take any more and just started stomping back and forth.  So some in our group didn’t get it.  But, I was lucky to get it. 

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Group at Windsor Castle... It is like its own little town.

Guard at Windsor Castle

Gardens at Windsor

Dinner at Zizzi's.
Really good food!

Legally Blonde 

Well, we went out to eat at quite a few places. One that I really liked was Zizzi's.  I got a really good past and a way good chocolate melt cake with ice cream!  A bunch of people were going to Legally Blonde.  I decided to go with them rather than pack for Italy cause I could always pack later.  It was a fun play.  

These past couple of days have been so fun!  Well I am off to the airport for Italy(Rome and Venice).  I'll be back on Saturday night.  Cheers!