Well, I'm home. By my body language, you wouldn't be able to tell if I was relieved or reluctant. On one hand, I'm finally home after a long journey on Lufthansa and Air Canada through 5 countries in a 24 hour period. I'm finally home after throwing up 9 times on 3 flights and in one expensive hostel (take that for overcharging us!). I'm finally home in the good ol' US of A where I speak English pretty dang well if I say so myself.
On the other hand, it's hard to believe that four months on a dream trip in Europe are finally up. In the last 8 days, Megan and I went from Pisa to Cinque Terre to Florence to Rome on a whirlwind tour of Italy. It was a great way to cap off our time in Europe - great food, sights and tons of history.
First off - the tower really does lean. It doesn't disappoint. You walk onto the mown green lawns that host the Leaning Tower, the Baptistry of Pisa, and the Duomo (each very impressive), and you think to yourself "this tower better be about to fall over or I'm outta here." It's built on unstable soil and they give it about 300 more years. Pisa gets a bad rap for being a tourist trap, but it's actually worth the trip if you take the time to appreciate the history it has to offer - plenty of frescos, an impressive walled in cemetery that houses some of Italy's renaissance elite, and the cathedral next to the notorious tower.
Next off, we headed to Cinque Terre. If you haven't heard of it, Google it. Google it for a while and start planning your trip. The Cinque Terre consist of five towns along the Ligurian Coast that hang precipitously over 12 kilometers of cliffs. Directly arching over the towns are green coastal mountains filled with manmade terraces from the middle ages that are still used for small vineyards. Each town has no more than 1000 people (except for the 5th, Monterosso) and has been there for over 1000 years. Megan and I hiked between each of the 5 towns, and I think the hike between Manarola and Corniglia (#2 and #3) before sunset had some of the most amazing sights I've ever seen. Hopefully the pictures help.
Then, we headed to Florence...the birthplace of the Renaissance and the current home of cheap, authentic, non-touristy Italian food. We visited the unique Duomo in the center of the city, and it was huge (Duomo is Italian for dome, and it also sounds cooler). I'm not an expert on Cathedrals, but that was one large dome, and it was green and white on the outside (atypical) and the outside was entirely marble. It was impressive. We also visited the Basilica of Sant Croce, which is home to the tombs of a couple wiseguys like Galileo, Dante, and Michelangelo. I think Galileo invented peanut butter and Michelangelo was definitely the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But I could be wrong. The most beautiful sight in Florence was the sunset over the Arno river and the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.
Oh, and we saw the Statue of David by Michelangelo, which was very impressive and much larger than expected. And not bad for a turtle, I might add.
Lastly, we headed for Rome and the Vatican and the Colosseum for a few days. Rome makes you dizzy with how old everything is. Imagine Los Angeles - complete with all its modern buildings, cars and smog - and throw in tons of ancient ruins right in the middle of the city. It looks like a large child left out his Roman Legos. Our time in Rome was soured by Megan getting the stomach flu, and then a day later I decided to do the same thing. Before the storm came on, we went to the Colosseum - built 2000 years ago and used for executions, "hunts," and epic, 100-day long gladiator fights for 500 years. Beneath the sand of the arena, slaves worked in passageways to lift lions and bears onto the surface. It was the sight of all out carnage. Nowadays, we watch things like American Idol.
Before I got sick and after Megan had recovered mostly, we visited the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica. We arrived in the plaza while the Pope was giving his Holy Thursday mass on the Jumbotrons. I was surprised by how open the plaza was, as well as how many columns surrounded it in all directions. In the museum, we saw the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Stanzas, and some famous Renaissance sculptures. Both of the former are indescribable in terms of detail, meaning and size. As for the rest - that museum was huge, and about-to-be-sick me mostly smiled and nodded as the audio tour guided us through.
And that was that. We rushed to the Metro, to the plane, to the hostel, to more planes, and all the while I was tossing cookies. It was a miserable trip back. But you know what? As bad as I felt, I didn't have scurvy. It only took me a day to get back to comfortable Westlake. Only 100 years ago, people had to take boats for weeks to travel overseas. 500 years ago, a long trip of that distance was a high risk of disease and death. It's a new world of traveling now where being "home" doesn't mean you're too far from anywhere else. With the right plane tickets and a smartphone, you could be in the most remote cafe in Europe within 24 hours.
It's good to be home because I know how easy it is to get back again when the time comes. Until that time, my adventures abroad are on hold and so is this blog.
On the other hand, it's hard to believe that four months on a dream trip in Europe are finally up. In the last 8 days, Megan and I went from Pisa to Cinque Terre to Florence to Rome on a whirlwind tour of Italy. It was a great way to cap off our time in Europe - great food, sights and tons of history.
First off - the tower really does lean. It doesn't disappoint. You walk onto the mown green lawns that host the Leaning Tower, the Baptistry of Pisa, and the Duomo (each very impressive), and you think to yourself "this tower better be about to fall over or I'm outta here." It's built on unstable soil and they give it about 300 more years. Pisa gets a bad rap for being a tourist trap, but it's actually worth the trip if you take the time to appreciate the history it has to offer - plenty of frescos, an impressive walled in cemetery that houses some of Italy's renaissance elite, and the cathedral next to the notorious tower.
Next off, we headed to Cinque Terre. If you haven't heard of it, Google it. Google it for a while and start planning your trip. The Cinque Terre consist of five towns along the Ligurian Coast that hang precipitously over 12 kilometers of cliffs. Directly arching over the towns are green coastal mountains filled with manmade terraces from the middle ages that are still used for small vineyards. Each town has no more than 1000 people (except for the 5th, Monterosso) and has been there for over 1000 years. Megan and I hiked between each of the 5 towns, and I think the hike between Manarola and Corniglia (#2 and #3) before sunset had some of the most amazing sights I've ever seen. Hopefully the pictures help.
Then, we headed to Florence...the birthplace of the Renaissance and the current home of cheap, authentic, non-touristy Italian food. We visited the unique Duomo in the center of the city, and it was huge (Duomo is Italian for dome, and it also sounds cooler). I'm not an expert on Cathedrals, but that was one large dome, and it was green and white on the outside (atypical) and the outside was entirely marble. It was impressive. We also visited the Basilica of Sant Croce, which is home to the tombs of a couple wiseguys like Galileo, Dante, and Michelangelo. I think Galileo invented peanut butter and Michelangelo was definitely the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But I could be wrong. The most beautiful sight in Florence was the sunset over the Arno river and the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.
Oh, and we saw the Statue of David by Michelangelo, which was very impressive and much larger than expected. And not bad for a turtle, I might add.
Lastly, we headed for Rome and the Vatican and the Colosseum for a few days. Rome makes you dizzy with how old everything is. Imagine Los Angeles - complete with all its modern buildings, cars and smog - and throw in tons of ancient ruins right in the middle of the city. It looks like a large child left out his Roman Legos. Our time in Rome was soured by Megan getting the stomach flu, and then a day later I decided to do the same thing. Before the storm came on, we went to the Colosseum - built 2000 years ago and used for executions, "hunts," and epic, 100-day long gladiator fights for 500 years. Beneath the sand of the arena, slaves worked in passageways to lift lions and bears onto the surface. It was the sight of all out carnage. Nowadays, we watch things like American Idol.
Before I got sick and after Megan had recovered mostly, we visited the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica. We arrived in the plaza while the Pope was giving his Holy Thursday mass on the Jumbotrons. I was surprised by how open the plaza was, as well as how many columns surrounded it in all directions. In the museum, we saw the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Stanzas, and some famous Renaissance sculptures. Both of the former are indescribable in terms of detail, meaning and size. As for the rest - that museum was huge, and about-to-be-sick me mostly smiled and nodded as the audio tour guided us through.
And that was that. We rushed to the Metro, to the plane, to the hostel, to more planes, and all the while I was tossing cookies. It was a miserable trip back. But you know what? As bad as I felt, I didn't have scurvy. It only took me a day to get back to comfortable Westlake. Only 100 years ago, people had to take boats for weeks to travel overseas. 500 years ago, a long trip of that distance was a high risk of disease and death. It's a new world of traveling now where being "home" doesn't mean you're too far from anywhere else. With the right plane tickets and a smartphone, you could be in the most remote cafe in Europe within 24 hours.
It's good to be home because I know how easy it is to get back again when the time comes. Until that time, my adventures abroad are on hold and so is this blog.
Thanks for reading, happy travels, and hasta luego.
Chris
The thin, steep streets of Riomaggiore - the first of the Cinque Terre.
Manarola from the side...built right into the cliff.
Vineyards 1500 feet above the sea below.
Manmade terraces that have been around since the Middle Ages.
Megan looking down on Corniglia after our hike.
Sunset in Corniglia.
Morning in Vernazza (the 4th of the towns).
Sunset in Florence from the Piazza di Michelangelo overlooking the city.
Me and Megan from the Piazza.
Me and Megan in front of the marble Duomo.
Michelangelo's tomb!
The Vittoriale - built right in the center of Ancient Rome. This one's from the 19th century though.
Megan in the Palatino - the Ancient Roman hill that housed emperors and elite.
Me at the Colosseum.
Megan at the Spanish steps - a gift to Italy from Spain! I want a gift from Spain...
The Trevi fountain...built right into the building behind it.
The famous creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel.
View of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
The impressive altar inside the Basilica...only the Pope can teach here!
A view of the Plaza from the Basilica.
