Day 199 - Rome to Barcelona

I'm finally leaving Rome! Not that it wasn't a beautiful city, but I just spent way too much time there! Spain will be the last country on my round the world tour this time around. The trip is coming to an end soon, but I'm especially excited to visit Barcelona since it was one of the original places I had a very strong desire to visit.

EJ and I headed to the airport before noon. It would be the first time either of us flew with RyanAir, and I was interested to know if there would be any problems at the airport since they basically rape your wallets when you purchase the tickets initially. Everything actually went smoothly though, and we got really good seats near the front of the plane. What was funny though was how much stuff they tried to sell to you during the flight - calendars of hot babes, tour guides, snacks, drinks, duty free items. It was ridiculous! I would hate to be the flight attendant who had to use the intercom every 5 minutes to introduce the next product. I think I'd just feel entirely silly, as if people actually were paying attention...but who knows, maybe there are Home Shopping Network die-hard shoppers frequently on planes...

We arrived in Barcelona and took a bus from the airport directly to the city center - Plaza Catalunya. Our hotel was just a short walk from there, and we checked in and relaxed a bit before heading out to explore the town a little. We noticed all the Tapas menus and I was excited to try some of them. EJ ordered some spicy potato wedges, and we both ordered some hamburgers - mine was called the Johnny Depp...

Since it was already dark, we just walked around the area near our hotel, stopping by a Christmas Crafts Village near the Gothic Catedral and the Shopping areas near Las Ramblas. We ended the night at an Irish Pub, drinking beer and cocktails before heading back.

Johnny Depp

Day 197 - Birthday in Rome!

Today was my birthday, and I turned 26, past what should have been a quarterlife crisis...which is what this whole trip was all about fighting right? I still think about all the uncertainty of life when I come back home, but am still enjoying every minute of my travels, savoring it before I have to go back home. And it's not that I'm reluctant to come back, I actually look forward to it as much as I look forward to the next few weeks in Spain. Fear has crossed my mind that I will be even more confused with which path to take in the next chapter in my life, but I think this trip has made me realize that I can do whatever the hell I want, as long as I made the effort to go the direction I want to go.

It was another tour of Rome today, with me playing tour guide for EJ, since I'm somewhat of an expert now...OK not really, but I tried my best to pretend like I knew random facts about everything we came across. We headed to Piazza Venezia first since it was so close to our hotel and took pictures in front of the Il Vittoriano, where two guards are on duty nonstop, 24 hours each day. We quickly browsed through the nearby museum inside the monument, which had an extensive collection of military paraphernalia on showcase.

Nearby, we visited the Chiesa di Santa Maria d'Aracoeli, which EJ decided was one of his favorite churches because they had elegant chandeliers hanging on the sides throughout the church. We made sort of a circle around the city, stopping by the Statue of Marcus Aurelius and Circo Massimo before heading to lunch, where we had Pizza, Bruschetta, and some french fries. It was decent food, but seemed more like a pub than anything else, and I figure that EJ needed to get some real Italian food soon!

Afterwards, we visited the Colosseum again, but this time it was during the daytime, and full of tourists! We headed towards Termini Station, stopping at random shops and the Santa Maria Maggiore Church that I visited yesterday. Secretly, I was in search of a beauty store so that I could buy scissors and get a haircut from EJ, since that's his profession. Luckily, we found a shop, even though almost every other shop was closed (Sunday, the holy day) and I finally got a haircut in our hotel room after almost 6 weeks. Woohoo!

In the evening, we headed out again to see some more sites, including the Pantheon, and the Piazza Naviona. There happened to be a carnival of some sort in the Piazza, with differerent games booths, a carousel, and some merchandise and food booths. I'm not too sure what the occasion was but I'm assuming it was Christmas-related. We walked around some more, and found a cool spot to grab a couple drinks during Aperitivo hour. I think I ate too much before dinner, because when we walked back to the Pantheon to celebrate my birthday, I was stuffed! Luckily, I had it in me to order a pasta dish and enjoy the view of the Pantheon and the Piazza della Rotonda at night. We got front row seats at the restaurant (not that it was crowded or anything) but it was a nice touch for my birthday dinner!

At the end of the night, we had another countdown towards midnight for EJ since it was his birthday at the strike of midnight (although everyone in the US was still celebrating my birthday...jk). We headed to the Fontana di Trevi this time around since it was close to the Pantheon and he wanted to see it at night. Again, everything at night is so much better! Less tourists and more time to just snap some awesome photos!

Aperitivo Hour

Il Vittoriano

Chiesa di Santa Maria d'Aracoeli

Piazza Naviona

Pantheon

Fontana di Trevi

Day 195 - Another American Comes to Rome

My friend EJ arrived today from the US to travel for a short time with me in Rome and Barcelona! It's always great to see a familiar face, after this lengthy trip around the world. It would be a birthday weekend celebration for us since my birthday was tomorrow and his, the day afterwards.

I spend the majority of the day prior to his arrival running some errands and getting situated at our hotel, which was just a stones throw away from some of the ruins of the city, including the Roman Forum and Piazza Venezia. It was probably the perfect location for someone coming to Rome for the first time!

I picked EJ up at the airport to make sure he got here safely. He was concerned with the safety of the city, after hearing of purse snatching and other dangers lurking around. I guess I feel the same way when I come to a new city, but you have to just learn to be a smart tourist (or in a sense, not a tourist at all). It was funny because I joked around with him about forgetting that I had to pick him up at the airport. At the metro on our way to our hotel, I took out my camera to take a picture of the trains, and he told me to put it away until he got his luggage safely in a hotel room. Big Camera = Tourist = Easily Scammed, but I think I've gotten used to traveling everywhere holding my camera, despite what others have told me about stolen cameras and whatnot... Maybe I should be more careful...who knows?

We headed for dinner at a Chinese restaurant nearby. The place was packed, but I think we were the only two Asians there, except for all the workers of course. I got a chance to use some of my Chingrish to order the food and ask for the bill.

We headed to the Colosseum nearing midnight to celebrate my birthday and to also get him his first dose of Rome! It was actually the first time I saw any of the ruins at night, and I must say, it was so much better to visit at this time of night because everything is lit up and there weren't any other tourists crowding and suffocating the area! We had the whole place to ourselves and it just seemed more special to be in that environment without the distractions of street vendors or gladiators trying to get you to pose in a photo with them. Might as well celebrate the clock striking midnight, as I turn 26 at one of the most recognizable places in Rome!

Metro - Termini Station

Day 194 – Santa Maria Maggiore Church and the Trastevere

I've been in Rome way too long, and my friend is coming tomorrow, so I didn't want to sightsee anymore before he got here, or else I'd probably be seeing the same thing again and again, not that there isn't a plethora of different things to see and do here...

I headed out before noon to go for a walk and decide which direction I wanted to head towards. The good thing about booking a hostel or hotel for more than one night is that you can sleep in without having to adhere to the check out time policies.

The first stop was the Santa Maria Maggiore church, which was very close to Termini station. I'd passed by this church a couple times when I was on the Hop On Hop Off bus with my cousin a couple weeks ago, but never got the chance to walk around outside or see the inside. It was very bare for a large church, with a ton of walking space between the doors in the back and the altar at the front. What was interesting was that there were services going on in the adjacent rooms to the left and right of the main church. I guess the chuch is used to the large amounts of tourists visiting. There were a bunch of priests also in the confessional booths. I'm not sure what a typical confessional session looks like, but I always thought both the priest and the confesser were in private booths. Here, both of them could be easily seen!

Afterwards, I made my way towards the Colloseum and Circo Massimo. The weather was cloudy and it rained slightly in the morning, which might explain why there weren't as many tourists as when I first visited. It definitely made for better pictures today though. Once I was at the Circo Massimo, I decided to relax at a bench and read my books. It was a strange feeling, seeing everyone else around me come and go, taking pictures and being tourists. I almost felt like I was not doing the right thing by wasting away just reading a book when there was so much to see and do in Rome, but everyone needs a little break from discovering and exploring and observing.

The last stop for me for the day was to visit an area called the Trastevere, where people said there were many restaurants and bars to eat and drink, especially during the night. It was a nice place to see a slightly different Rome, away from all the ruins, but still a very touristic place. There happened to be some sort of a chocolate festival this weekend, and there were a bunch of chocolate vendor stalls selling their sweet merchandise.

At night, when I was relaxing at my hostel, I met a French girl and an Australian man. We got into a conversation about the French language because the man was going to Marseille after Rome and needed to refresh his French skills. He was an older man, who decided to travel for about a year, around the world. The girl was traveling for 4 months and participating in WOOFing, which is similar to couchsurfing but more about helping farming communities in exchange for lodging. We talked a little about tongue twisters and “faux amis,” or words that sound similar in English and French, but have entirely different meanings. The french lesson of the day for me was a tongue twister - “Un chasseur sachant chasser sans son chien est un bon chasseur” which means something like “A hunter who can hunt without his dog is a good hunter.” I think I should memorize it so that I can pretend to be fluent in French...

Santa Maria Maggiore

Trastevere

Rainclouds over Piazza Venezia

Day 194 - Florence to Rome

Not a very exciting day today, but basically a transportation and "getting situated" type of day, which usually gets me very lazy and/or sleepy when I arrive at the next city.

I took an afternoon train from Florence to Rome, which took about 3.5 hours. It gave me ample time to read since the train didn't stop and go as much as some of the other trains, even though I picked one of the cheapest tickets and trains I could find.

Booked one of the same hostels I booked in Rome when I was first here with my cousin and just relaxed in the room most of the afternoon before searching for dinner. I ended up having Chinese food since I craved it, and it's nice to be around my peoples once in a while. You can always find a Chinese restaurant anywhere in the world!

Firenze Rifredi Stazione

Day 193 - Last Day in Florence and the Uffizi Gallery

Today would be my last full day in Florence, and I made sure to visit one last museum, the Uffizi Gallery, before heading back to Rome.

I first met up with Alessandro in the early afternoon and he took me to one of the less visited churches in Florence, the San Miniato al Monte, on the other side of the Arno River. There was a large cemetery at the back of the church where some of Florentine's famous are buried. Like the cemetery I visited in Prague, there were plots of land with Huge tombstones and/or statues for the dead. Inside, Alessandro pointed out the tombstone tiles on the floor of the church, and said that many people were buried right under the church during the Black Plague because there wasn't enough land outside the church. Just a few hundred meters away from this church was another church, the San Francesco, where I made a quick visit.

Heading back across the Arno River, I made my way to the Uffizi Gallery, which is a huge museum full of Italian Renaissance Art and sculptures. The Gallery holds all the artwork from the Medici family and includes many works by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rafael, among a bunch of other artists. The most recognizable artwork that is in the gallery's possession was probably Botticelli's Birth of Venus which I immediately recognized when I walked into one of the rooms (there must have been over 50 different spaces to walk through on 2 floors to get through all the artwork). It took so long to go through the gallery that I got really tired and restless by the end of it, and I already feel like I'm all museum'd out through these past 6+ months!

Back to Rome tomorrow!

San Miniato al Monte

The Americas are believed to have derived their name from this man. There were other famous Florentine statues near the Uffizi Gallery. I found all the ninja turtles except Rafael.

Arno River

Uffizi Gallery

Day 179 - Rome to Venice

We took an afternoon high speed train from Rome to Venice, which took about 4-5 hours. The trains were going fast, as I felt my ears pop constantly from the room air pressure, especially when we went inside tunnels. We only stopped at about 4-5 different big cities, including Florence and Bologna before arriving at the city of canals, narrow alleys, and zero automobile traffic.

They say everyone gets lost when they arrive in Venice, and I immediately understood when we tried to follow written directions to get to our hotel. We had to take a Vaporetto to the Rialto Bridge, which was easy enough to follow, but once got off the boat, we were lost in the many plazas and small alleyways. After numerous stops to ask directions for help (from people much more friendly than in Rome), we finally made it to the hotel. 

We explored the city a little at night, where we headed back to the Rialto bridge to admire the night lights, boats, gondolas, and restaurants lined along the Grand Canal. There was an Occupy Venice protest, similar to the Wall Street protests that was being held outside of one of the major banks of Italy. People pitched tents to spend the night there. It was a peaceful protest, with a majority of the messages written on cardboard and placed around the plazas and tents. It's great to see that this is happening not just in Wall Street, and not just in the USA, but globally.

The View of Venice from the Rialto Bridge

Termini Stazione in Rome

Occupy Venice Movement

Day 178 - National Museums of Rome

We spent our last full day in Rome visitng a couple of the National Museums around the city. There were four different museums that were included in the price of admission, so we spent some time in the Palazzo Massimo and Terme di Diocleziano. There was a sizeable collection of statues, sculptures, mosaics, and other ancient archelogical finds from the Roman Empire, all impressive, but a bit redundant after a while.

Tomorrow, we're headed to Venice by train!

Day 177 – Vatican City, Pantheon, and Plaza Venezia

I can cross one more city/state off my list today since I visited Vatican City, a separate entity completely surrounded by Italy, and ruled entirely by the Pope. We took the metro to the closest stop near the Vatican and walked the rest of the way. I would have thought there would be some sort of procedure to get inside the Vatican, but it was easily crossed over when you walked across barricades separating the area from Italy, and you didn't need a passport to enter. There was a long line to enter St. Peter's Basilica, so we decided to just take pictures outside. I may decide to visit when I'm in Rome again since other hostel guests I met suggested that it was worth the wait to gain access inside. I also want to see the Vatican Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michaelangelo.

We walked through the city, stopping first at the Saint Angelo Castle, and then the Piazza Navone, where many street artists filled the center of the plaza, drawing caricatures and portraits of tourists, or sold their own paintings of famous sites in Rome. Nearby was the Pantheon, which I thought would be an easily recognizable structure, except I missed it completely when I stood right in front of it. It was quite impressive to walk inside and see the enormous dome that covered the top, carved entirely out of marble. They say that the engineering and design of this structure was so advanced in the Roman times that if the dome was made in the present with cement, the dome would completely topple over due to its own weight. Yet, here is the structure, almost completely immaculate and undamaged.

Later, we stopped by an easily missed, but incredible church called the Saint Ignazio di Loyolo Church. We walked in to the most intricate and colorful murals of religious scenes on the ceilings of the main hall way and the altar. It seems every single church in Rome has its own unique design and elements that no two look in any way similar to the rest.

Our last stop was the Venezia Plaza, where there were numerous sites to see in the surrounding area. We took picture in front of the Monumento a Vittorio Emmanuele II and stopped by the Campidoglio before using the public bus to get our way back to Termini Station. Of course, we ended up taking the bus in the wrong direction and got off the bus on the outskirts of the city, before finally taking the bus back. Amateur tourist mistake!

Saint Paul's Basilica

Pantheon

Saint Ignazio di Loyolo Church

Monumento a Vittorio Emmanuele II

Day 176 - Colloseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum

I stayed at a hostel last night and it was the first time I was in a room with all Chinese people. There were two Taiwanese students who were studying in Prague but taking some time off to visit Italy, and one other guy who was from Toronto, Canada. Usually, I see all the Asians in organized bus tours, but I guess we have our own share of backpackers and independent travelers.

Linh and I took another tour on the Hop On Hop Off bus. Most of the route was the same as yesterday, with a couple of additional stops since it was a Sunday and they had to adjust to traffic conditions as well as the religious services that were held on the holy day. We stopped at the Trinita del Monti and the Spanish Steps, a popular spot for tourist and locals alike to stop and grab a bite to eat or converse amongst company. At the bottom of the steps were some of the more high end luxury brand stores.

We decided to use our Roma Passes and headed to the Colloseum, where slaves once battled each other and animals to the death amongst a stadium full of spectators. Each time the slave won a battle, they would win gold, honor, and the interests of the women of the empire. With 10 wins, the slave was then set free, or could continue to fight to gain more honor and wealth. I thought about it for a while, thinking how brutal these battles were, and how people watched it as a sport, seeing people get killed in front of their own eyes, but I guess it's not too different right now with boxing and wrestling seen as spectator sports.

Afterwards, we headed to the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, which were adjacent to the Colloseum. The Roman Forum was a collection of ancient ruins, surrounded by Roman Empire government buildings. There wasn't too much left of the remains except for some standing columns and scatters of ruins everywhere else.
Palatine Hills is one of 7 hills in Rome, and also contained some ruins of homes and some nice green space at the top, providing some open views of the city below. I think they were just bonuses next to the well-known Colloseum, but easily skipped if you want to see other sights or museums, since there are so many options!

Roman Colloseum

Spanish Steps

Pizza Chefs Fooling Around

Roman Colloseum

Roman Forum

Palatine Hill