The flags of the nation waving in the breeze.
The automated beverage machine hums as it distributes the perfect amount of milk into the clean, white, ceramic mug, topping off my hot chocolate. I return to the linen covered table with my warm cup, greeted by the bleary-eyed nods of recognition from my friends seated around the table. Beams of morning light filter through leaves of the evergreen and palm trees outside, before shining through the window pane in the hotel’s grand dining room.
This past March I jetted off to Italy with the rest of my high school’s concert choir. We were invited to sing at the Vatican, as well as several other churches around Italy, creating a short concert tour spotted with time for exploring over five days. Friendly faces of Italian locals smiled and waved wherever we went along the streets of Rome, Florence, and Siena.
After a brief nap and two viewings of “Big Hero 6” on the trans-atlantic flight to Rome, we settled into our coach bus for a ride through the city for some sightseeing, and our first bit of free time for the trip, which of course included gelato. I walked into Tre Scalini in the Piazza Novana, famous for their tartufo, and ordered the pistachio and cream gelatos. Don’t get me wrong, I love tartufo, even considered getting one of Tre Scalini’s “I love Roma” tee-shirts with the dessert pictured on it, but I had a craving for pistachio gelato at the time that was going to be fulfilled one way or another.
After some more sightseeing, my choir was whisked off to our hotel to change for our first concert venue: St. Peter’s Basillica. I’m not a religious person, but I can surely appreciate the breathtaking architecture and design that the church and the rest of the Vatican City has to offer. The Vatican City itself is deemed as its own country within Italy, complete with its own representatives in the UN. The clean white exterior of almost all the main structures contrasted with the regal opulence that covered the inside of the buildings. Gold ceilings, intricate stained glass windows, and exquisite carved wood that is steeped in history can make a person feel like they have been transported a few centuries back in time. Shortly after our performance, we walked out of St. Peter’s to see an amazing double rainbow form right in front of us! Our tour guide said that she had never seen anything like it in the Vatican City before, a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
The double rainbow outside of St. Peter’s Basilica.
We only stayed in Rome one night before being shuttled off to Florence, but we would return later in the trip. Florence had much in store, from important art landmarks like the famous statue of David and the Medici family symbol hidden on buildings to more leather shops than I could count. One of the first things we ran off to do was venture to the riverside to take some pictures of the colored buildings along the waterfront. If you stand by the railing it’s the perfect place to catch the sunset. After looking around a bit, one of my friends and I decided to go off on our own in search of some more upscale damage to our wallets. However, we were sidetracked by THE MOST ADORABLE German Shepherd puppies. We found them sitting down with their owner while we walked amongst the kiosks near a carousel. After tackling me to the ground with love, the fur balls moved on to attempt forming a bond with some nearby police officers. I stayed to observe how the tough Italian policemen with machine guns as big as my body would react to the puppy play. To my surprise, they got down on their knees and started petting the puppies all over, with big smiles on their faces. It was interesting to see that animals can help break barriers all over the world.
The cutest German Shepherd pups I ever did see.
The iconic David by Michelangelo.
While shopping, I stumbled upon the playful storefront of Bartolucci, with a life-size wooden statue of Pinocchio. Of course I had to stop!! After a photo shoot with the storybook character, I had a peek inside the shop itself. The employees were thrilled to see everyone from our group finding their inner five year old again with the wooden swords, dolls, teeny bells and toys all crafted out of wood and painted with bright primary colors. I couldn’t resist picking up a small bell with a carving of a sleepy star as a souvenir from the eclectic shop!
The new boyfriend Pinocchio and I. He’s got an issue with honesty, so he might have to go soon.
From Florence we traveled to Siena, or as I like to call it, the city of gravity-defying streets. I kid you not, the cobblestone paths of this area are either uphill, or downhill, there is no in between. I was able to take in the sights of this earth-toned, rustic city during some free time; spanish style buildings were everywhere, and beautiful green ivy trailing up the sides covered some of them. We only stayed for a half day, but it was just enough time to do some antiquing and grab a gelato cone before hitting the road again.
An elevated look over the city.
Gelato becomes its own food group while in Italy.
As they say, all roads lead to Rome! We spent our last few nights in beautiful Roma, taking in all the usual tourist sights as well as some local favorites. The Colosseum was worth the hype. Although some scaffolding was still up due to its recent restoration, the former gladiator battles that occurred in the stone arches still hung heavily in the air. On the way back from the hotel, one of my friends and I were enthralled by one of the street artists. There are many street artists in Italy, and many of them sell replicas that they did not produce themselves. This one artist was an original, painting vibrant water colors himself on the sidewalk. I picked up a blue-hued night scene of the Colosseum and my friend chose a rosy depiction of the Spanish Steps. We had to run to catch the coach bus after our purchase, so I was not able to get the artist’s name; his signature “V. Hajri” is all I know of his work.
The outside curves of the historic Roman Colosseum.
I’ve always had a love for Italian food, which is why I was ecstatic when we had our last dinner at one of the best restaurants in Rome: La Carovana. Sinful fried rice balls, caprese salad, and antipasto platters were put in front of us before the spectacular main course of wood-fired pizza, still flaming when it was brought to our table. I ate more that night than I did on the entire trip, and every bite was delicious!
Italy is one of my favorite countries in Europe. The food is always exquisite, the people are accepting and inviting, and the culture is prominent as a whole and unique to each region within the nation. I hope to explore the southern half in the near future!