Ciao a tutti!
I had a great time in Italy even though my plans were changed due
to the strike here in Spain.
During the first four days I stayed with my friend Francesca in
her apartment in Padova, a city in northern Italy. I arrived on Palm Sunday, so
we had the opportunity to enter the Basilica of St. Anthony where we watched a
mass being held. Since Padova is located close to both Venice and Verona, we
took a quick train out to both cities. Although it was full of tourists, I
really enjoyed Venice-- it was fun to explore the city without a map, walking
through the narrow alleys and crossing the canals where beautiful gondolas
passed by. I had the chance to try authentic Italian pizza, gelato and Nutella
crepes:)
The following day, Francesca and I took the train to Verona where
we visited the old coliseum. It isn’t as large as the one in Rome, but it was
still amazing to go inside and sit in such a historic monument. We enjoyed
walking along the busy shopping streets and even had time to visit the house of
Juliette, which was adorned with hundreds of lockets and love letters.
After my amazing weekend with Francesca in Padova, I ventured off
on my own to Florence. I stayed in a hostel right in the middle of the city
near the famous “Duomo” for three nights and I had a great time walking around
the lively city each day. There were tons of tourists and lines, but it was
worth the two-hour wait at the “Galleria” and the “Uffizi”, as I was able to
see some of Da Vinci and Michelangelo’s works. Florence was one of my favorite
cities to visit because it maintains the Italian culture even though it is a
main tourist attraction. I learned that it’s actually one of the most desired
cities for Italians to live. Florence is well-known for its leather, so I saw a
lot of belts, purses, shoes and bracelets in the large market along the street.
After my time in Florence I took the train to Bologna. Unfortunately,
the weather was rainy for most of the time, but I got lucky and had time to
stroll around the city before the downpour began. Bologna is a student city,
loved by college students since the university, Europe’s oldest, is located in the
central part of the city instead of being excluded as many others are.
All in all, I was really pleased with my Italia trip. It was fun
for me to use the Italian that I learned this year in Spain and I also learned
a lot by traveling alone. This coming weekend I will do the same, traveling to
Barcelona and Portugal for a week before all of my exams start!
Hope you are all well!
CIAO!
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