Haha pun! Anyway, I'm sitting in the Montpellier train station for the last 45 minutes of my 4-hour connection. Yes, a trip from Nice to Barcelona, which should normally take around 8-9 hours, will take 13 today because the earlier Montpellier-Figueras train was sold out when I bought my ticket. Yay planning ahead far enough in advance so that I didn't find this out when I got here!
So, after 2 full days in the Cote d'Azur, I think I'm sufficiently sunburned enough to last me the rest of this trip and into most of the summer. Who knew that going to the beach at 4pm on a day in April when the high temperature is 65 would result in such discomfort?
Nice was very relaxing and not only free of herds of tourists, but also free of herds of tourist traps. This may have been because I was there on Easter Sunday and Monday, but still. Good choices.
On Monday I took advantage of the rail pass I had paid way too much money for and explored Monte Carlo (Monaco) and Cannes. Both were nice to walk around for the afternoon, but I'm glad it was only for that long. One, there wasn't a whole lot to do besides walk around, look in shops, and sit on the beach. Two, both cities are full of people who are ABSURDLY WEALTHY, making everything cost way more than it should (for example, a crepe with Nutella costs €7 in Monte Carlo). Luckily I packed a lunch!
Two of my roommates, Chinese girls studying in London, described Monaco as "very beautiful, lots of clear water, people are very rich, and many free toilets!" And they were right.
The hostel where I stayed was beautiful. My guidebook said it was supposed to have been the house that Napoleon gave to his mistress. This morning I actually paid money for the breakfast they had, since I was leaving fairly early and didn't want to have to search all over for a bakery like I did yesterday. I actually chose coffee to have with my breakfast over tea, hot chocolate, and orange juice! It wasn't as amazing as the cappuccinos I had been drinking in Italy every morning, but I actually enjoyed it.
Montpellier is a surprisingly beautiful city (not that I didn't think it was going to be nice, but I guess I had kind of assumed that it was just a city where a lot of trains happen to pass through, and not much else.... Kind of like Ventimiglia). Here's some irony: there was a group from Greenpeace doing petition gathering or something on this one really touristy street, and I actually kind of wanted to talk to them (as one can imagine, I haven't really had much opportunity lately for discussion on issues I really care about, besides travel). Out of the four (4) people who stopped me, not a single one spoke English! I tried to speak French with the first guy who stopped me, but he didn't seem interested once I said I was just traveling. Out of all the other groups on Florence, Rome, Venice, and others I saw who were doing similar things, out of all the creepy French and Italian men, out of all the homeless people I ran into, the ones who didn't try to talk to me after I said I only spoke a little French were the ones I actually really wanted to talk to!
Other than that, my afternoon hasn't been exciting. I spent too much money on too little gelato, but it was incredibly refreshing. I bought a ring from a French hippie. Now I'm sitting on the floor of the train station in front of the one outlet I found in the entire building. Yay!
The platform from which my train is departing was just announced - next post will be from Barcelona!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
On the Train
Genova
Genova is a rather peculiar town.... Well, the part the train to Ventimiglia passes through, at least. To the south is a landscape that looks very much like most of northern Italy - multi-level brown and peach stucco buildings nestled among steep hills, connected by narrow roadways and clotheslines with garments dangling.
To the north, however, one can mistake the scenery for a New England port city. Huge cruise ships mixed among barges and cranes along a waterfront that extends for miles. Tirreno Power, a coal-fired power plant situated directly on the water, has enormous candy cane-striped smokestacks that could probably be seen for miles on a clear day.
The afternoon is misty and dark, further playing into the gloom of the landscape. Rain begins to fall at the next station, covering discharged passengers with thick droplets.
The most bizarre part of this polar landscape is a thin lagoon between the train tracks and the port. Separated by a shallow stone wall and dotted with regularly-spaced palm trees. The water in the lagoon is still and does not reflect the gray of the stormy sky. All around me is industry, yet this small strip of paradise provides relief from the dim monotony of the scene.
Genova is a rather peculiar town.... Well, the part the train to Ventimiglia passes through, at least. To the south is a landscape that looks very much like most of northern Italy - multi-level brown and peach stucco buildings nestled among steep hills, connected by narrow roadways and clotheslines with garments dangling.
To the north, however, one can mistake the scenery for a New England port city. Huge cruise ships mixed among barges and cranes along a waterfront that extends for miles. Tirreno Power, a coal-fired power plant situated directly on the water, has enormous candy cane-striped smokestacks that could probably be seen for miles on a clear day.
The afternoon is misty and dark, further playing into the gloom of the landscape. Rain begins to fall at the next station, covering discharged passengers with thick droplets.
The most bizarre part of this polar landscape is a thin lagoon between the train tracks and the port. Separated by a shallow stone wall and dotted with regularly-spaced palm trees. The water in the lagoon is still and does not reflect the gray of the stormy sky. All around me is industry, yet this small strip of paradise provides relief from the dim monotony of the scene.
A Day in Venice
Venice
I can sum up my trip to Venice with this one realization it helped me to have: if choosing which flavor of gelato to try for the second time in one day is the most difficult decision I will have to make in that day, then my life is pretty freaking awesome.
I stayed 2 nights in Venice in a cabin at a campground on the mainland about 15 minutes by bus to the island. Arriving at around 6:30pm, I only really had time to buy my train ticket to my next destination (Nice), grab a slice of pizza for dinner, and find my campground.
I had two roommates at Camping Rialto the first night: a girl from western Australia who had an awesome name that I just can't remember, and Mario, an engineer who works for CERN, and with whom I explored the city the next day.
I won't bore you, dear readers, with details of how many streets we walked, how many bridges we crossed, and how many times we got lost. I will tell you, however, that Venice is a truly beautiful city. Visit it before it goes underwater forever.
For one of the first times ever, I was able to find one of the restaurants that my guidebook (the usually-trustworthy Let's Go: Europe) recommended - a gelato place called Gelato Nico that faced the waterfront and had delicious mango and delicious bacio (chocolate with hazelnut pieces) flavors. I know firsthand. We went there twice in one afternoon. For €1.30 for a good-sized scoop, we almost couldn't pass it up.
Before you ask, I did ride in a gondola. Don't get too excited, though - the gondola rides that Venice is so famous for cost between €80-100 for 40 minutes. However, Venice has traghetti, gondola ferries, that cross the Grand Canal at several points throughout the city. They cost only €0.50 for about 2 minutes of intense canal-crossing fun (there are no traffic laws in the waters of Venice) and proved to be a much better option in the long run.
For my bartending and/or alcohol consuming friends, I have a new drink to share with you when I return. Be excited.
As per my last several posts, I'm on the train to my next destination currently - this time Nice, in the south of France, where I will spend Zombie Jesus Day (Easter) on a beach. Well, I hope so, anyway.... I haven't checked the weather in a few days, and the weather between Venice and Genova (where the train is currently stopped) hasn't been great. It's a nice day to be stuck in aisle seats on a train, but doesn't instill much confidence for the next few days.
My plan was to leave Nice on Monday and go somewhere for a few nights before Barcelona on Wednesday, but I forgot that Monday is a public holiday in Europe. So, as usual, I'm going to wing it and see how it goes!
I can sum up my trip to Venice with this one realization it helped me to have: if choosing which flavor of gelato to try for the second time in one day is the most difficult decision I will have to make in that day, then my life is pretty freaking awesome.
I stayed 2 nights in Venice in a cabin at a campground on the mainland about 15 minutes by bus to the island. Arriving at around 6:30pm, I only really had time to buy my train ticket to my next destination (Nice), grab a slice of pizza for dinner, and find my campground.
I had two roommates at Camping Rialto the first night: a girl from western Australia who had an awesome name that I just can't remember, and Mario, an engineer who works for CERN, and with whom I explored the city the next day.
I won't bore you, dear readers, with details of how many streets we walked, how many bridges we crossed, and how many times we got lost. I will tell you, however, that Venice is a truly beautiful city. Visit it before it goes underwater forever.
For one of the first times ever, I was able to find one of the restaurants that my guidebook (the usually-trustworthy Let's Go: Europe) recommended - a gelato place called Gelato Nico that faced the waterfront and had delicious mango and delicious bacio (chocolate with hazelnut pieces) flavors. I know firsthand. We went there twice in one afternoon. For €1.30 for a good-sized scoop, we almost couldn't pass it up.
Before you ask, I did ride in a gondola. Don't get too excited, though - the gondola rides that Venice is so famous for cost between €80-100 for 40 minutes. However, Venice has traghetti, gondola ferries, that cross the Grand Canal at several points throughout the city. They cost only €0.50 for about 2 minutes of intense canal-crossing fun (there are no traffic laws in the waters of Venice) and proved to be a much better option in the long run.
For my bartending and/or alcohol consuming friends, I have a new drink to share with you when I return. Be excited.
As per my last several posts, I'm on the train to my next destination currently - this time Nice, in the south of France, where I will spend Zombie Jesus Day (Easter) on a beach. Well, I hope so, anyway.... I haven't checked the weather in a few days, and the weather between Venice and Genova (where the train is currently stopped) hasn't been great. It's a nice day to be stuck in aisle seats on a train, but doesn't instill much confidence for the next few days.
My plan was to leave Nice on Monday and go somewhere for a few nights before Barcelona on Wednesday, but I forgot that Monday is a public holiday in Europe. So, as usual, I'm going to wing it and see how it goes!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sometimes, you just have to look at yourself in the mirror and say "When in Rome."
I've been in Rome since Monday afternoon (it's currently Wednesday morning here), so I'll paraphrase the past few days since I only have a short time:
-Night 1: I met other fellow travellers in my hostel and walked around the city with them shortly after I finished my leftover food from Florence (a loaf of bread ('ciabatta', but not like any ciabatta I know from the US) and a ball of mozzarella cheese which was YUMMY)). We walked to the Piazza del Popolo, a big square recommended to be the place to start a visit to Rome, and ate at a restaurant pretty close by. From there, we walked to the Spanish Steps, talked to a drunk homeless man for a while, got gelato, and walked to the Fontana di Trivi, a beautiful fountain carved out of an enormous piece of marble. All in all, a really enjoyable evening!
Day 1: Went to a bar across the street for breakfast (not a bar with alcohol.... they serve coffee drinks and pastries, and you eat standing up), which was delicious and cheap. Then, the people I met last night and I tried to go see the Vatican, but the line was literally several blocks long, and none of us really wanted to see it that badly. So, we saw the Pantheon, ate lunch at a restaurant recommended by a friend of one of the people I met, and then found the ruins of Rome, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum. Photos soon, I hope!
After we left the Colosseum, we went off in search of a gelato place rumoured to be the best in Rome. And it was. Searching for about 10 minutes on the street where it was supposed to be yielded no results, so we decided to find another place. Turned a corner, found it almost instantly. The flavors of gelato they offered were so unique: I had their signature flavor, made with honey that surprisingly wasn't overpoweringly sweet. Other delicious flavors included whiskey, chocolate rum, pine nut, and many others.
The evening was fairly quiet: we cooked our own dinner in the hostel kitchen (pasta made with a ghetto sauce: tomato puree, onions and garlic sauteed in red wine, salt, and sugar) and sat around chatting with another traveller we met from Argentina. I tried (rather unsuccessfully) to book a hostel in Venice for Thursday and Friday nights, eventually giving up when the reception area closed at midnight.
Day 2: I just booked my hostel/campground (yay adventures!) in Venice, and I'm currently figuring out my itinerary for the day. I want to do a Pines of Rome tour, where I go to see the Borghese gardens, the catacombs, Janiculum Hill, and the Appian Way while listening to each movement of the piece while I'm there. I'll blog on how it works out :-)
-Night 1: I met other fellow travellers in my hostel and walked around the city with them shortly after I finished my leftover food from Florence (a loaf of bread ('ciabatta', but not like any ciabatta I know from the US) and a ball of mozzarella cheese which was YUMMY)). We walked to the Piazza del Popolo, a big square recommended to be the place to start a visit to Rome, and ate at a restaurant pretty close by. From there, we walked to the Spanish Steps, talked to a drunk homeless man for a while, got gelato, and walked to the Fontana di Trivi, a beautiful fountain carved out of an enormous piece of marble. All in all, a really enjoyable evening!
Day 1: Went to a bar across the street for breakfast (not a bar with alcohol.... they serve coffee drinks and pastries, and you eat standing up), which was delicious and cheap. Then, the people I met last night and I tried to go see the Vatican, but the line was literally several blocks long, and none of us really wanted to see it that badly. So, we saw the Pantheon, ate lunch at a restaurant recommended by a friend of one of the people I met, and then found the ruins of Rome, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum. Photos soon, I hope!
After we left the Colosseum, we went off in search of a gelato place rumoured to be the best in Rome. And it was. Searching for about 10 minutes on the street where it was supposed to be yielded no results, so we decided to find another place. Turned a corner, found it almost instantly. The flavors of gelato they offered were so unique: I had their signature flavor, made with honey that surprisingly wasn't overpoweringly sweet. Other delicious flavors included whiskey, chocolate rum, pine nut, and many others.
The evening was fairly quiet: we cooked our own dinner in the hostel kitchen (pasta made with a ghetto sauce: tomato puree, onions and garlic sauteed in red wine, salt, and sugar) and sat around chatting with another traveller we met from Argentina. I tried (rather unsuccessfully) to book a hostel in Venice for Thursday and Friday nights, eventually giving up when the reception area closed at midnight.
Day 2: I just booked my hostel/campground (yay adventures!) in Venice, and I'm currently figuring out my itinerary for the day. I want to do a Pines of Rome tour, where I go to see the Borghese gardens, the catacombs, Janiculum Hill, and the Appian Way while listening to each movement of the piece while I'm there. I'll blog on how it works out :-)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Florence to Pisa to Rome!
18.04 entry
Phew.... I've been on the train to Rome for about an hour now, and I've finally got to blogging about today's events!
We woke up early this morning, as planned, and took the 9:50 train to Pisa. I bought a loaf of bread and a ball of mozzarella (in a bag filled with water) to eat for lunch.
Unfortunately, I only had enough time to see the Piazza del Duomo (where the Leaning Tower is) and the part of the city between the train station and there, but it seemed like a really cute city. I spent about an hour and a half there, then got back on the train to Florence to make it in time for my train to Rome. I was sad to say goodbye to my newest roommates, but hopefully I will meet people just as wonderful as they are everywhere I go.
Just like David, the Tower of Pisa was really, really cool to see in person. I was almost expecting to get there and either it had fallen over or it was actually straight, and everyone was like "jk! We fooled you for all these years!", but it wasn't. Additionally, it was also a really cool structure architecturally. I tried to take some photos of the actual building as well as the fact that it's very obviously leaning over.
Speaking of photos - I've taken roughly 1100 photos so far, which averages out to be about 100 per day. Sadly, I haven't been able to upload any of them yet since I've mostly been working from my iPod. But soon! I hope!
My train is set to arrive in Rome in about 20 minutes - another city, another adventure!
Phew.... I've been on the train to Rome for about an hour now, and I've finally got to blogging about today's events!
We woke up early this morning, as planned, and took the 9:50 train to Pisa. I bought a loaf of bread and a ball of mozzarella (in a bag filled with water) to eat for lunch.
Unfortunately, I only had enough time to see the Piazza del Duomo (where the Leaning Tower is) and the part of the city between the train station and there, but it seemed like a really cute city. I spent about an hour and a half there, then got back on the train to Florence to make it in time for my train to Rome. I was sad to say goodbye to my newest roommates, but hopefully I will meet people just as wonderful as they are everywhere I go.
Just like David, the Tower of Pisa was really, really cool to see in person. I was almost expecting to get there and either it had fallen over or it was actually straight, and everyone was like "jk! We fooled you for all these years!", but it wasn't. Additionally, it was also a really cool structure architecturally. I tried to take some photos of the actual building as well as the fact that it's very obviously leaning over.
Speaking of photos - I've taken roughly 1100 photos so far, which averages out to be about 100 per day. Sadly, I haven't been able to upload any of them yet since I've mostly been working from my iPod. But soon! I hope!
My train is set to arrive in Rome in about 20 minutes - another city, another adventure!
More from Florence!
17.04 entry
As planned, I woke up bright and early to get breakfast with my roommate, Kati. We had planned to go to one of the street markets in town, but the various websites I checked revealed that it was closed on Sundays.
We found a patisserie near the train station and had really delicious pastries - croissants filled with fruit (her's) and cream/custard (mine). It was a great start to the day.
I returned to my hostel to figure out my game plan for the day. I had planned on finding a supermarket, and packing a lunch, so I ventured off in search of such an establishment. One was found, but I had forgotten a bag to put my groceries in. On my way back to the hostel, I ran into one of my roommates who was standing in front of the hostel waiting for the other. Apparently there had been some good times enjoyed the previous night before that had led the one to end up in the hospital (almost definitely not related to the amount or type of beverage consumed, but rather what had been slipped in said beverages) and now we had no idea where she was. Eventually, we got in touch with her and she made it back in a taxi, better than the night before but still in no state to go out sightseeing.
My other roommate and I took off forth Uffizi Gallery, where we waited an hour and a half in line and burned through the museum in roughly 50 minutes. She is studying art history and probably found it more interesting than I did, as I believe I'm starting to experience a bit of museum overload. We were also absolutely starving by the time we got to the museum, so we wanted out ASAP to get something to eat.
After we left, we found another restaurant that had cheap pizza, and I ate another entire pizza.... This time, a pizza marinara with tomato sauce and garlic :-D
We then got gelato and went to Ponte Vecchio, a beautiful old bridge with shops along both sides. The gelato was delicious, even though we had both just eaten a giant pizza apiece.
Upon my return to the hostel, I met my five new roommates (the two girls had moved rooms that morning). Four of them were Notre Dame students studying in Spain, and the fifth was another WOOFer from the US. They were all so friendly and seemed so excited to make new friends in their hostel room! We all hung out together, drinking classy wine ('Bianco Mosso' and 'Rosso Mosso') and playing cards. The four girls from Spain were also traveling with others from their program, so they came to our room too.
At the end of the night, we all decided to go to Pisa the next morning. The train only takes an hour, and my train to Rome didn't leave until 2. Exciting!
As planned, I woke up bright and early to get breakfast with my roommate, Kati. We had planned to go to one of the street markets in town, but the various websites I checked revealed that it was closed on Sundays.
We found a patisserie near the train station and had really delicious pastries - croissants filled with fruit (her's) and cream/custard (mine). It was a great start to the day.
I returned to my hostel to figure out my game plan for the day. I had planned on finding a supermarket, and packing a lunch, so I ventured off in search of such an establishment. One was found, but I had forgotten a bag to put my groceries in. On my way back to the hostel, I ran into one of my roommates who was standing in front of the hostel waiting for the other. Apparently there had been some good times enjoyed the previous night before that had led the one to end up in the hospital (almost definitely not related to the amount or type of beverage consumed, but rather what had been slipped in said beverages) and now we had no idea where she was. Eventually, we got in touch with her and she made it back in a taxi, better than the night before but still in no state to go out sightseeing.
My other roommate and I took off forth Uffizi Gallery, where we waited an hour and a half in line and burned through the museum in roughly 50 minutes. She is studying art history and probably found it more interesting than I did, as I believe I'm starting to experience a bit of museum overload. We were also absolutely starving by the time we got to the museum, so we wanted out ASAP to get something to eat.
After we left, we found another restaurant that had cheap pizza, and I ate another entire pizza.... This time, a pizza marinara with tomato sauce and garlic :-D
We then got gelato and went to Ponte Vecchio, a beautiful old bridge with shops along both sides. The gelato was delicious, even though we had both just eaten a giant pizza apiece.
Upon my return to the hostel, I met my five new roommates (the two girls had moved rooms that morning). Four of them were Notre Dame students studying in Spain, and the fifth was another WOOFer from the US. They were all so friendly and seemed so excited to make new friends in their hostel room! We all hung out together, drinking classy wine ('Bianco Mosso' and 'Rosso Mosso') and playing cards. The four girls from Spain were also traveling with others from their program, so they came to our room too.
At the end of the night, we all decided to go to Pisa the next morning. The train only takes an hour, and my train to Rome didn't leave until 2. Exciting!
Sightseeing in Florence, Day 1
16.04 entry
The next morning, I woke up fairly early to make sure I had time to shower and check out on time. My roommates, who had been asleep when i got back last night, were packing up right as I was leaving, so I talked to them for a while. They were WOOFers (worldwide organic farmers) from Easton, CT and Baltimore - one has a brother that goes to Cornell! Small world!
Instead of shelling out €3 for breakfast in the restaurant, I elected to brave the market next door. This resulted in me buying a big block of pecorino cheese for about €2 and eating that throughout the day. Mmmm.
The weather started out sunny and warm for the day, with a high in the mid-60s. My first stop of the day was the Galleria dell'Accademia.
I had been hearing that even though there are replicas everywhere and that everyone has seen images, Michelangelo's "David" is definitely worth seeing. And it totally was. An added bonus was that admission to the Galleria dell'Accademia was free - apparently it was Cultural Education Week or something in Florence, so admission to all the national museums and monuments was free! Win!
After waiting in line for a relatively short period of time (especially when compared to the next day's escapade to the Uffizi Gallery), I spent a good portion of my visit in the Gallery of Ancient Musical Instruments. It was mostly string and keyboard instruments, but there was in display case that had a basset horn, five clarinets in Eb, and five clarinets in D. Yay!
So David was pretty sweet. Enormously tall, unblemished, exquisite detail, and pretty much just perfect in every way.
The rest of the museum was very similar to the other art galleries I'd been to in Paris, with Renaissance and medieval works with heavy religious influence. There was a painting that was a depiction of the Christian observance of Candlemas, and the quote on the accompanying card had written on it an old Tuscan saying about Candlemas. It read, "At Candlemas, whether there be snow or rains, sun or just a bit of sun, we are still mid winter and it is just the winter sun." Inspiring for sure.... Or not.
After my visit to David, I saw Il Duomo, a huge cathedral that is one of the main landmarks of Florence. I thought it was honestly far more impressive from the outside than in; the inside was a little dark and spooky.
I walked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo next, where I was hit on by not one but two Italian men of varied ages and tactics. Good times. The Piazzale Michelangelo offers a spectacular view of all of Florence, but it was also very touristy. There was a church just up the hill where I had read that you can come hear the monks chanting at 5:30, so I made it a point to go for that. In the meantime, I had about two hours to kill, so I had a cappuccino on the steps near the church. It was wonderful.
I checked into my next hostel early in the evening and met my two new roommates, Hadley and Carrie, who were from Hamilton College and Vassar, respectively. Yay New York state! We went to a pizzeria for dinner, and I had a giant pizza that I ate in its entirety. And I don't feel bad about eating all of it. We also split a litre of chianti that was only €10, which was a good decision.
In the morning: breakfast with my other roommate, Kati, and then to the Uffizi!
The next morning, I woke up fairly early to make sure I had time to shower and check out on time. My roommates, who had been asleep when i got back last night, were packing up right as I was leaving, so I talked to them for a while. They were WOOFers (worldwide organic farmers) from Easton, CT and Baltimore - one has a brother that goes to Cornell! Small world!
Instead of shelling out €3 for breakfast in the restaurant, I elected to brave the market next door. This resulted in me buying a big block of pecorino cheese for about €2 and eating that throughout the day. Mmmm.
The weather started out sunny and warm for the day, with a high in the mid-60s. My first stop of the day was the Galleria dell'Accademia.
I had been hearing that even though there are replicas everywhere and that everyone has seen images, Michelangelo's "David" is definitely worth seeing. And it totally was. An added bonus was that admission to the Galleria dell'Accademia was free - apparently it was Cultural Education Week or something in Florence, so admission to all the national museums and monuments was free! Win!
After waiting in line for a relatively short period of time (especially when compared to the next day's escapade to the Uffizi Gallery), I spent a good portion of my visit in the Gallery of Ancient Musical Instruments. It was mostly string and keyboard instruments, but there was in display case that had a basset horn, five clarinets in Eb, and five clarinets in D. Yay!
So David was pretty sweet. Enormously tall, unblemished, exquisite detail, and pretty much just perfect in every way.
The rest of the museum was very similar to the other art galleries I'd been to in Paris, with Renaissance and medieval works with heavy religious influence. There was a painting that was a depiction of the Christian observance of Candlemas, and the quote on the accompanying card had written on it an old Tuscan saying about Candlemas. It read, "At Candlemas, whether there be snow or rains, sun or just a bit of sun, we are still mid winter and it is just the winter sun." Inspiring for sure.... Or not.
After my visit to David, I saw Il Duomo, a huge cathedral that is one of the main landmarks of Florence. I thought it was honestly far more impressive from the outside than in; the inside was a little dark and spooky.
I walked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo next, where I was hit on by not one but two Italian men of varied ages and tactics. Good times. The Piazzale Michelangelo offers a spectacular view of all of Florence, but it was also very touristy. There was a church just up the hill where I had read that you can come hear the monks chanting at 5:30, so I made it a point to go for that. In the meantime, I had about two hours to kill, so I had a cappuccino on the steps near the church. It was wonderful.
I checked into my next hostel early in the evening and met my two new roommates, Hadley and Carrie, who were from Hamilton College and Vassar, respectively. Yay New York state! We went to a pizzeria for dinner, and I had a giant pizza that I ate in its entirety. And I don't feel bad about eating all of it. We also split a litre of chianti that was only €10, which was a good decision.
In the morning: breakfast with my other roommate, Kati, and then to the Uffizi!
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