Eurostar is amazing... so much better than the trains in Scotland. Quicker and in much more comfort! Rome to Florence in an hour and a half! The hostel in Florence is, as Phil put it, 'a typical student hostel completely oriented towards a binge-drinking culture' - exactly my cup of tea!!! I think it's quite nice actually and a relief from the flat in Rome. We quickly set off to the Accademia primarily to see the statue of David, which is both amazing and stunn...

Pronto... I find it odd that Italians answer the phone by saying 'ready'. Anyway... went to castel sant angelo yesterday, which famously featured as the illuminati hide-out in 'Angels and Demons'. There was an awesome view from the top of the building, although the rest of the building was rather dull. No 'il passeto' or not one that we were allowed to see anyway! There was a modern art exhibition on display throughout the rooms there, but I don't really 'get' or...

Buona sera! Had an amazing two days of sunshine here and not a cloud in sight! Went to see circo massimo on Saturday morning, which was disappointing. There's not much left of the original area where they used to hold chariot races - although I think they'd make a lot of money from hiring chariots to tourists to race. Health and safety doesn't exist in Italy so it'd be perfect! No...? Perhaps not. Bocca della Verita, made famous by the film 'Roman Holiday', was ...

Jackpot! It was sunny today and I took full advantage by heading to the park again to read my book. It's funny to watch all the Italians walking their dogs and couples lazing on the grass... A far cry from yesterday, when we went to Ostia Antica, as it rained all day. Ostia Antica is a very well preserved excavation of an ancient Roman town and was recommended to us by the University staff. The site has become a bit dilapidated and although it was nice to see, ...

Wow - the sistine chapel is absolutely amazing! Michelangelo was an absolute genius! Unfortunately my pictures are few due to my being told off by the Vatican staff for photography attempts. Boo! The Vatican also has such an impressive collection of artifacts from every era - egyptian, etruscan, greek, roman. And all seen for the small price of 8 euros... Still raining today... Boo again!