It is so hard for me to comprehend when I actually get to see in person the artwork that I have spent so much time studying. In Padua today I got to see the Scrovinngni Chapel and there is no way I can describe how beautiful it is... it is beyond words. I wandered the streets of Padua and came across a Donatello statue just sitting in the middle of a square. One of the masterpieces of the early Renaissance is now a pigeon home... I'm still struggling with w...

Today I headed out to Burono, a tiny fishing island located about 40 minutes from Venice but light-years away from the crowds and jostle of daytime Venice. The boat trip out was incredibly picturesque, as the boat left the city there were some of the most incredible views of Venice. Stepping onto the island felt like I was stepping back in time. All the buildings are painted bright bon-bon-like colors. Apparently the women of Burono painted their houses these...

Tintoretto spent 23 years of his life painting frescos at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and the finished product is awe-inspiring. I had to crane my neck to see the ceilings and my neck will probably never be the same, it was worth it anyways. Navigating in Venice is virtually impossible. I can't get anywhere without getting lost, so I have stopped even trying to navigate. To get to the Academia today I just figured out the general direction I needed to ...

Night trains are really not the most comfortable way to travel, but the good thing about them is that upon arrival I had the entire day to explore Venice. When I stepped out of the train station I felt like I was stepping into a postcard; a canal in front of me with the sun rising in the background, it was perfect. It was still early in the morning so I tried to hit up all the major sites before the tourists started pouring in. St. Mark's Basilica is stunn...

Today is my birthday! I couldn't have imagined a better way to celebrate it! It turns out that Becky has a birthday within a few days of mine so I had a birthday buddy! Hannah and Becky made me a Nutella-frosted cake that put us all into a sugar coma. Since it was a rainy day I stayed inside talking to Becky about where she was heading and she gave me some great travel advice for the places we were heading to next. Becky is by far one of the most amazing peop...