Ciao!
Today is the 23rd September, and I've been in Italy for four days on the AHS/Mt A Italy Tour.
My journey began Saturday evening, 19th September, at Brisbane Airport. We checked in, took a group photo, then proceeded through customs. Unfortunately, I was stopped as I had an umbrella in my bag! I had to unlock my carry-on bag, get out the umbrella, and send it all back through the scanner. I thought they'd get me on the batteries, but apparently a 17-year-old girl with an umbrella is more dangerous. They also scanned Miss C for explosives - needless to say, of course it was clear! We then went through customs, went through duty free, and found our gate. By the time we got there, it was nearly time to go, so I was unable to buy the international SIM card I'd planned to get - turns out I probably don't need it anyway. We then boarded our Emirates flight to Dubai and travelled for 14 hours... When we arrived in the United Arab Emirates at about 5am Sunday morning, we discovered the splendour that is Dubai Airport - complete with several waterfalls! We had some time to kill, so - as instructed - I found an Arabic Starbucks and recreated the selfie I took with Caitlin about a year and a half prior. I probably looked a bit weird, but when did that ever stop me? I then made use of the airport's free wifi. We then boarded our next flight: Dubai to Rome. Luckily, I got the window seat, and - as it was a daytime flight - I saw heaps of cool stuff out the window! I glimpsed the Burj al Arab from afar, saw the palm tree-shaped island, and watched the sands of Saudi Arabia pass by beneath me. We then crossed over into Egypt and the pilot said that we should be able to see the pyramids from the left side of the plane - the side I was on! Unfortunately though, we missed them - but I did see many Egyptian houses from above and the Bay surrounding Egypt. We also crossed over Greece and - obviously - Italy!
We arrived in Rome in the afternoon, grabbed our bags, and waited for our hotel transfer. After freshening up, it was time to catch the Hop-On Hop-Off bus; we did the entire loop around Rome. I saw the Colosseum, Vatican, Ancient Roman ruins, and many more sites. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to decide that I was in love with Rome. We then returned to the hotel before going out to dinner at La Mela d'Oro, where we had pasta, some kind of white meat with white sauce, and tiramisu.
Monday morning began with breakfast at the hotel: Nutella-filled croissants, bread with salami, and the obligatory fruit (Mrs L won't let us leave the table if we haven't had any). We then made our way to the Colosseum to begin our half-day Ancient Rome guided tour.
The Colosseum was absolutely magnificent, and the tour helped me to remember a lot of the facts I've learned in Ancient History. One section of the Colosseum was closed for refurbishment as they were cleaning it, as the car fumes discolour it. It was great to see the restored part which was a beautiful white colour! Even more amazing is the fact that a private businessman is paying for it all! We then went to the Forum Romanum, where I saw many of the ancient temples and the home of the Vestal Virgins. It was incredible! I was also amazed how a lot of it was still intact. I also saw some archaeologists at work, and it was great to see how they are still uncovering new ancient Roman artefacts. Our guided tour ended and we began walking around Rome. Apparently, we came across an important Italian politician outside a government building - that was pretty funny. We then had pizza for lunch at a Pizzeria near our hotel; I had Funghi Prosciutto - pizza with mushrooms and ham. Next, we went to a gelateria, and I had wild berry, lemon, and strawberry gelato (you could have three flavours in one cup). We then set about exploring Rome, including Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon - amongst many other sites. I absolutely adored Piazza Navona! While we were there, some Italian guy said "Ciao bella!" and starting posing - so I turned aside, thinking he must have been a street performer trying to get money. About two seconds later when I saw Michelle and I turned around to try to take a photo of the Piazza, he apologised and said he wasn't actually trying to get any money, he was just a waiter at the restaurant! Michelle still thinks he was trying to hit on me. ;) But I guess we'll never know! We saw many other actual street performers in Piazza Navona, including a levitating man and a couple dancing to live music. The Trevi Fountain was empty - it had no water in it - so, to be honest, I actually preferred the fountains at Piazza Navona. The Pantheon was also incredible. A street performer dressed as a Roman gladiator tried to get friendly with our group, but we weren't that stupid. We also saw a statue of someone who had spoken out against the Church in the Middle Ages - he looked a bit like the main character in Assassin's Creed! That evening, we had dinner at Le Cappelette (which took us about 45 minutes to find, even though it was only 10 minutes away!), where we had pasta, some kind of meat, and gelato. It was really yummy, and the staff were really nice! We then returned to our hotel, exhausted from our incredible day!
Tuesday began with breakfast at the hotel again: Nutella croissants, salami on bread, and the obligatory grapes. We caught the Metro to the Vatican and then embarked upon our guided tour. Some of the highlights of the Vatican Museums included the statue of Augustus, the School of Athens painting, and the Hall of Maps. I loved all the beautiful artworks! We also saw some of the Vatican's modern art collection; there was a painting of a crucified businessman, which was kinda weird... We then moved on to the Sistine Chapel, which was gorgeous. It was almost surreal - seeing all those paintings that I'd seen in pictures but never in real life. A priest was also there when we were and gave a blessing on everyone in the Chapel at the time. To be honest, the whole experience was quite surreal. We then proceeded to St Peter's Basilica, where we had the opportunity to spend some time at each of the altars. We also went down into the original basilica built by Constantine (underneath St Peter's) and saw the tombs of many of the popes. Our tour then finished and we went to lunch at a restaurant near the Vatican. I had a Bufalina Pizza and peach ice tea - it was so good! We then went to a shop to buy souvenirs, and the owner was super friendly to everyone! He gave us all Pinocchio magnets for free! We then went back to the Vatican and filmed a segment of Danzare for our spirit video. Next, we took the Hop-On Hop-Off bus to Piazza di Spagna, and we walked down the Spanish Steps. We then bought gelato; this time, I had 2 flavours: peach and mulberry. We then walked back up the Spanish Steps to catch the bus back to the hotel. We then had the option to go shopping or stay at the hotel - obviously I picked shopping! First, we went to a sneaker store, but Valentina and I were definitely not interested! Valentina had seen a dress at another store that she wanted to try on, so Mrs C took Valentina, Eliza and I out to look at clothes stores. We the returned to the hotel just in time to go out to dinner. We stopped on the way to see a church - although we couldn't go inside - and went to a supermarket to buy snacks. I didn't really want anything - but I did buy some Italian Nutella for my friend back at home as promised! For dinner, we went to La Mela d'Oro and had Margherita pizza, pannacotta, and a chocolate-orange cake, as it was someone's birthday. Michelle, Rachel and I had to sit at the teacher table, and we discovered Mrs L's passionate hatred of vegans! We've decided that we are going to try to make as many vegan references from now on! We then returned to the hotel and went to bed.
Today, Wednesday the 23rd September, began a little earlier so we could get ready. Once again, we had breakfast at the Hotel: Nutella croissants, salami and cheese on bread, and obligatory grapes. We then began our three hour bus ride to Pompeii. Along the way, I saw the Bay of Naples and a few castles and run-down buildings. When we arrived in Pompeii, we had lunch. This time, I ordered some spaghetti and peach ice tea. We then met our guide, Salvatore, who showed us the highlights of Pompeii. We saw a brothel, the calderium and frigidarium, the lead pipes, the House of the Tragic Poet (with Cave Canem), and a grand villa. We also saw many temples and the piazza. I absolutely loved Pompeii and wishes we could have had longer there! We also filmed another segment of Danzare in front of one of the temples. I also saw Caligula's gate and the Temple of Apollo, as well as the chariot markings on the streets and the stepping stones for people to cross the street when it rained. Pompeii was incredible; it was amazing to be standing in a Roman city untouched by the modern world (except for the cafeteria). Then, we bought some granita - I had a cherry one! It was really yummy! Then, we bought some souvenirs before getting back on the bus.
I saw the Bay of Naples again, before starting to write this.
So far, this trip has been so much fun and I'm so excited for the rest of it! Until next time, ciao! :)