Day 4 & 5: Rome/Florence

Tuesday & Wednesday

10-11 September 2013

Tuesday was our last day in Rome and we spent it at some great places. First we went to the Borghese Gallery, a place that used to be the home of the very influential Borghese family, which has since been turned into an intimate art museum. Without a doubt this place housed some of the best art I saw on my trip. My favorite pieces were done by the sculptor Bernini, who I had actually never heard of before I got to Italy. (I've often felt very uneducated on this trip because of my lack of knowledge of fine art, especially when my art professor's five year old son can pick out his favorite paintings in the Louvre, but I'm working hard to keep up). Unfortunately photography was not allowed inside the gallery, and after looking up my favorite Bernini's, I can say that the pictures online don't do the work any justice. In person the statues almost look like they could be real people. Somehow Bernini was able to make stone look fluid and flesh like, and my jaw dropped more than once when I walked around his work. If you are ever in Rome, I think the Borghese Gallery is a must-see. (Plus, my professor said that Bernini's version of David is better than Michelangelo's, if that counts for anything).

After the Borghese Gallery, a small group of us went with our Literature professor to a cemetery where some famous English authors are buried. After a long walk through French-style Roman gardens (who knew there were French gardens in Italy!), and a charming metro ride complete with accordian playing and Italian singing, we made it to the cemetery. We saw the graves of Keats and Shelley and listened to our professor read some of their poetry. The cemetery was beautiful and it was a neat experience to learn about the poets and why Rome drew in so many people of the arts.

The cemetery.

Then we said ciao to Rome and got on a bus headed to Florence. The place that we were staying in Florence was a hostel, which I thought would be a horrible experience, but it turned out okay and felt more like a hotel because we had private rooms and bathrooms. There were lots of other students there, which clued in me that Florence is a pretty happening city. We took a little tour of some of the famous places, and I immediately felt a vibe that was unlike anything I've ever experienced. In Rome things feel a little slow and laid back. Florence doesn't necessarily feel fast-paced, but it does feel cool. Even after having a couple weeks to process it, I still can't think of a word that accurately describes it. It kind of feels like you're on a movie set because the buildings look so interesting, and the weather gave everything a cinematic tinge. And there are tons of high-end shops and cobblestone roads, and interesting, well-dressed people carrying shopping bags everywhere. That's the best I can do. Just know that it's a really cool place to be. 

As we were walking around, I wasn't really paying that much attention to the buildings, but then I looked up and saw the Duomo. And my jaw-dropped for about the tenth time that day and I gasped. The Duomo is the most incredible building I've ever seen. It is so Italian looking with the colors (pink, green, and cream), and is absolutely huge. Every time I passed it I was stunned. 

 The Duomo. So cool!

 To prove I was really there.

 As you can tell, I got a little picture crazy about this place.

 Last one!

After our initial sightseeing it started pouring rain and I went and had dinner with some friends. And what kind of Italian vacation is it if you don't get pizza and gelato?!

The BEST gelato I had my whole trip. And the man who owned the store was so nice and offered to find some chairs so we could sit out of the rain. For some reason the girls I was with thought he was trying to pull off Taken-Italian style, so we left. If I could've I would have gone to this place about 5 more times.

The next day we went to the Uffizi, which is another art museum. I don't really remember much about it now, but at the time I thought it was great. We had a reservation to see Michelangelo's David at the Accadémia, but there was some miscommunication, so we didn't actually get to see it. This is a replica.

Fake David and a man on a bike.

We had the rest of the day free, so we went to a street market and looked for souvenirs. Florence is famous for its leather, so a lot of girls bartered for some leather purses. I didn't get one, but they all were pretty nice. After all the stress of Rome, it was nice to have some relaxing down time. I didn't mention this earlier, but my feet got seriously battered up. Every night when I took off my shoes, I thought that I had broken some, if not all, of my toes. Walking super fast all day everyday can do some serious damage to feet. Florence was the perfect chance to heal. 

Even though we only spent a day and half there, I feel confident enough to say that Florence was a pretty great city. I don't know if I would go there again, just because there isn't nearly as much to see as there is in Rome, but I definitely enjoyed being there.