Two weeks traveling around Italy sounds like a daunting task but with all of the trains and buses that are fairly reliable traveling is easy. The only problem that comes up is when you have three months of stuff that weighs over 75 pounds to carry, only down fall. My two weeks started off in Florence where I arrived to cold weather and rain. Italy had just begun putting up all of its lights and holiday decorations so every street was decked out in the holiday spirit making even the rain seem trivial. My first day in Florence brought news of museum strikes. Every major museum, The Uffizi, The Galleria, and Pitti Place were all closed for Monday, Tuesday, and then also Wednesday due to a holiday. Instead I spent one day walking around Florence visiting all of the open churches, (thank goodness Florence Cathedral was still open!) visiting the markets, and stopping in the shops. On Tuesday I traveled to Siena which was a welcomed relief when everything was open. 
Since the cold and the rain were growing tiring I was excited to travel south to Sorrento where I hoped would have blue skies, sun, and warm weather. I got the first two things on my wish list but the warm weather lasted for only one day and quickly turned quite frigid. Sorrento was a beautiful town on the coast and every street was lined with orange trees. Birds of Paradise and palm trees gave the town a somewhat tropical feeling. My first morning in Sorrento was glorious and warm! I was able to put away my jacket if only for a day. I went to Pompeii and Herculaneum and was amazed at how the two ancient cities were impacted by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in completely different ways. Pompeii, the more touristy of the two, was large and consisted of partial ruins, and remnants of mosaics but had large amphitheaters, and public meeting places. In contrast Herculaneum was almost completely deserted but had almost intact building with second and third stories, tables; barrel arched ceilings, and still had some original wood beams. Herculaneum really gave me the true feeling of what life in ancient Rome would have been like, and seeing Mount Vesuvius looming over showed me how there was really no time for escape.
My last two days in Sorrento included driving down the Amalfi Coast and taking a boat to Capri. The Amalfi coast is something that I think can only be experienced in a car, and a little one at that. The constant hairpin turns, tight tunnels and breathtaking views where to say the least an experience. We stopped in Vietri sul Mare to see some local pottery and a wrong turn lead us down to the beach and an up close look at the sparkling blue water. Capri was the coldest I had ever been in Italy. I think it had something to do with the wind but I was numb for the majority of the time. Anacapri was quaint, and the chairlift to the top offered stunning views of the island and water. Capri was full of shops and besides the cold was a fascinating place. One of my favorite parts about the south was the clementines that I bought. A two kilo bag was only a little over a euro and gave me the opportunity to eat twelve at a time. They were delicious and addictive.
After the south I spent a week in Rome, where the city is always alive. I saw all the ruins walked along the Tiber River and spent almost five hours in the Vatican Museum. On my weekend in Rome every minute counted so only saw the major parts of the Vatican. This time I was able to take my time in the museum and enjoy every exhibit. My favorite part was the Egyptian portion and the Etruscan pottery, both I had missed on my first time. While at the Vatican I saw large amounts of black smoke and later learned on the Italian news that there was a huge riot that involved burning of cars, smashing store windows, and police and people confrontation. After that I saw more police and Carabinieri everywhere. After four days of museums and ruins I was excited to experience an Italian IKEA. It was an interesting process getting there that involved a police officer who winked at me, correctly pronouncing IKEA, and waiting for the bus in the snow. Eating the Swedish Meatballs was a little taste of heaven! I was also able to see snow fall in Rome while waiting for the bus outside of IKEA. The snowflakes where huge, and filled the sky, but they soon turned into cold rain. Friday was crazy day in Rome, not only did it snow but I also walked through a huge thunderstorm and was soaked. My favorite person I saw in Rome has to be the man looking in the mirror on his Vespa to make sure his sunglasses looked ok on his head. Not only was it pouring down rain but it was also dark. The only thing I could do was try not to laugh and as soon as I rounded the next corner I burst out laughing. Another accomplishment in Rome was finding the tomb of my great, great, great cousin who was blessed in the 1990’s. This involved making a priest mad by asking him in Italian to please speak slowly and to repeat himself……. And having to call him three times when I couldn’t find the church to find out that didn’t actually have tomb (I found it the next day on the opposite side of Rome).
It was an amazing two weeks, and a final goodbye to Italy. I was sad to leave. For the last three months this has been my home and someplace I have grown to adore. Some of my favorite memories include the Balestra, Halloween, going to the discotecca, walking on the Strada, playing in the hot springs with Emma, staying up three in the morning with my best friends, making jokes in Italian, fitting three of us in a twin bed because it was so cold, and every other single memory that I have. Even though it seems like a dream the last three months were amazing, and my two best friends have already requested that I read my personal journal, the juicier version of my blog, out loud. We are all anticipating the laughs that will accompany it! Ciao Italia, I promise I will see you again.
