Venice

I've always wanted to go to Venice. It might be because we have a picture from Venice hanging in our bathroom that has always enchanted me. What would it be like to live in a city where the main form of transportation (at least by the locals) was by boat? Venice has been called many things, and as the setting for many murder mysteries has always been shrouded in untold secrets. It has been whispering promises in my tiny little ears ever since I first saw that picture. 

We arrived by train, and through trial and error, and asking people we eventually found our appartment. It was in a part if town that was right next to a couple colleges, and was less touristy than most areas. (Side note: what would it be like to go to college in Venice?!?)

Venice is a maze of tiny streets and canals, but wandering it was fascinating. I set off the second night to do some exploring on my own, and ran into all the cute things that happen. I witnessed a second floor window to window conversation between two older Italian ladies, I saw a girl calling up to her roommate for some item she had left, I saw boatmen mooring their boats and shop owners closing their shops. I wandered down tiny alleyways and alongside big canals. It was exactly what I wanted out of Venice. 

We saw various churches, with famous paintings, and wandered into a couple mini art museums. Venice should really be renamed "the city of bridges."

All in all it was an amazing experience. 

Pisa and Lucca

After Rome we stopped in Pisa on out way to Lucca. We only had a couple hours in Pisa, so I immediately bought a ticket to go up in the tower. It was timed for me to be able to enter at 5:45.

We had some pizza while we were waiting. 

The view from the top was beautiful. 

We ran back to the station and hopped on our train to Lucca. 

I didn't take many pictures of Lucca, but it was a cute little Italian city. It had a wall surrounding it, and cars weren't allowed in the center. The first day in Lucca we wandered the city searching for a supermarket. That took the while morning, but we finally found one. In the afternoon I ran around the top of the wall (where there was a huge walking path, complete with grass, trees and even some ancient ruins!) while grandma and grandpa walked it. They ended up getting lost, so after about an hour alone in the appartment I decided to start dinner and hope they came home. Luckily they arrived just in time for dinner and it all worked out! I've cooked every night since then which I think my grandparents appreciate (plus it means I don't have to do dishes!)

The next day it was raining, but we explored a little more. 

Roma

Rome was a blur of meeting up with my grandparents, seeing all the sites (the coliseum, the pantheon, various churches, etc.)

The most exciting day for me was the day we went to Pompeii.

The beautiful, abandoned city that was buried when Mt. Vesuvius erupted for the first time in quite a while, burying the city and killing those residents who didn't flee. It was hauntingly enchanting, and a very cool glimpse at what life must've been like. 

The next day:

What would a trip to Italy be without food porn?

Next stop: Florence!

So I'd heard of Florence, but I wasn't really sure why. It ended up being a beautiful city, but what it was known for was it's "duomo." This dome, constructed of brisk sits perched atop a large church. This duomo was built before they should've had the technology to build it. The church itself was started well before anyone had any ideas on how to construct the dome! Filippo Brunelleschi, who eventually designed and built the dome wasn't even born when the church was begun. He was a genius. Eventually the church and dome were completed. We climed the tower next to the duomo for a better look. 

The view of the city was breathtaking. 

Catching up

Posting from my tablet has been frustrating, so I downloaded a blogging app. 

Let's see, where was I?

Switzerland!

I'll just post the important stuff: chocolate, James Bond and mountains. 

We were on what they called "the top of Europe," the heighest point in Switzerland and the film location of a James Bond film. It was gorgeous, cold and really bright! It took us three gondola (cable car) rides up to the top, and then we took two down and walked the rest of the way back down to Lauderbrunnen. First we explored a small town (I forgot it's name). Reed ran down while my mom and I walked. It was further than we thought it would be, but it was a good walk. 

On the way out we discovered this in a vending machine:

And to me and Reed's surprise mom agreed to buy us one!

(Turns out it doesn't actually get you high, it's just cannabis flavored. Ew. Why would you want that?)

Days 4 and 5

Day 4 - a Paris!
Today we went first to the Orsay Museum (of modern art), and then to the Versailles Chateau and gardens.
No photos were allowed in Orsay, but here's a selfie with the Sein

 

Next we took a train to Versailles, a castle built by a French king who decided that he wanted a more relaxed castle environmet, so he made the royals and everyone else come out to his seculuded castle to visit him. It was later added on to buy Marie Antoinette and her husband. It was beautiful and had extensive gardens.

The hall of mirrors...

Then we went to see the Eiffel tower at night.

                   

(I wish I could rotate these!! I guess that's what I get for only bringing a tablet and not a laptop)

Day 5

Today was mostly spent sitting on trains (7 hours worth, 4 different trains!). It was a beautiful ride up into the swiss alps though!

A lot of the train ride consisted of this:

The internet just got really slow, so I'll post the rest tomorrow, but it's beautiful here!

Laurel

Le troisieme jour a Paris!

Today we visited Le Louvre and then Les Jardins des Tuilleries. I didn't come in with a set agenda (except seeing some beautiful paintings and artifacts). We saw the Mona Lisa first, which was very cool, but of course there was a huge crowd already surrounding her. Most people were trying to take pictures which made no sense to me because there are so many better pictures already taken... After that we split up and I wandered the museum, visiting all three sections and all 4 floors (but not the whole museum of course), it's so big!

(I can't figure out how to rotate these :'( )

We met up and went to lunch at a little cafe where I had to order in French. We got quiche and then delicious desserts. I had un gateau au chocolate avec marmalade de fraises (chocolate cake with strawberry marmalade).

We split up and Reed and I visited the Tuileries while mom went to some churches. The gardens were beautiful. We arranged to meet at one end of the gardens and somehow missed each other. Mom left 10 minutes after we were supposed to meet (assuming that we had gone home by mistake) and Reed and I waited for her for an hour and fifteen minutes before turning home where we found her. It makes me wish we had european cell phones.

We came back to a beautiful dinner laid out by our host mom. All in all c'etait un bon jour.

Laurel