In lieu of writing about my adventures as they happened while I was traveling around in France and Italy, I stayed as updated as I could in a travel journal, with the hopes of transferring all that information here straight away when I came back. Alas, it's me, and I get busy quickly, so that didn't quite happen.
Plus, with everything that happened in France recently, it didn't seem appropriate to write about it ignoring all the tragedy. I was lucky to visit before the attacks happened, and I'm still thanking God I visited when I did and not anytime later.
Remembering that that wasn't the situation of things when I was there, here's Rachel's travel guide to France and Italy, based on her experiences:
October 31: Paris, France
I've been to Paris before, but not for very long. This is the first time I would get to explore the city in more depth, since last time was quite literally a drive-by of the major structures before we headed back to the U.S.
Ari and I arrived pretty early in the morning, and after lots of transportation, lunch, public transportation failures, and getting horribly terribly lost, found ourselves at Notre Dame Cathedral. This leads me to my first Paris Travel Tips:
1. Just walk. If it's a walkable distance... just walk. The Metro system isn't hard, really, but it feels a little overwhelming when you're tired and your best phrase in French is "Parlez-vous angleise?"
2. Lean how to say "Do you speak English?" in French, and every other language that you'll need to speak when you're traveling. It is, hands down, the most important phrase you will ever need to say. It's the phrase I used the most.
3. Don't skip Notre Dame. Of all the cathedrals and churches I've seen, this is one of my absolute favorites. It's simple, but grand, and the feeling inside of it is one of reverence and beauty. It feels like a place of worship, even with all the tourists still there. Magic, pure magic.
4. Right across the street from Notre Dame is a bookshop called Shakespeare and Company. It's amazing!!! I should've bought a book there but I didn't want to carry it around Paris...
We had originally tried to get a train to Giverny and Monet's Gardens, but didn't get there early enough. In the process of this discovery, I kicked a ticket machine and killed my favorite, beautiful, wonderful black boots that Grandma got me last year for Christmas. They were starting to fall apart already (I've worn them so much!), but I miss them lots. RIP Boots :(
That night, we mustered up our courage after dinner and fulfilled a dream of mine: going up the Eiffel Tower. We didn't go to the very very top, but we went as high as we could/as high as our poor tired legs would let us climb. It was worth it.
5. If you can't agree on/find a place to eat in Paris, just buy a baguette and some cheese. Add wine if you're feeling fancy. It's a perfect picnic meal (we had it for dinner) and it is beyond cheap. Plus it's delicious!
November 1: Versailles Palace
Louis XIV was the ultimate control freak. But Versailles is incredible as a result.
If anything, it's impressive- just downright impressive. The Neoclassicism and the Gardens and how arranged everything is and ornate and lavish... my goodness. There are a handful of places I've been to where just existing in the place has made me feel like a Princess, and Versailles is one of them.
Versailles Tips:
1. The first Sunday of the month, in the off-season (which begins November 1st) is free entry into the palace for all visitors!!!
2. There is a student concession price for the Gardens.
3. Go to the Gardens. It's worth it. If you go to Versailles and don't explore the Gardens, you haven't actually been to Versailles.
4. Get a map, and pick the places in the Gardens you'd like to see the most. In other words, find the names of the fountains that sound cool, then go see what they look like.
5. All the fountains are worlds more gorgeous when they're on. Do most of your exploring then, if you can.
6. We spent some time down by the Canal just observing people walking and rowing by. It's very peaceful and fun to do, and I recommend it.
7. I also recommend, if you decide to be one of the people in those rowboats, you know how to row. Well. People are watching.
8. The tea room in the restaurant inside Versailles has the best macrons I've ever had in my life. Also, really really rich hot chocolate. Split a hot chocolate with a friend, but get those macrons no matter what.
9. You're going to be there all day. There's a ton to see. Embrace it. It's worth it.
My favorite part of the visit was being in the gardens, in the avenue of trees, and looking, by chance, to my right (facing the palace). My eyes followed the straight lines of trees all the way down, and the sun was setting exactly between the rows of trees. The rows continued all the way to the east, as well, which means that the palace is exactly south, and the canals exactly north. If you look carefully enough, the sun is a HUGE deal in the design and layout and decorations of everything in Versailles, I guess. It's pretty amazing.
November 2: Paris/The Louvre -> Florence
We decided to spend our last day in Paris at the Louvre, because I'd never been before and wanted to finally visit.
1. Don't be afraid to split up with your group. There's just too much to see, and not everyone will want to see all the same things as you.
2. You can have a good visit with or without a tour. Ari took one and had a swell time. I didn't, and I did too!
3. Mona Lisa- she's beautiful, but the crowd is huge. Enjoy the other paintings in the room, and then sneak a glance at her from the side of the crowd. It's ok to not get that perfect picture; I settled with a selfie where you can see her, from the side, in the background.
4. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. If you don't go into the Louvre with a gameplan, or don't come up with one by the time you've gotten yourself lost at least twice, you won't be as satisfied with your visit. Again, get a map, find the places that sound the most intriguing and exiting to you, and hit there first. It's ok if you don't see everything- the place. is. huge.
5. Honestly, do your research on what kind of artwork you like best before going to any of the art museums in Paris. To be perfectly honest, I should have gone to the Musee de Orsay, a short walk away from the Louvre, because I love the Impressionist and Post Impressionist painters best. The Louvre is really for the fans of the classical, older, more historically inclined people. That doesn't mean it's not worth it! But you get what I mean.
6. The Medieval Louvre was one of my favorite things I saw there. Underneath the big building, they discovered that the Louvre used to be a palace, and you can walk through and see some of the old walls and where the moat used to be. I felt like Indiana Jones- it's dark and a bit creepy but really cool!!!
7. It's ok to not stop at every single painting/work of art for a long time. Actually, I'd recommend NOT doing this. Walk through, at a quicker/your own pace, and only stop if something really catches your eye. And don't be deceived by stopping only where there's a crowd (as though only the important stuff has a crowd) because Asian tourists stop EVERYWHERE.
8. It is not racist to be annoyed at the Asian tourists. They are a very particular type of tourist that just so happens to be extremely annoying at art museums. It's ok. Be annoyed. You are still an accepting and loving person.
9. Photos are meaningless unless you're in them. I recommend a pose where you can interact with or mimic the subject of the artwork.
Highlights of the Louvre? Besides the Medeival Louvre, honestly, I really enjoyed finding my way over to the Americas/Africa/Oceana section waayyy in the corner of the museum. It's small, and harder to get to, but it was really fun to see things from the US and Canada lodged in there. Plus, I took what may be one of my favorite selfies of all time:
Ari and I left around 1:30 to start traveling to Florence, and arrived post dinner time, before Rachel had eaten dinner. On top of that, we got extremely lost trying to get to the hostel and my phone was only working enough to text Olivia, Alex, Charlie, Alexa, and Nahome to have them come and save us. Luckily, these individuals are great friends and rescued us, helped us check in, and then took us to get food and gelato. Love them.
Despite this, I had a pretty great first impression of Italy. As beautiful as Paris is, most of the Parisians I encountered had an attitude about them that often felt a bit arrogant. Italy, on the other hand, isn't as prettily furnished, but the people are far more open and laid back.
November 3: Florence
I had one day in Florence, which is a pity, because it's a gorgeous little town.
Tips:
1. Again, do your research on Il Duomo. It's an archetectural phenomenon that you appreciate a lot more when you know the history of it.
2. Read up a bit on the Medici family too. They ran the Renaissance from this city, and this knowledge adds a lot to your experience.
3. Someone go see the statue of David for me because I didn't have time to.
4. Climb Il Duomo and the Belltower! The view is spectacular! The Dome is a pretty tight climb, once you get into the actual dome part of the climb, but it's worth it. It's very worth it.
5. We went to lunch at the Grand Central Market. The food here rivaled my own grandmothers and potentially changed my life. Actually, it did change my life. I will never be the same after that gnocchi. If you arrive at this market and are very confused at how Farmer's Market-like it is, go upstairs. That's where you can order a meal.
After lunch, we visited the Uffizi museum. It's an art museum featuring the works of Botticelli and a few by Leonardo di Vinci.
6. Uffizi= Not extraordinary, but worth it. Botticelli is much prettier in person.
7. The hidden gem of Florence is the footbridge. I wish I remembered the official name. It's a beautiful, even romantic spot to watch the rowers and people go by.
Late that night our whole travel family took a train to Naples, and encountered a very different adventure.
November 4: Naples
1. Don't go to Naples.
Naples is not pretty, does not feel safe, does not have that much to do, and was not worth traveling there. We wandered around a while, then went to the Archeological museum.
2. The museum is not worth it.
We then got very, very hungry walking towards our next destination but encountered nowhere to eat until we got to the top of a hill. Everyone was dead tired and extremely hangry, and the pizza place we found was everything.
3. If you go to Naples, go for the pizza. The pizza is fantastic.
The rest of the day we spent underground, exploring the catacombs of St. Genardo and then the underground Roman aqueducts.
4. The best part of Naples is Underground. If anything, go on the subterranean tour. It's pretty amazing!
I finally understand why history and school classes talk about the Roman aqueducts so much, and what makes them so advanced. We walked through a huge series of them, plus learned that these particular tunnels were used as bomb shelters during World War II- Naples citizens would crowd down in there to be safe from bombings overhead. The best part of the tour though was when we walked through the narrowest of passageways for around 10 minutes, led by candlelight, to some areas where water was actually running through, so we could see those places and what the tunnels may have looked like during Roman times. The tunnels we walked through to get to these bigger chambers were the EXACT right height and width for me, with about a half inch of wiggle room above and to each side of me. This was at the largest sections of the passage. I held a candle in front of me the entire time. I felt like Indiana Jones. It was a dream come true!
And walking back to our hostel after dark, we concluded that Naples is prettier at night. All the same, don't spend too much time in Naples, if you can avoid it.
5. If you're going to go to Pompeii, base yourself in Serento. It's equidistant from Pompeii as Naples is, but it's a nicer city.
November 5: Venice
The rest of our travel family was going to Pompeii and Serento on the 5th and 6th, but it was really important to me to make the trek up to Venice. The city is going to sink soon, and I knew I would be sadder not seeing Venice than I would not seeing Pompeii. So, Ari and I spent a morning on a train headed up to the knee pit of the boot of Italy. I've been saying a lot of these activities were "worth it" so far on this blog, but making this trek was the most worth it thing we did this entire week.
Venice is incredible. It is the most unique, romantic, mysterious, fantastic, beautiful city I've ever been in. It is my favorite place in Italy and, as of now, my second favorite city in Europe. I'm not even going to think about how tragic it is that it's sinking because after seeing it, that knowledge makes me want to cry. Venice is amazing.
Travel Tips:
1. Go to Venice Go to Venice Go to Venice. It's out of the way, it costs a little more, it's full of tourists, things are a bit pricey, it's far away from other Italian cities, I don't care. GO TO VENICE.
2. It has become a very touristy town. That said, things are, as I mentioned, a bit more expensive, and you'll meet people from all over if you're hanging out in the major areas. This is ok, just be warned.
3. Don't book a hostel or a hotel near the fish market. They say Venice is smelly- this is the place they were talking about. It's not bad, it just smells like fish. Get a place near San Marco, or the Rialto bridge, or even the train station.
Once Ari and I managed to navigate the tiny, tiny tiny winding streets and alleyways and bridges of Venice to find and check into the place we were staying, we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening wandering around between our B&B and Saint Mark's Basilica, getting food, shopping, and exploring.
Saint Mark's Basilica is my other favorite cathedral in Europe, besides Notre Dame. It's dazzling and breathtaking and covered with beautiful gold and mosaics. I went through twice, and was moved to near tears both times. It's a truly beautiful place of worship.
4. Skip whatever you'd like, but don't skip the Basilica.
5. Venice is a really nice place to just chill. You can have all the fun in the world simply bouncing between little tourist shops and cruising down alleyways. It's quite fun to go shopping there, actually. It may be pricey, but there's a lot to look at and keep you comfortably entertained.
We went to a nice place for dinner and grabbed gelato before calling it a day.
November 6: Venice/Vatican City
I got up pretty early this Friday to walk Ari to the train station and help him catch his bus to the airport. He was headed back to London, but I was staying in Italy for a while longer. This was my only day fully by myself, and because Venice is so romantic, I spent the morning treating it like a date with myself.
6. Venice is extremely romantic. Proceed with caution. Or not. Depends on your relationship status. Also works beautifully for pampering yourself and self-dates.
7. Can't afford a gondola? You have two options: 1, get a larger group of people together and split the super expensive cost, or 2, just take the ferry/taxi boat thing and be able to say you rode a boat down the canal.
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Another reason Venice is perfect is there are no cars. Everything is walking or boats. There are too many bridges for bikes. Walking and boats- that's IT unless you're at the Piazza Roma, which is basically the gateway to the rest of the world, which is reality and therefore stinks.
Once I was on my own, I went back to the shops and roamed around a while longer, shopping and lingering.
8. Want a good souvenir? The masks are cool and all, no doubt, but the Murano glass is better. It's very unique to the Venice area, and the nearby island of Murano. You'll be able to have quite a story to go along with it. Be warned, it's more pricey, but quality makes it worth it.
9. If you have more than 24 hours in Venice, go to Murano and see the glass blowers. I'm sad I missed them and I'd like someone to tell me about it.
It was with great, great sadness I hopped on my train to Rome.
I got a very bad first impression of Rome. To start with, the Roma Termini train station is in what feels like the toilet section of Rome. I immediately trusted no one and did not feel safe. My hostel was pretty close to the train station, which normally would've been amazing, but this time was simply good. I'm glad it was so near transportation, but not happy at the part of Rome that put me in. Oh well...
Since I could do whatever I wanted, I decided to visit the Vatican. It was way late to see the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, so I settled on St. Peter's Basilica. I later learned that a lot of Christians were persecuted and killed in the same courtyard where the Basilica now is... which is a little crazy.
Vatican City Tips:
1. Do your research. Seriously. Things mean so much more.
2. St. Peter's is neat, but FILLED with tourists. Go to be a tourist, not to be a reverent worshipper.
3. If you're into relics, the treasury at St. Peter's is super, super worth it.
I got dinner nearby, cruised back to the hostel, and just chilled the rest of the night. Long day. I was tired and missing London. I really didn't like what I'd seen of Rome so far.
November 7: Actual Rome
4. If you are going to go see the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums, make a full day out of it, and start with buying your ticket 72 hours in advance.
5. You cannot visit the Museums in less than 2-3 hours
6. Beware the enormous crowds of clambering tourists
7. I can't tell you if it's worth it or not because I learned these travel tips the hard way.
Tried and failed to go to the Sistine Chapel. Again, trusted no one but myself, so decided to just hang out in my home base, the train station, until my travel family finally arrived.
Once they were here, we went to the part of Rome that actually made me eat my words and like Rome.
1. Walking is a good method of transport in Rome. Also, relaxing
2. Rome is better in groups of people
3. Rome is different from the Vatican. By a lot.
4. The best part of Rome starts with the ruins. See as many as possible, and start with the Roman Forum.
5. Again, a little bit of research is helpful. Not on the Roman Empire as a whole, but on Rome, the city, during the Roman Empire.
6. Warning: Seeing the ruins of a spectacular empire and thinking of it's successes and fall can bring up heavy emotions. That's ok. Rome is a very significant city. No matter who you are or what background you come from, knowing about Rome, and the legacy of Rome, matters. The world would not be the place it is today without this empire, and that's a lot to take in.
7. The Colosseum is awesome and absolutely recommended.
8. There is a chapel nearby the Colosseum with the supposed remains of St. Paul. There's not a lot of tourists there at all too, if you're wanting to get away.
9. Everything closes around 3:30/4, as far as the ruins and cool things to see go. Start early.
I had a really wonderful time wandering around Rome with my friends. Rome is a beautiful city, when you get to the nicer parts of it, but I think most of its beauty comes from its significance.
10. No matter who you are, or what you believe, go to Rome for as long as you can. Rome matters.
That night was a hungry, tired, journey to the airport, and then an exhausted flight back to London. We got in really late, and by that point, were all at a level of loopy and tired that surpassed explanations. But oh, it felt so good to be back in London, and in my own bed at the Landward.
After everywhere we went, I can still solidly say that London is my favorite city in Europe, and the world, so far. It's been nice to be back, and I don't plan on leaving the UK again this semester.
If you or someone you know plan on traveling to any of the places I've mentioned, show them this blog, or let me know! I'd love to go into more details later, if there are questions.
Fight on, friends.
