The next stop in our journey was the Piazza Dei Miracoli in Pisa to pose with the Leaning Tower. We arrived just as it was getting dark, and coupled with the rain, we found ourselves in a deserted plaza gazing on “one the world’s greatest cock-ups,” as Lonely Planet so affectionately refers to the tower.
Obligatory tourist photos in hand, it was time to run to catch our train to the Cinque Terre!
There’s quite a bit to see in Florence, so in an attempt to maximize the experiences/time ratio, our day there was spent walking around the city guided by Lonely Planet, climbing the dome of the Duomo cathedral, and eating lots of food (steak, buffalo milk mozzarella, tortellini with rabbit, and gellato).
Unfortunately, it was also one of the five days a year it rains. And when it rains, it poors – luckily for us the streets were flooded with street vendors selling umbrellas for the bargain price of €3.
Given the breakneck pace of our trip, I only had one day to see Rome (John had already been there for two days). Utilizing Metro Lines A and B, we managed to see the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. Not bad for about 7 hours, but I definitely want to come back someday to see it again.
With no other means of communication, John and I arranged to meet by the spire of the Pantheon in Rome at 6:00pm on September 25th. I arrived an hour late because of transportation to find John walking around the spire looking for me amongst the crowd. Not wanting to mess up an opportunity for the perfect surprise, I tapped him on the shoulder saying, “Wow, that sure is somthing – that’s been there for over 2000 years!” The Eurotrip had officially begun!
Our journey through Italy would last 3 days, with stops in Rome, Florence, Pisa, La Spezia, the Cinque Terre, and the Milan train station.
The photos below are from the flight to Rome and my first night there.
From September 25 – October 6, I traveled with a friend from Minnesota on a whistle-stop tour of Europe. Over 11 days, John and I managed to visit four countries (Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium), master public transportation, witness a small avalanche, hike into a glacier, eat amazing foods, participate in the world’s largest fair, and take over 1000 photos. Over the next few days I’ll be posting some of the highlights of the trip and my favorite photos.
To answer the popular question, yes I am taking classes this semester! Because of the scheduling here at TU Delft, though, I only have one class this quarter, which meets once a week. So, there’s some free time to explore a bit. 