Do-Re-Mi

Anyone who has seen the Sound of Music won't be surprised to hear that Salzburg is charming. Imagine all those lovely scenes from the movie that make you ooh and aah and that is Salzburg, Austria. What impressed me the most was how calm, peaceful, and clean the city was - refreshing after a whirlwind of often hectic cities. We didn't arrive until around 8, but it was beautiful exploring the city at night. Looking like tourists as we gaped at the bakery window with pretzels shaped like violins and elephants, roaming the tidy streets, gazing at the castle nestled up on the mountain, snapping photos on the bridge, eating dinner at a Japanese restaurant with a hilarious group that included our handsome Italian bus driver Christian. And that is our evening in Salzburg in a nutshell.

The next morning I got up early to run with a couple other girls. Hearing the alarm go off at 6 am got increasingly difficult as the trip went on and our hours of sleep steadily decreased, but it was always well worth it. Some of my favorite memories are the views of the cities I got on those runs. Our director ran with us, and she led us to various Sound of Music sights, including the gorgeous Mirabell Gardens. I can still see the vibrant flowers and perfectly manicured lawns. We only had a couple hours in Salzburg that morning, and we spent them doing a "Sound of Music Amazing Race". A.k.a probably the most effective and creative way to see the city in one hour. We split into teams and had a list of tasks relating to the movie. We danced with an Austrian playing the violin, sang "Do Re Mi" at Mirabell Gardens (and more importantly stopped to take an extra picture on unicorn statues), rolled down a grassy hill, searched unsuccessfully for a donut with kraut, ate Mozart balls, sang "Edelweiss" in front of the Festival Hall... So much fun! I didn't know what to expect from Salzburg, but I was most impressed with the little city. And it was made all the more memorable by all the singing that accompanied it.

"See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask for no guarantees. Ask for no security." - Ray Bradbury

       

   

The city that stole my heart...

I had only one night and a single morning in Venice, and she still managed to steal my heart. Every single part of her. The winding cobblestone streets where you could so easily and so delightfully get lost. The charming bridges offering tiny snapshots of Venice that I simply had to get a picture of, regardless of how many we had already passed over. The gondolas gliding down the canal with the oh-so-entertaining and sometimes singing gondoliers. The shops, the tiny colorful houses, the flower boxes, the wooden boats, the street vendors... The city was bursting with life and energy and this unique charm that I can't say I found anywhere else.

Since our time in Venice was so short, every image is burned in my mind. Eating our final Italian meal at a restaurant with twinkling lights right on the water, watching the canal and late-night gondolas being bathed in moonlight. Wandering through the twisting city streets all morning and then trying to find our way back. Standing on the Rialto Bridge gazing at the bustle of boats below us and taking pictures of the beautiful wooden boats I knew my dad would kill to be on. Riding a gondola through the canals (which remains one of my favorite moments of the trip), nervously impressed as our boat passed within centimeters of another one. And realizing the entire time that some people actually live here. Some people see this scene every single day and come home to these fairy-tale houses every night and drive these boats for a living.

I got such a small taste of Venezia. But I guess it just gives me a good excuse to go back...

"I want to make memories all over the world." - Anonymous

When in Rome...

On the bus ride to Rome, we stopped in Sienna for one of the best business visits of the trip - a cooking class. Chefs instructed us as we made our own four-course meal, which included pasta from scratch. They served us our meal while we watched the business presentation, and it was one of the best meals of the trip!

Rome was a whirlwind. You wouldn't believe all the sights we saw in two days. They were made especially memorable by the intense heat in which we experienced them all. But it was incredible to see all the classic sights you think about when imagining Rome. We walked all over Rome and felt a bit like we were in The Lizze McGuire Movie. We were tourists to the extreme - the Spanish Stairs, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Roman Forum, National Monument, and what must have been a million cathedrals. My favorite stop was tossing a coin into the beautiful Trevi Fountain and seeing it all lit up at night. Exploring the Colosseum was another amazing sight. Another favorite was eating dinner at a rooftop restaurant literally across the street from the Colosseum and seeing the Colosseum lit up as we walked back to the subway. Of course, a few gelatos rounded off the trip nicely.

Our final morning in Rome we went to the Vatican and had a guided tour. The Sistine Chapel was absolutely beautiful, and St. Peter's Basilica was stunning. A small group of us climbed some extremely windy stairs to the top of the dome which offered gorgeous views of Rome. Our little adventure cost us a sprint back to the bus to make it in time, but it was well worth it.

Although I must admit that Rome wasn't my favorite stop, it was a breathtaking city. We left exhausted but knowing we had experienced Rome to the fullest. 

The Magic of Firenze

I know it sounds cheesy, but Florence, Italy was truly magical. I have tried to conjure up a different word that doesn't make it sound like I'm describing Disneyland, but there is simply no other way to put it. We arrived late at night after a very long bus ride. The bus couldn't drive up to the hotel, so we dragged our suitcases along the cobblestones, amazed at how energetic the city was at this hour. We passed street vendors in front of the Duomo who were shooting their glowing helicopter toys high into the air. (These toys were everywhere in Italy, and I finally broke down and bought one our last night in the country - my brother loved it!) The hotel was perfectly located right in the heart of the city near the Duomo. That first night was an absolutely lovely welcome to the city, as a group of us dropped off our bags and set off to explore the city at midnight. The Duomo and Arno River were beautiful all lit up, and most importantly, I experienced my very first gelato. Let me tell you, it is everything it's made out to be plus more.

The next day, a few of us went on an early-morning run, which I discovered to be the perfect way to get a feel for the cities we visited. That morning, we hit the markets of Florence and found ourselves in seventh heaven - vendors for miles boasting purses, trinkets, jewelry, clothes... I'm fairly sure nearly every girl on the trip left Florence with a new bag. We spent quite a bit of time at the different markets around the city, and I acquired more than a few souvenirs. After the markets, we had a business visit at the Pierotucci Leather Factory where they let us explore the store and showed us around the factory. That night was one of my favorites of the entire trip. I had my first Italian pizza for dinner before walking up to the Piazza Michelangelo, which is on a hill overlooking the city. The view was simply incredible. We arrived just in time for sunset, and we stayed as the city lights slowly crept on. I can still picture the scene perfectly, right down to the Italian singing and playing his guitar in the background. Making our way to the hotel, we stopped for gelato, and I discovered my favorite flavor - dark chocolate. On the way back, we happened upon an orchestra giving a beautiful performance in Signoria Square.

Our final day in Florence was a busy one. We started the day out early at the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David. Waiting in line was made more entertaining by our group members attempting to bargain with the stubborn street vendors selling art. After the museum, naturally we had to hit the markets a final time before lunch. After, we explored some gardens - a beautiful but very hot experience... The lime slushies we discovered on the way back were lifesavers. We had a wonderful evening, as a group of us found a charming restaurant for a traditional Italian dinner and then went to an outdoor ballet - such a neat experience! We topped off the night with - you guessed it - gelato.

To put it simply, I fell head over heels in love with Florence, and it is at the very top of my list to revisit. Firenze offered quite a magical couple of days.

"You may have the universe if I may have Italy." - Giuseppe Verdi