Italy: Verona

Travis and I took a day trip to Verona!

Verona is not far from Vicenza, where Travis's family lives. Only 30 minutes or so by train. It's pretty small (which I liked) and famous as the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet! It was a very pretty town, and I enjoyed a pizza topped with curly fries and some (not enough) retail therapy.

I really wanted to do some vintage shopping in Verona, since Milan didn't go so well, but guess what? All the vintage stores here were closed TOO! This time there was no good reason. It was Tuesday, and it wasn't during reposo. In Italy stores close for about three hours in the early afternoon for god knows why... naps/long lunches maybe? Either way, they should have been open because it was after 3:30. But I did end up buying some cool stuff in this store called Tiger and I got some socks at the Italian equivalent of Forever 21, OVS.

In the Romeo-and-Juliet part of the city, there was a wall covered in "Messages to Juliet." I wrote Travis's and my initials on it, in a tiny space that wasn't already covered with writing. You were only supposed to write on the white part of the wall that was designated for that purpose, but the rest of the wall was also all grafittied up. I was about to write way down at the bottom of the wall when some police guy stopped me! I was like, sir, is my writing really going to make a difference here? But whatever.

There was also a gate covered in locks that lovers had attached to it, which I'm standing in front of here. And a few walls covered with gum (?) I must have missed that part of Romeo and Juliet.

Verona is kind of an under-rated city, and definitely worth a visit as a nice break from the crowds of Rome or Florence!

Italy: Milan

I went with Travis and his Mom to Milan for the weekend!

I wish I could say it was a wonderful whirlwind of a trip, but it was actually kind of disappointing. Mostly as bad luck and bad planning. However, it was still a beautiful city! The Cathedral was the best part, because OMG. The most ornate, beautiful church with all these spires and sculptures and stained glass. We went inside and it seemed even bigger in there. They were having mass and this choir was singing, and it felt magical and sacred.

After the Cathedral we walked around to a few shops. I only found one I liked, and planned to come back to it for this pretty handmade dress. By the time we swung back around the shop was closed. If we had been able to read the sign on the door, we would have known that it said "Be right back!" But unfortunately I missed out on it.

The next day was supposed to be full of vintage and second-hand shopping! I started the day so pumped, but it was Sunday, and literally all the shops on my list were closed. All I could do was look through the bars at dark rooms full of pretty clothes. It was a major disappointment to say the least, and I left the shopping capitol of Italy with all my money still in my pocket.

We did get to walk around the city and enjoy the beautiful weather and pretty sights, though! It's a pretty place, and I'll know to plan my shopping excursions on weekdays in the future.

This mosaic bull is missing it's family jewels because it's a tradition to spin around on them with your right heel for good luck! I did.

Milan was the last of the big cities I visited!

Daisies and Plans

I'm currently back in Vicenza and enjoying my last week in Italy! 

I head back to The States on the 10th, at which point I have to face my future as a real-life graduate and get a real-life job. And I'm real-life dreading it. I guess the plan right now is to stay with my family while applying to places in Columbia, probably design-related stuff, maybe even part time retail stuff. Then move in with Travis by August, and build up my freelancing and work on my Etsy shop in the meantime.

I really am trying to take a breath and go with the flow, something I'm not very comfortable with. I like to have things planned, but that's just not where I am right now so I gotta roll with it. What's really important to me is that I enjoy my job. I'd rather work in a friendly coffee shop than as a designer in a negative environment. Freelancing full time is my goal, but it's hard to find work for that and I'm not entirely sure I'll ever be able to. 

Whatever I end up doing, at least I'll be wearing cute clothes!

Shirt: Dapper Ink in Greenville

Skirt: Target

Shoes: Converse

I wouldn't dare say I'm sick of Italy, but I'm getting anxious and antsy to go back! The Alps, Verona, and maybe The Mediterranean are still on the list.

Italy: Florence

Here's Florence!

Florence is a nice city, much more compact than Rome, with some of the old-town style of Venice. After getting off the train it was a pretty quick walk to the star of the city, Santa Maria del Fiore! It's pretty famous among anyone who's ever taken an art history class for it's dome, designed by Brunelleschi, because it was an architectural innovation. But personally, I was just awestruck by the fancy facade! It's a gorgeous building, all marble and colors and patterns.

Another thing you might remember from Art History 101 are these doors to the Baptistery of Santa Maria del Fiore. Brunellschi and Ghiberti were two of the artists competing for the right to design all the gold squares on these doors, and Ghiberti won. After that, Brunelleschi beat Ghiberti out in a competition to design said dome.

This isn't the real David, they keep that one in a room in one of the museums. But this one still looked really cool!

Unfortunately, we had a pretty lame ending to our Florence trip. After Axton and Lesley left to go back to England, we took a pretty long bus ride to our hostel. We found it after a little while (it had a different name than the one listed online), and it was LOCKED. The gate was shut, and the door was blocked with a table and had a sign on it that said "No Entry..." or no entrada or something. We tried to go around the back but it was all gated off, and I was starting to freak out. It wasn't in a super nice neighborhood, and it was past 8. We went back to the front of the building and saw this sign (that I couldn't even read from that distance) that said reception was closed from 8-9. Okay, okay, that's fine.Oh wait, if you check in after 9 you have to pay an extra 10 euro! That's like, the cost of the room. 

We were so fed up after that ordeal that we just caught a train back to Travis's house. That meant we had to miss out on the museums, which I was really sad about. I cried.

Even though we had to cut the trip short, Florence was a beautiful city, and I had a good time! There was this one beautiful boutique, but the only thing I could afford was a ring, it was all so expensive!

Italy: Rome

After Venice, we visited Rome!

Rome is a lot more urban than Venice, which Travis described as "a city preserved from another time." I gotta say, I'm not much of a city girl, and the public transportation especially took it's toll on me. But it was a really amazing city full of old architecture and art!

We arrived in Rome late at night after a 4 hour train ride and sort of begged the kitchen at our hostel for any food at all. We were all really worn out from carrying our heavy bags all over Venice, and as Trav and I got to our tent, the key actually broke in the door! Thank god we were traveling with Axton and Lesley because the reception was closed, and they let us stay in their tent that night. I spent a lot of the next day sleeping, but towards the afternoon we went to see the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain!

Trajan's Column.

I had the best gelato outside the Pantheon! This was frutti di bosco and limone!

The next day we woke up and went downtown to visit the Vatican Museum. To say it was amazing would be an understatement.

The saddest thing in Rome is the plight of the immigrant population. Basically there are a ton of beggars, mostly Romanis, and they sell goods of questionable origin along the streets, as well as outright begging for money. They can get really pushy, and I understand why there is negative sentiment towards them from the natives. But it's really heartbreaking knowing that they're forced into doing things like that because its the only way they can make money.

The line outside the Vatican was really long, and these people kept offering to help us "skip the line" for 25 euros. They said the line was too long and we wouldn't make it to the museum before it closed. Well, the line only took about an hour to move through, and turns out these guys were just bringing groups of people to the front of the line and funneling them back in! There are few things I hate in this world more than line-cutters, guys, and I was pretty annoyed. Luckily the Vatican was well worth the wait and the annoyance!

(I also spent too much on a dress at this adorable boutique, so.)

I loved this sassy lady.

I did get to see the Sistine Ceiling, which was really cool! I didn't take a picture though, because I'm not a disrespectful dweeb. 

Finally we went to visit the Coliseum and ruins. We didn't go inside, but the view from the outside was pretty spectacular, too!

Lesley, Axton, and Travis accidentally dressed like the Italian flag!

As usual, keep up with me on Instagram , and watch for my next post from Florence!