alvoradabela

So student groups are no good for any place in Europe, fyi. However, Prague was our last stop on our Bavaria tour and the majority of the group left before we reached the city because it wasn’t included in their trip. The remaining 13 or so of us had an absolute riot in Prague. We went to a small underground bar and the DJ was terrible, kept on playing Latin beats (which can get repetitive), but in crazy American style we made do and danced with the native bar-goers all night. I definitely want to go back and really experience more of the city.

well, it was my first experience in a country other than the US, so I was pretty much amazed by everything I saw. I actually thought on the plane ride there, “What if Italy isn’t real? I mean I haven’t ever been over an ocean before.” I’m glad that was ousted the minute I saw land. There were tiny cars and these three wheeled trucks that we’re cute? I guess thats the right word. We immediately headed down to Florence from Rome. I was sadly with a student group, and we got stuck with a tiny hotel with tiny rooms that we stuffed with five girls with barely any room to move around. In an odd turn of events, we found some sort of thing beside the toilet. It was almost a toilet and yet it was made up like a sink. the faucet was even pointing down. we started trying to figure out what it was, and somehow ended up, well, shaving our legs in it. It sounds really disgusting, but hell we were only what, 13-14? Then an even more terrible thing happened, my friend Laramie decides to wash her hair in it in the morning cause its “so convenient to just take a body shower then in the morning just wash hair.” When we wake up the next morning, she is washing her hair in the regular sink and I’m stuck with the contraption beside the toilet. We go to lunch after visiting a leather factory and ask one of our chaperones what the thing was. They then said “oh that’s a beday (sp?!), it’s where you wash yourself after you go to the bathroom” and I swear the yells and hysterical laughter scared even our gorgeous waiter. I get crap for it all the time still.

But anyway, Florence! I loved it much more than Rome. The streets were so quiet and I remember just staring at the doors in the narrow walkways. Once, we were heading down a dark street and me and my friend Katherine were singing to what i think was the cure? I can’t exactly remember but we just lost our voices when we came upon this enourmous green and white cathedral with the biggest dome I’d ever seen. It seemed to go on and on. It opened up into a large square with statues such as Neptune and a depiction of Medusa being conquered. It continued to be absolutely amazing until we went on to Rome. My first sight of Rome was a dump. I remember a string of car doors, maybe hundreds and I thought wow is this how Rome is? Just like any big city, there was a lot of industrial dirt and a more urban feel to it than Florence. Even in the Forum I felt surrounded by American and Asian tourists with tourguides blaring their megaphones random facts about the great Roman times. I was truly dissapointed until I entered Vatican City. Now St. Peter’s Basilica made my eyes pop out so wide, I will never forget it. It is the largest, most elaborate building I have ever witnessed.

Well I have no conclusion, just some random thoughts on Italy. Hope you enjoyed.

It’s a suburb of Dallas, and for some reason despite its grungy reputation, the people who live here and the places in it have a perverse sort of homieness (if thats a word). If I go on vacation to Florida, or New York I always sigh with contentment when I see the “Garland, next three exits” sign.