Italy: Rome, Florence, Naples, Almafi

The second week I had the opportunity to spend the week in Italy!! So crazy. I went with two girls who are also studying abroad in Dublin for the semester. We started in Rome, and then traveled to Florence where we visited the city and the countryside of Tuscany, and then ended the trip in Naples where we traveled to the Amalfi Coast!!! The scenery was gorgeous and the food was absolutely delicious. Do not ask me how many WHOLE pizzas and pasta I ate this week.

ROMA:

Because we were here the day after Easter the number of people in the city was crazy! The lines to enter some of the most well-known tourist attractions were extremely long so we were unable to go inside everything we wanted to, but it was amazing just to be there walk around the city!! While waiting to cross the street at a traffic stop some American’s behind us started to talk to us and it turns out one of them went to Goshen College and one of the other ones knew people I knew – which totally blew my mind. What a small world.

Lots of narrow streets!

The Pantheon.

The Vatican.

FLORENCE:

I loved this city! And the hostel we stayed at was probably the best one I’ve EVER stayed in. It was super clean and they had a FREE breakfast buffet! Along with visiting the city we were also able to venture into the countryside of Tuscany.

The first public library in the world. Some of the building was designed by Michelangelo

The sunset over Florence.

Replica of David david by michelangelo

Tuscany

The oldest bridge in Florence Ponte Vecchio.

Porcellino, as the Italians call him, means “the little pig”. He supposedly brings good luck when visitors rub his snout and put a coin in his mouth.

The Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence

NAPLES:

Before coming to Naples we received a tip from others that we met along the way that Naples is a very DODGY city and they were correct. From our short time there we found this to be true. The city was very dirty, and there are a ton of pickpockets. So we decided to leave the city during the day and we visited the picturesque Amalfi coast which was GORGEOUS! I’ve never seen anything like it. Seriously. Google it. I’ve never seen ANYTHING like it. It was absolutely ridiculous. At night we came back to Naples and went to Pizzeria Da Michele, a family run pizzeria that’s been serving up Neapolitan pizza since 1870, right after Italy became a unified country. The pizza they serve is rumored to be some of the best pizza in the world. It’s also where Julia Roberts ate in “Eat, Pray, Love.” After eating there I think the rumors are true! The pizza I had there was probably the best pizza I have ever eaten!