Roman Holiday

How would you describe your thoughts about Italy in one word?

Food.

Wine.

Coffee.

History.

Art.

Culture.

It's impossible. Just like it's impossible for me to sum up my week in Italy in one blog post.

To put it simply, I think I left my heart in Italy. Specifically in Florence. I fell in love from the moment I stepped off the train, sweaty and stressed after a crazy train ride through Tuscan countrysides. Rome. Rome was an absolutely magical, thriving city. The mazes of streets with pink, red, and orange houses patched together around crumbly ancient ruins. It was a relief to suddenly be surrounded by a people and culture so full of life.

The Vatican Museum and Sunday with the Pope

But Florence romanced my heart completely. Although I don't think I've ever been in love before, I think the feeling I had being in Florence was the closest I've come to it yet. Early on in our first walk around the city, I turned to my fellow au-pair and traveling buddy, Charlotte, and told her something along the lines of, "This is my city."

How could you not love a city like this?

I could write on and on and on about how much this city captured my imagination, taste buds, and emotions. But that would be pretty boring, wouldn't it? Before I move on, let me just say this: Florence and I will be seeing each other again.

Moving on, let me introduce you to my traveling buddies:

Susan, Charlotte, and I

I met Charlotte, a fellow au pair here in the Bussum area very quickly. Together, we are two of the three Americans I've found in the area. She and her mom (Susan) are from New York, and both are very well traveled. When Charlotte extended her invitation to me, I eagerly accepted. And it was a good thing I did.

Under Susan's instructions, I think we got the most we really could have from our trip. I really loved the guidelines set by my way-more-experienced traveling buddies:

1. Community money. Each day each person from the group would contribute the same amount of money into the "community money pouch." Out of that pouch we had every meal, snack, museum entrance, and bus ticket covered. I think it distributed the stress of "who's buying" evenly. 

2. No eating from a place where a monument is in sight. I don't think I ever had a bad meal in Italy, but I know I ate better than a lot of Asian tourists because of this rule. Honestly, we spent most of our time just trying to find the next place to eat, have coffee, etc. and stumbling across monuments as they came. 

Real pizza comes in squares

3. If you see a Church, walk into it. Even if you only have time to walk in and out, I've never been let down by the beautiful churches in Italy. And the best part- they're FREE! Best. Price. Ever. And not only free, but a couple times we stumbled over some real diamonds in the rough and got to see a few Michelangelo's/Raphael's/Famous artists. Minus the museum prices, wait times, and crowds. 

Just another diamond in the rough

4. If you don't know, ask. And preferably, ask someone Italian. Don't make asking for help your last resort, make it your first. 

One of the highlights of my trip was seeing Michelangelo's David in person. David is a sculpture that I have studied, loved, and has always represented my favorite time period- the renaissance. And David is really absolutely worth seeing in person, even if just to see the sheer scale of the sculpture. Not to mention that David has been quoted as "the perfect sculpture" throughout history. Needless to say, I should have ended with him rather than started with him.

Modern art too!

Seeing David was an absolute highlight, but I cannot tell you how many highlights there were. The whole week was a highlight really.  I walked an average of somewhere between 10-15 miles a day. Sunday was spent at the Vatican, with the pope and artists such as Matisse and Di Vinci and Donatello (not to mention the Sistine Chapel). The Duomo/Florence Cathedral blew my mind.

I feel like a transformed woman, mind, body and soul. I discovered my appetite like never before, eating three and four course dinners every night. I woke early and went to bed late. I was in the presence of so many masterpieces, all of them centered around churches and religion. Charlotte and I both gladly transformed to become real "Roman Women." (I've never worn that much eye liner combined with red lipstick). We hustled through busy cafes to order our cappuccinos and laughed with our charming Italian waiters while sipping from an endless reservoir of wine and eating pasta. 

Altogether, although I am still the same me, I feel as though I am blossoming more than I ever thought possible. And it's fun. All at once, this world is becoming both smaller and larger. Smaller as my imagination is met with reality. Larger as I walk the streets of Rome and think of how much further my feet can take me, and to how many more places. 

Until next time!

Ciao, 

Jessica J. Wolfe