Italy!!

Jayda and I spent about 48 hours of travel to get from Santorini to Rome including 2 overnight ferries and 2 trains. We stopped in Athens for a few hours and toured the 2004 Olympic Stadium (where Samira swam :D) then continued on through Patras, Greece where I saw absolutely beautiful country. On the ferry from Patras to Bari, Italy I was THE most gorgeous sunset I have ever seen from the ship's deck. Incredible.
In the port city, Bari, Jayda and I walked through an open air fish market where one of the vendors convinced us to taste not only raw oysters, but raw jellyfish as well!! When in Bari...? We also went to St. Nicholas' church and saw his tomb. That night in Rome we met up with Callie and Kristen in Rome:) and caught up over a bottle of wine and sandwiches.
My first time in Rome was a blast (perhaps because my friends are so great.) We stayed in a super friendly hostel near the Termini Train Station where we had access to a kitchen and made dinner a couple nights.The first day we saw the Coliseum (took pictures with gladiators), the Forum, and the Pantheon (where we made friends with a Canadian tour guide who gave us a free tour.) We learned that Queen Margherita is buried in the Pantheon. She was from Naples, the birthplace of pizza and Italians loved her so much they named the Italian flag-colored pizza after her, the Margherita. Also, the columns were brought from Egypt and the originals had to be trimmed down 30 ft because thy were sinking the barges. That evening we went to a little island in the middle of the Tiber River and happy-houred with Barbie paper cups, red wine and lemon Fanta.
On Monday Callie and I went to the Vatican Museum in Vatican City. It was awesome. I loved the Egyptian art and we spent a good 30 minutes or so with our necks craned in the Sistine Chapel. It is so colorful and perfect. There are nine scenes from the Book of Genesis on the ceiling and the Last Judgment covering one whole wall. Then we went to St. Peter1s Basilica which I also really loved. It is humongous. Inside are markings on the floor where other smaller churches would fit. There are massive angel statues high up that are 7 feet tall but seem so much smaller from the ground. It is also awesome because all of the frescoes are actually mosaics that you can take pictures of. We had sandwiches and pasta at a restaurant nearby, Miscellanea. That night I took us on Rick Steeves walking night tour that started at Campo de Fiori abd went past Trevi Fountain (where you toss coins and wish for a return trip to Rome), then to the Spanish Steps.

Venice was the best time ever. We met Shannon, a girl who used to work in the AC and at Sports Camp in Perdanone and spent the night with her. Her husband, Johnny is stationed at Aviano Air Base and they were sweet enough to let us stay with them. Their place is gorgeous--big and out in the country. The Italian Alps are just beyond their backyard! Shannon took us on a drive through the mountains up to a church, then to this awesome minty turquoise colored lake and then up to the very top where a resort usually is. From the top, you can look down through the clouds and see the Friuli Region. We also did our laundry at the base, shopped at the BX for American products (honey Chex Mix) and had a fried chicken lunch at Popeye's.
Our hotel in Venice was actually in Mestre--on the mainland and just a bus ride away from Venice. Our first night, we went on a gondola ride with Emiliano, the gondolier. He had a gorgeous voice and sang Italian love songs. He let me sing a song and I chose Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Callie cried. Emiliano and I obviously became best friends and (get ready) he let me wear his hat and drive the gondola!!! We met some of his Gondolier friends later that evening and all got drinks at a bar in Venice. The hilarious part was the next morning when we went to buy a gondola calendar at a souvenir shop and realized we had hung out with Mr. April the night before.
We spent all day exploring Venice--saw Piazza San Marco, took a ferry down the Grand Canal, had a great lunch of pizza and spaghetti, and went to a glass blowing demonstration. I love Italy. The whole time we were there, us girls just joked and laughed, had a bunch of pizza and at least two gelatos a day (pear and chocolate1s the best but I also liked rose and peach!)