GL 350 week 4

Week four flew by, and some great memories were made along the way.  On Monday we had a tour of Aventine Hill with Danielle.  Amy was sick so Danielle guided the tour solo and did an excellent job.  We saw some really amazing churches and got some great pictures. We had class in a park with Professor after the tour and had discussion. 

During the week we had another student led tour with Aimee and Rachel.  They also did a great job. We got to see the Pantheon which was amazing. I couldn't believe how big it was!  The hole in the top was massive and it was hard to believe there was no cover on top.  There are drains in the floor to prevent the building from getting too wet.  We saw some great churches with them and also some great fountains.  I got to take a lot of good pictures here as well.  After the tour a number of us ate lunch at this little Italian restaurant, it was really good.   We had our Health class in Rome outside of the Pantheon on the steps, we even took a very studious picture! In the Smiles of Rome, Spark had a great quote at the beginning of the section, " I think what attracted me most was the immediate touch of antiquity on everyday life. If you live in central Rome you have only to walk down the street and you come to a fountain by Bernini in which children are playing or a Michelangelo embassy or some fine fifteenth-century building with today's washing hanging out." I find this quote to be very true and I see it everyday when we go into Rome.  There are always some famous fountain or statue, and if you look there will be apartments with laundry hanging on a line outside the window.  It's hard to believe that everyday someone can look out their window and see all the amazing and beautiful history.

 

 

Friday morning we left for Florence via the fast train.  It was nice not having to go to the airport and wait for our flight.  The view on the way there was very pretty.  Florence was a pretty small city but it was easy for me to get turned around and confused with the many streets. We went to a museum and took an audio tour of the large art collection.  I took an art history class at Walsh last year and learned a lot about different artists and artwork.  It was amazing remembering some of the pieces and seeing them a couple feet away from me.  We were able to see the Statue of David, which was amazing.  I couldn't believe we were actually there seeing this statue that I've only heard about and seen pictures of.  I was able to sneak a picture of it while I was amongst the crowd of people.  It's hard to believe how big it really is when you are just looking at a picture but it was indescribable.  

 

Florence was filled with shopping areas.  There were many markets and other stores to buy souvenirs. Florence is known for their leather and gold products.  I have to say I spent the majority of my money in Florence.  I bought a lot of leather products and some charms for my Pandora bracelet. I had an amazing time shopping for Christmas gifts for everyone back home. 

 

Florence was really fun, the night life was really energetic and there were many other tourists.  Although the majority of everyone thought Florence was the best so far, I don't think it tops Venice for me.  Besides the shopping, I think Venice was gorgeous and I liked the atmosphere a little better than Florence. I'm so glad I was able to go and experience a new city and I can't wait to see Dublin and Sorrento!