I celebrated New Year’s Eve in Venice, saw some of the world’s best Renaissance art in Florence, pretended I was in Under the Tuscan Sun, and explored the ancient ruins of the Colosseum and Palatine, but my absolute favorite part of my trip to Italy was walking through Pompeii. Pompeii is located near the seaside city of Naples about 150 …
The Highlights of Rome, Italy
Rome in January is beautiful. Coming from cold Venice to “warmish” Florence and now to sunny and 60 degrees was a welcomed relief. AND we rode the train down from Florence to Rome in first class! Our professors didn’t reserve us seats on the train ride from Venice to Florence so I kept getting kicked out of my seat during …
The Best Day Trips from Florence, Italy
Have you ever seen the movie Under the Tuscan Sun? Isn’t it amazing?! Under the Tuscan Sun is one of my favorite movies and it’s probably one of the main reasons I was dying to visit Italy. Florence is a magical Renaissance city not to be missed on any Italian vacation, but Tuscany is where my heart lies. Okay, maybe …
8 Things to Do in Florence, Italy
When I dream of Italy, I always imagine red-tiled roofs, crammed streets filled with tourists and traffic honking to its own beat, and the impressive views of the Piazza del Duomo and Ponte Vecchio. When I think of Italy, I think of Florence. Florence, or Firenze to the locals, is a shrine to the Renaissance, one of my favorite times in history. …
Celebrating New Years in Venice, Italy
All through my elementary school education I was fascinated by the Roman Empire and its history, culture, and politics. In college I wanted to study abroad so bad, but due to a demanding pre-med course load with several research projects in the process, studying abroad was not possible. It’s my biggest regret in college. However, my college offered several two-week …