We finally went on our first official tour yesterday. We traveled to Stonehenge, Bath (home of the Roman Baths), and Windsor Castle! This was actually a lot of fun! I wouldn't have wanted to do a lot of tours, but I am glad we did this one. They gave us audio guides at each site and it really made seeing it much more meaningful. Learning about the history of each site was pretty beneficial. The tour really lasted all day and when we got home we just talked with our Aussie roomate, Chris, for a while and then went out to dinner. We got lucky again with this roomate. The Australians have been consistantly awesome. It think that is the next place I want to visit!
We are leaving for Dublin this evening and will arrive rather late, but I can't wait! We are both getting a little weary. Hopefully, Dublin will be relaxing. I have heard it is going to be even colder :( Nooooo! (That is why I haven't worn my b-day present Lauren.)
We've got to check out, but we love you all and can't wait to see you in just a few days!
Love,
Amanda and Katie
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
London in a day...
Today we headed out on our grand tour of London! Fasten your seatbelts! Here is what we did and what we saw...
On the way to Central London we walked through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park...2 very beatiful parks that I wish we had in the states!
We made our way to Buckingham Palace and saw the Royal Guards (drum corp) perform a short concert and then march to the Guard Museum.
After the Palace we strolled (in the rain) to Big Ben which is attached to the Houses of Parliment.
Then we made our way across the Thames River via Westminster Bridge to Tate Modern, a museum of art from the 20th and 21st centuries. I LOVED IT! My favorite place in London so far!
After our fill of art we crossed the Tower Bridge to the Tower of London, then making our way back across London Bridge (very disappointing) we saw Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and crossed the Millenium Bridge! Across the Millenium Bridge is St. Paul's Cathedral.
Then because of the freezing weather (we could actually see our breath)!!!! We went to Oxford Street to buy a pair of jeans b/c I brought no pants :) After Oxford Street we made our way home from our long, long day!
We are dead tired...our feet are killing us! Who knows what the day holds tomorrow, but our near future is lots of sleep!
FYI: I noticed this odd but rather fascinating trend. Many people in London literally RUN home from work! They toss their work clothes in a backpack and run home! Around 6pm today probably 50+ people ran past us with backpacks on! It is crazy and makes me feel a bit lazy, but I am inspired.
Alright, we love you all and miss you a whole heck of a lot!
Amanda and Katie
On the way to Central London we walked through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park...2 very beatiful parks that I wish we had in the states!
We made our way to Buckingham Palace and saw the Royal Guards (drum corp) perform a short concert and then march to the Guard Museum.
After the Palace we strolled (in the rain) to Big Ben which is attached to the Houses of Parliment.
Then we made our way across the Thames River via Westminster Bridge to Tate Modern, a museum of art from the 20th and 21st centuries. I LOVED IT! My favorite place in London so far!
After our fill of art we crossed the Tower Bridge to the Tower of London, then making our way back across London Bridge (very disappointing) we saw Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and crossed the Millenium Bridge! Across the Millenium Bridge is St. Paul's Cathedral.
Then because of the freezing weather (we could actually see our breath)!!!! We went to Oxford Street to buy a pair of jeans b/c I brought no pants :) After Oxford Street we made our way home from our long, long day!
We are dead tired...our feet are killing us! Who knows what the day holds tomorrow, but our near future is lots of sleep!
FYI: I noticed this odd but rather fascinating trend. Many people in London literally RUN home from work! They toss their work clothes in a backpack and run home! Around 6pm today probably 50+ people ran past us with backpacks on! It is crazy and makes me feel a bit lazy, but I am inspired.
Alright, we love you all and miss you a whole heck of a lot!
Amanda and Katie
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Pictures of Barcelona and Paris!!
Barcelona:
http://umkc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033160&l=c6990&id=66801302
Paris:
http://umkc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033162&l=269b0&id=66801302
http://umkc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033160&l=c6990&id=66801302
Paris:
http://umkc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033162&l=269b0&id=66801302
Farewell Paris!
Our last day in Paris we went to the catacombs, Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge, the Picasso Museum and then went to view the Eiffel Tower at night!
The Picasso Museum and night viewing of the ET were definitely my favorites!
Today we are headed to London via train and chunnel! I will write more and post more pictures when we get there this afternoon!
Love and Miss you!
Amanda and Katie
The Picasso Museum and night viewing of the ET were definitely my favorites!
Today we are headed to London via train and chunnel! I will write more and post more pictures when we get there this afternoon!
Love and Miss you!
Amanda and Katie
Friday, June 22, 2007
Rainy day in Paris...
This morning we got up and at breakfast at our favorite bakery, La Flute! Then we walked about 4 miles to the Eiffel Tower. When we got there and were in line to walk up the stairs to the second deck it started to rain, and then pour! Nooo, not on Eiffel Tower day! So, we said we are doing it anyway! How often can you climb the stairs of the Eiffel Tower in the rain? Not often. It was still a lovely view from the top and we ran into an Australian family that we had met at Notre Dame yesterday!
After the Eiffel Tower we bought an umbrella for 4 Euros and headed to find some lunch! We had a fabulous lunch at this little cafe nearby and then went off to the Arc de Triomphe! There were some goings on there today with lots of firemen and police officers, so we couldn't go inside, but it was still nice to see and walk around.
Then we headed down this huge street, full of places to shop to the Lourve! We got into the Lourve for free and walked and walked some more. We saw the Mona Lisa and Venus (Aphrodite) and Rapheal and on and on. The place is enormus! We walked around for about 2.5 hours and then called it quits.
We walked home and got to hang out with our new roomies (two girls from Canada and one from Lithuania). The are a riot! Tomorrow is a big day and people are waiting for me to get off this computer, so that is why the details are few and far between:(
It is also quite cool here. Brrrr.
We love you and miss you!
Amanda and Katie
After the Eiffel Tower we bought an umbrella for 4 Euros and headed to find some lunch! We had a fabulous lunch at this little cafe nearby and then went off to the Arc de Triomphe! There were some goings on there today with lots of firemen and police officers, so we couldn't go inside, but it was still nice to see and walk around.
Then we headed down this huge street, full of places to shop to the Lourve! We got into the Lourve for free and walked and walked some more. We saw the Mona Lisa and Venus (Aphrodite) and Rapheal and on and on. The place is enormus! We walked around for about 2.5 hours and then called it quits.
We walked home and got to hang out with our new roomies (two girls from Canada and one from Lithuania). The are a riot! Tomorrow is a big day and people are waiting for me to get off this computer, so that is why the details are few and far between:(
It is also quite cool here. Brrrr.
We love you and miss you!
Amanda and Katie
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Bonjour!
It is good to see that the links to the pictures are working! Hope that you all are enjoying them.
Our last day in Barcelona we spent lying on the beach, since we finally had our swimsuits!! It was a beautiful thing. We both took a little dip in the Mediterranian (only a little one b/c it was freezing)! Around 8pm we got to the train station and at 9pm caught our train to Paris. The overnight train was not too bad, I must admit.
We got to Paris this morning at 9am and made the trek to our hostel! Actually having luggage to carry makes this traveling stuff a bit harder, not that I am complaining. I love having my things!
After checking into our hostel we grabbed some breakfast at a local bakery and headed to Notre Dame! There was a drum and bugle corp playing out front and they were really really good! We listened for a while and then headed inside. The cathedral is beautiful, as they all have been. After our go round inside we waited in line to take the stairs to the top of the bell tower! Lots of stairs and winding staircases, but we made it and the view of Paris was amazing! We could see the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River and the Lourve. We also got a first hand look at some of the gargoyles! They are just like in the movie! We got a pic taken in front of the bell.
For the rest of the afternoon we just chilled, grabbed some dinner at a local cafe, and were surprised by the Paris nightlife! Tonight, as we soon heard is a very special night b/c it is the longest day of the year. So the entirity of Paris is a music festival with bands and musicians on every block! It is pretty awesome. We heard some songs we recognized and many others that we didn't. The crowds are crazy! There was silly string and confetti EVERYWHERE!
I am off to bed b/c we have a big day of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Lourve tomorrow! I am sure we will have a ton to share with you!
Love you all and miss you!
Amanda and Katie
Our last day in Barcelona we spent lying on the beach, since we finally had our swimsuits!! It was a beautiful thing. We both took a little dip in the Mediterranian (only a little one b/c it was freezing)! Around 8pm we got to the train station and at 9pm caught our train to Paris. The overnight train was not too bad, I must admit.
We got to Paris this morning at 9am and made the trek to our hostel! Actually having luggage to carry makes this traveling stuff a bit harder, not that I am complaining. I love having my things!
After checking into our hostel we grabbed some breakfast at a local bakery and headed to Notre Dame! There was a drum and bugle corp playing out front and they were really really good! We listened for a while and then headed inside. The cathedral is beautiful, as they all have been. After our go round inside we waited in line to take the stairs to the top of the bell tower! Lots of stairs and winding staircases, but we made it and the view of Paris was amazing! We could see the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River and the Lourve. We also got a first hand look at some of the gargoyles! They are just like in the movie! We got a pic taken in front of the bell.
For the rest of the afternoon we just chilled, grabbed some dinner at a local cafe, and were surprised by the Paris nightlife! Tonight, as we soon heard is a very special night b/c it is the longest day of the year. So the entirity of Paris is a music festival with bands and musicians on every block! It is pretty awesome. We heard some songs we recognized and many others that we didn't. The crowds are crazy! There was silly string and confetti EVERYWHERE!
I am off to bed b/c we have a big day of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Lourve tomorrow! I am sure we will have a ton to share with you!
Love you all and miss you!
Amanda and Katie
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Florence and Venice-Days 4 and 5 (and a little Milan...booo)
http://umkc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032990&l=04271&id=66801302
Link to Pictures of Rome Day 3 :)
http://umkc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032988&l=dee83&id=66801302
A link to PICTURES of Rome...days 1 and 2.
http://umkc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032987&l=4ffd1&id=66801302
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Picasso...
Well, I would say last night was our first "bad" experience with our roommates. I am sure even you all can speculate who the culprut was...Denmark. Denmark rolled in around 3:45, stumbling and insanely intoxicated and high as usual. Next thing I know Denmark's mattress is being ripped off the bed and onto the floor, incedently, shutting the door of the window...our only source of cool air in a small room of 8 people. Denmark proceeds to baracade the door of the window with the mattress and passed out self! As the temperature of the room increases our discomfort likewise. Around 4:15 I got up to go the bathroom, with at least the hallway being cool and Katie joined me. We lay back down and both fell asleep around 6 and got up about 8:30...needless to say, a rough night. Denmark was still sleeping when we left of course...like a baby.
We called the airline they said, "Your luggage will be delivered today."
We then headed to the Picasso Museum. It was fantastic! Picasso was born in and did all of his early work until about the age of 19 in Barcelona. Seeing paintings he did at age 12 is jaw-dropping. This has been our favorite thing in Barcelona thus far. Then we walked up to the Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that was started by the artist Gaudi. He died before its finish and it is still under construction that is only moved forward by private donations. We then went back to the hostel to see if our bagage had made it home. It had not, so then we went down to the beach anyway just to hang out. Let's say modesty is not one of the strengths of the Spaniards, and I will leave it at that.
After the beach we ate dinner and headed back around 9:45 to check on our luggage again. NOT HERE! So I called the airline and was told that they had tried to deliver it yesterday, but couldn't find the hostel...calling or Mapquest apparently never crossed their minds. So I said how can we get it before we leave for Paris tomorrow, and the only way was to pick it up from the airport ourselves. So at 10pm we took the Metro and a train to the airport, snuck through a few doors that were "prohibited" (expecting to be tackled at any moment by security) and finally made it to the bagge desk. The clerk then told me that storage, where our bags were, closed at 10pm. It was now 11:15pm. So I turned on the waterworks and the charm and the clerk said that when he got off his shift in 15 minutes he would take us there himself and let us look for it! We found BOTH bags and took a bus home (where the woman next to us got mugged and then her husband chased the culprit, retrieving the purse and making it back on the bus before it left the stop). We made it home safe and sound!
Tomorrow we are off to the beach and Olympic Stadium and then to Paris!! with our bags!!
We love you all and miss you like crazy! 10 days of adventure left!
Amanda and Katie
*Sorry about grammar and spelling it is late and I am waiting for laundry to be done :)
We called the airline they said, "Your luggage will be delivered today."
We then headed to the Picasso Museum. It was fantastic! Picasso was born in and did all of his early work until about the age of 19 in Barcelona. Seeing paintings he did at age 12 is jaw-dropping. This has been our favorite thing in Barcelona thus far. Then we walked up to the Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that was started by the artist Gaudi. He died before its finish and it is still under construction that is only moved forward by private donations. We then went back to the hostel to see if our bagage had made it home. It had not, so then we went down to the beach anyway just to hang out. Let's say modesty is not one of the strengths of the Spaniards, and I will leave it at that.
After the beach we ate dinner and headed back around 9:45 to check on our luggage again. NOT HERE! So I called the airline and was told that they had tried to deliver it yesterday, but couldn't find the hostel...calling or Mapquest apparently never crossed their minds. So I said how can we get it before we leave for Paris tomorrow, and the only way was to pick it up from the airport ourselves. So at 10pm we took the Metro and a train to the airport, snuck through a few doors that were "prohibited" (expecting to be tackled at any moment by security) and finally made it to the bagge desk. The clerk then told me that storage, where our bags were, closed at 10pm. It was now 11:15pm. So I turned on the waterworks and the charm and the clerk said that when he got off his shift in 15 minutes he would take us there himself and let us look for it! We found BOTH bags and took a bus home (where the woman next to us got mugged and then her husband chased the culprit, retrieving the purse and making it back on the bus before it left the stop). We made it home safe and sound!
Tomorrow we are off to the beach and Olympic Stadium and then to Paris!! with our bags!!
We love you all and miss you like crazy! 10 days of adventure left!
Amanda and Katie
*Sorry about grammar and spelling it is late and I am waiting for laundry to be done :)
Monday, June 18, 2007
Barcelona...the exploration begins!
So, last night after we posted we met our roommates who we fondly refer to by their country of origin, so we have Canada, Denmark, London, Honk Kong (or city), and London. Canada is a talker...I mean a serious talker. Canada is traveling alone and you can tell that lonliness has set in. Denmark drinks a lot, smokes a lot of the "special stuff", and is rather vulgar. London just wants to party and hook up and Hong Kong doesn't speak much English or speak much at all. Today we got some new roomies...thankfully. Canada and Denmark are still there, but the others left and we now have three from Australia...so we actually had to learn their names :)
Today we got up around 8, showered, had our complementary breakfast, and headed to the Barcelona Aquarium. It was pretty nice...nothing like the the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, but for its size had some nice exhibits including a cuttlefish reproduction tank. Very interesting (says the biology teacher in me) and very fun to see a mom and dad explain to their two 10 and under children what the cuttlefish were doing..."kissing", I think, was how the mom put it.
Next we walked through the Gothic Quarter to The Cathedral and went inside. It was absolutely beautiful, obviously, gothic in its style, but very detailed and intricate. The we headed up to the Placa Catalunya (a big square) where there are several large sculptures and lots of people watching to do! We ate lunch at Burger King (I am a bit ashamed), but Katie was dying for a cheeseburger and all admit I enjoyed my burger as well. We finished off the day walking around La Rambla a very high energy shopping area filled with locals and tourists and street performers. We saw some human statues, break dancers, and Spainish dancers. It was good times! We headed back to the hostel rested for a bit...chatted with Canada, of course, and then went out for dinner. I had some grilled swordfish (AWESOME) and Katie had pollo and patatas (chicken and fries). We finished off the night with a walk to the beach and are now ready to rest!
Tomorrow we are headed to the Picasso Museum, Olympic Stadium, and several other exciting places! Hope all is swell with everyone! We love you and miss you!
Amanda and Katie
Today we got up around 8, showered, had our complementary breakfast, and headed to the Barcelona Aquarium. It was pretty nice...nothing like the the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, but for its size had some nice exhibits including a cuttlefish reproduction tank. Very interesting (says the biology teacher in me) and very fun to see a mom and dad explain to their two 10 and under children what the cuttlefish were doing..."kissing", I think, was how the mom put it.
Next we walked through the Gothic Quarter to The Cathedral and went inside. It was absolutely beautiful, obviously, gothic in its style, but very detailed and intricate. The we headed up to the Placa Catalunya (a big square) where there are several large sculptures and lots of people watching to do! We ate lunch at Burger King (I am a bit ashamed), but Katie was dying for a cheeseburger and all admit I enjoyed my burger as well. We finished off the day walking around La Rambla a very high energy shopping area filled with locals and tourists and street performers. We saw some human statues, break dancers, and Spainish dancers. It was good times! We headed back to the hostel rested for a bit...chatted with Canada, of course, and then went out for dinner. I had some grilled swordfish (AWESOME) and Katie had pollo and patatas (chicken and fries). We finished off the night with a walk to the beach and are now ready to rest!
Tomorrow we are headed to the Picasso Museum, Olympic Stadium, and several other exciting places! Hope all is swell with everyone! We love you and miss you!
Amanda and Katie
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Our first day in Barcelona
So as you all know we had some trouble with the train station in Milan booking our trip to Barcelona. We ended up taking a plane instead. Today we walked around and sat on the beach. Oh and guess what when we got here our luggage was not. That's right almost a week into our trip and we still have no luggage. Although it makes traveling light, it is a hassel not haveing any ouf our things. The airline told Amanda that they had hers and mine was still missing. Hopefully hers willl get here tomorrow and mine will turn up somewhere. Love and miss you all!!!!!!!!!
Katie and Amanda
Katie and Amanda
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Milan...a hate/love relationship?
So, first about Venice! Ahhhh, we LOVE Venice! What a spectacular city! We got to Venice late on the 15th after about a quadrabillion (uh huh) train issues. We hopped on a vaparetto and rode to the little island of Lido. It was so cute! Our hotel was a simple as could be (to put it nicely), but it was clean and a place to lay our heads...our oh so tired heads. We got up early today and headed out on the town! We walked in and out of hunderds of side streets over canals and through alleys and it was simply wonderful! We made our way over to Piazza di San Marco (San Marcos Square). It was definitely a moment where you want to pinch yourself and say, "is this really happening?" There were thousands upon thousands of tourists there! After standing in awe for quite a while we saw a vendor...selling pigeon food! We got ourselves a bag for 1 Euro and took turns feeding the pigeons. Hilarious! There is video of Katie feeding and we have pics of me. These pigeons are mad (crazy) and just fly all over you...their warm feather bellies all up on our arms! Yikes! This was a first time experience that we will not soon forget, not that we have had a shortage of those recently :) After Venice we made a smooth transition to our train to Milano!
Oh, Milan... We don't really know what to say about Milan right now... The train station is like...hell. It was the first time on the trip that I (Amanda) cried and had some older Italian woman who was a Tabbachi vendor take pity on me. I won't relay the entire experience to you all, but lets just say we are flying from Milan to Barcelona tomorrow...end of the bad part of the story. Onto the good. Our hotel in Milan is great! We went to dinner at Al Tavolino Ristorante. Our waitress was basically the cutest Italian speaking Asian EVER! We love her! She and this small ristorante saved Milan for us!
The word on the street (or the word on my phone at 11:45 last night when the airline called me) is that our luggage (half of it atleast) may meet us in Barcelona! Yea! We will see. Don't get your hopes up yet.
Again, for the second time today we love you and miss you! Ciao (for the last time) from Milan, Italy!
Amanda and Katie
Oh, Milan... We don't really know what to say about Milan right now... The train station is like...hell. It was the first time on the trip that I (Amanda) cried and had some older Italian woman who was a Tabbachi vendor take pity on me. I won't relay the entire experience to you all, but lets just say we are flying from Milan to Barcelona tomorrow...end of the bad part of the story. Onto the good. Our hotel in Milan is great! We went to dinner at Al Tavolino Ristorante. Our waitress was basically the cutest Italian speaking Asian EVER! We love her! She and this small ristorante saved Milan for us!
The word on the street (or the word on my phone at 11:45 last night when the airline called me) is that our luggage (half of it atleast) may meet us in Barcelona! Yea! We will see. Don't get your hopes up yet.
Again, for the second time today we love you and miss you! Ciao (for the last time) from Milan, Italy!
Amanda and Katie
A day in Venice...
We got to Venice last night and have spent the day touring the city. It is like being in a postcard here! We have seen a lot but will have to share details later because we need to catch our train to Milan!
Love you all and miss you!
Amanda and Katie
Love you all and miss you!
Amanda and Katie
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Rome is...looking up!
Bonjourno! Well, it is our last night at our hostel in Rome :( We have had a wonderful experience with them...yea, Hostel Alessandro Palace! So, here as usual are the events of our wonderful day!
Our day started with a walk to the Spanish Steps...really they are just a heck of a lot of stairs. Probably if we new the history about them they would be much more interesting (Booth?). After the Spanish Steps we headed over towards the tiber river to see the Piazza del Tribunali, a beautiful building of artwork. We walked along the Tiber down to the bridge leading to the Caslte of Santa Angelo. The bridges are all gorgeous, adorned with statues and sculptures. We crossed over to the other side and headed towards Vatican City. When we got to the city we took a rest to kind of take it all in and then we headed to the line...the line of all lines. We headed for St. Peter's Basillica! We waited and waited and waited...it was hot and crowded and packed as tight as our non-existant suitcases (har har har). We got to climb to the top of the basillica and see a breath-taking view of Rome. Then we entered the basillica and saw lots of dead popes...again probably slightly more meaningful if we were Catholic, but still very ornate and fantastic! After exiting the basillica we headed towards the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. You must realize this is 4 MILES of museum. Very beautiful...made me want to brush up on my art history. We really spent a lot of our time looking up at the ceilings. I can't even imagine the amount of time put into these ceilings (again hopefully pics will be coming soon)! We saw the original tapestry of The Lord's Supper. The Sistine Chapel was almost surreal. It was beautiful and elegant in its design. Michaelangelo (sorry if I butchered the spelling) is a genious in his work.
Time for the trek home. After some minor navigational errors (by Amanda...surprise, surprise) we made it to a quaint little Italian restuarante. I had baked lasagne (Mmmmmm) and Katie had a chicken salad (that was not so Mmmmm), but we finished it off with some baked creme...pretty much delicious and indescribable.
We got back to the hostel and finally our wishes came true! OUR LUGGAGE HAS BEEN FOUND, but we don't have it yet. So, we shall see how long that takes, but at least it is found. Amazing how as soon as they started paying each of us 53 Euros a day the luggage was quickly found...hmmm, a little shady.
Tomorrow we are headed out early to Florence for mid-morning to afternoon and then on to Venice where we will stay the night, spend and day and stay one more night! This is a side trip we planned while here :) Why not?
We love you! Thank you to those who have written comments! Ciao for now!
Amanda and Katie
Our day started with a walk to the Spanish Steps...really they are just a heck of a lot of stairs. Probably if we new the history about them they would be much more interesting (Booth?). After the Spanish Steps we headed over towards the tiber river to see the Piazza del Tribunali, a beautiful building of artwork. We walked along the Tiber down to the bridge leading to the Caslte of Santa Angelo. The bridges are all gorgeous, adorned with statues and sculptures. We crossed over to the other side and headed towards Vatican City. When we got to the city we took a rest to kind of take it all in and then we headed to the line...the line of all lines. We headed for St. Peter's Basillica! We waited and waited and waited...it was hot and crowded and packed as tight as our non-existant suitcases (har har har). We got to climb to the top of the basillica and see a breath-taking view of Rome. Then we entered the basillica and saw lots of dead popes...again probably slightly more meaningful if we were Catholic, but still very ornate and fantastic! After exiting the basillica we headed towards the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. You must realize this is 4 MILES of museum. Very beautiful...made me want to brush up on my art history. We really spent a lot of our time looking up at the ceilings. I can't even imagine the amount of time put into these ceilings (again hopefully pics will be coming soon)! We saw the original tapestry of The Lord's Supper. The Sistine Chapel was almost surreal. It was beautiful and elegant in its design. Michaelangelo (sorry if I butchered the spelling) is a genious in his work.
Time for the trek home. After some minor navigational errors (by Amanda...surprise, surprise) we made it to a quaint little Italian restuarante. I had baked lasagne (Mmmmmm) and Katie had a chicken salad (that was not so Mmmmm), but we finished it off with some baked creme...pretty much delicious and indescribable.
We got back to the hostel and finally our wishes came true! OUR LUGGAGE HAS BEEN FOUND, but we don't have it yet. So, we shall see how long that takes, but at least it is found. Amazing how as soon as they started paying each of us 53 Euros a day the luggage was quickly found...hmmm, a little shady.
Tomorrow we are headed out early to Florence for mid-morning to afternoon and then on to Venice where we will stay the night, spend and day and stay one more night! This is a side trip we planned while here :) Why not?
We love you! Thank you to those who have written comments! Ciao for now!
Amanda and Katie
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
14 June 2007 Rome in ruins....
Yesterday was quite an exciting day...lots and lots and lots of walking. By the end of the day we were convinced that being 24 had really taken a toll on our youth :) Here is a little summary of the events of yesterday...
*We went and saw Treve Fountain, a fountain created to boast of Romes ability to harness and bring water to the city. Legends say that if you turn your back to the fountain and make a wish (throwing a coin over your shoulder) that it will come true. Also, it will ensure your return to Rome. We both wished for our luggage to be at the hostel when we returned...
*After the fountain we made our way to the Roman Forum, Palatine and the Colosseum. AMAZING! The Roman Forum contains the ruins of things like the Temple of Saturn, a single column that was a gift to Rome after their downfall, etc. Palatino is the ruins of many emperors' palaces. It is really not comprehendable how old some of these things are. I tried my best to imagine what it all looked like in its glory days! And last, but not least we saw the Colosseum. WOW! Going in there and seeing the majesty of it all and imagining it filled with Romans to watch the gladiators... I was just in awe. It was crazy!
*Next we made our way to the area where the chariot races were held...mostly just a lot of grass. I won't lie. It wasn't quite as thrilling :) We walked along the Tiber river and looked at the many beautiful bridges.
*Finally we made our way up to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. The Pantheon might have been one of my favorite places of the day. The architecture and the artwork inside was just breathtaking! I really feel like I am dreaming most of the time. The Piazza Navona is basically a big square where there are 3 beautiful fountains (at either side and one in the middle). There are a lot of artists there and street merchants. We saw some very beautiful paintings. Also we saw some street performers...the kind that paint themselves and stand like statues. There was a Cleopatra and a Statue of Liberty. The were very good at holding still :)
We made the long trek home praying the whole time that our luggage might be there. It wasn't. I called the airport and they said that we could spend 53 Euros a piece per day. So then we showered up and went shopping! I quickly bought a dress and some clean underwear and my Euros were gone. Katie got a skirt and shirt and also clean undergarments. (It feels awesome to have on clean clothes!)
Today we are off to Vatican City! Hope you all are well! We miss you and hope to get pictures up soon! Between the two of us we took around 400 pics yesterday! Love you all!
Amanda and Katie
*We went and saw Treve Fountain, a fountain created to boast of Romes ability to harness and bring water to the city. Legends say that if you turn your back to the fountain and make a wish (throwing a coin over your shoulder) that it will come true. Also, it will ensure your return to Rome. We both wished for our luggage to be at the hostel when we returned...
*After the fountain we made our way to the Roman Forum, Palatine and the Colosseum. AMAZING! The Roman Forum contains the ruins of things like the Temple of Saturn, a single column that was a gift to Rome after their downfall, etc. Palatino is the ruins of many emperors' palaces. It is really not comprehendable how old some of these things are. I tried my best to imagine what it all looked like in its glory days! And last, but not least we saw the Colosseum. WOW! Going in there and seeing the majesty of it all and imagining it filled with Romans to watch the gladiators... I was just in awe. It was crazy!
*Next we made our way to the area where the chariot races were held...mostly just a lot of grass. I won't lie. It wasn't quite as thrilling :) We walked along the Tiber river and looked at the many beautiful bridges.
*Finally we made our way up to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. The Pantheon might have been one of my favorite places of the day. The architecture and the artwork inside was just breathtaking! I really feel like I am dreaming most of the time. The Piazza Navona is basically a big square where there are 3 beautiful fountains (at either side and one in the middle). There are a lot of artists there and street merchants. We saw some very beautiful paintings. Also we saw some street performers...the kind that paint themselves and stand like statues. There was a Cleopatra and a Statue of Liberty. The were very good at holding still :)
We made the long trek home praying the whole time that our luggage might be there. It wasn't. I called the airport and they said that we could spend 53 Euros a piece per day. So then we showered up and went shopping! I quickly bought a dress and some clean underwear and my Euros were gone. Katie got a skirt and shirt and also clean undergarments. (It feels awesome to have on clean clothes!)
Today we are off to Vatican City! Hope you all are well! We miss you and hope to get pictures up soon! Between the two of us we took around 400 pics yesterday! Love you all!
Amanda and Katie
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
13 June 2007 When in Rome....
Well, we have made it to Rome! Our 12ish hours of exhausting plane rides have definitely caught up with us. We napped for quite a while yesterday after we got here. Rome is so awesome though! Just walking around the city is like being in a dream and we haven't even gotten started yet! We have had our fair share of struggles on the way here...transfering airlines in Chicago...I think that is what started it all. After transfering to a different airline b/c of reasons beyond our control we get to Rome and our luggage did not :( That's right! We have nothing! So that is a little scary and yesterday was insanely frustrating, but hey, we are in stinkin' ROME!
Today we are off to see the Colosseum and the Palentine and other things! I am sure that we will have much more to share tonight! I haven't figured out pics yet, but I will try more later! We love you all SO much and miss you a ton!
Amanda and Katie
Today we are off to see the Colosseum and the Palentine and other things! I am sure that we will have much more to share tonight! I haven't figured out pics yet, but I will try more later! We love you all SO much and miss you a ton!
Amanda and Katie
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