ROME: Rome was great! We happened to catch it during a slow tourist season, so it wasn’t packed at all. Our travel agent (Colleen from Go-Today.com) snagged us the Hotel Napoleon for a great price. All the luxuries of a regular hotel, in a nice compact package! It was right next to the subway so transportation anywhere in the city was a piece of cake, and the concierge was a great touch. We spent a day touring the Vatican thanks to MyVaticanTour.com. Our tour guide, Kelsey, was great and led us through the gauntlet of tourists in the museum, and then on to the Sistine Chapel. After that, we moved on the St. Peter’s Basilica, which was the most amazing building I’ve ever seen. The pictures cannot do justice to the sheer size and the amazing detail in every square inch of the building. Our nights in Rome were often filled with aimless wandering, photographs, and gelato. We were incredibly fortunate to stumble upon the Coliseum one night; we were simply there to take photos of the exterior, but they were offering a very rare night tour! SCORE! I’ve never seen the inside of the Coliseum at night before, but it was one of the eeriest things I’ve seen yet.
FLORENCE: After figuring out how the Italian train system works, we moved on to Florence. This was a really cool city filled with tons of high end stores. Too bad I’m broke and I’m not trendy. Florence is perhaps the most influential art city in all of Italy. The world-renowned Ufizzi is there, along with the Accademia which houses Michelangelo’s David. Despite being a photographer, I’ve decided that I am not a fan of museums. I don’t know what it is, but all paintings start looking the same after about 10 minutes. Maybe it’s just me. 
But the street lights illuminating the river at night were gorgeous.
CINQUE TERRE: Hands down, Cinque Terre was the most relaxing place I have ever been in my life. We stayed in Vernazza, which gets a little touristy during the day but was absolutely amazing at night. We met a really cool couple from Colorado, Mark and Sarah. Mark is a blossoming photo nerd, so he and I had plenty to talk about. Clara and Sarah both shared the same disappointment in their men, so they got along just fine as well. It is a quaint beach town filled with pizza, pasta, and wine. There are numerous sights to be seen nearby, and even a dude walking through the train station in a white speedo (you had to be there). The stray cats all beg at the side of the dinner table like dogs…it was hilarious! In all, Vernazza was amazing. Imagine soaking up the scenic hikes during the day, and then sitting on the pier under the stars at night, with a bottle of wine (per person). If anyone is getting married in Cinque Terre, I will shoot your wedding for free…just get me there. 
VENICE: And then on to Venice. Oh what can I say about Venice…everyone seems to love Venice. Except for me. I am absolutely convinced that Venice was mapped out by a blind man. There is no clear path from one location to another. Navigating through the city is like getting stuck in a concrete maze. Even with a map, it is incredibly difficult because the street signs are horribly lacking. When you’re trying to sightsee and can’t get from location to location, that can make for a frustrating day. Regardless of the flustering navigation, you gotta admit that the city is quite pretty. I just need a tour guide next time.
All in all, an awesome trip that I would gladly do over again. More pics inside the link!
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