My Trip to Italy

(The following is an article Stephen wrote for a local newspaper after a recent tour of Italy.)

I have always known about the ancient ruins of Italy and wondered if I would ever have a chance to visit that part of the world. Well, the opportunity did manifest itself and my friend Ramona and I planned a two- week trip to visit some of the high points of Italy. We first arrived in Rome (Roma) early Monday morning November 8^th after a nine-and-a-half-hour flight from Philadelphia on board a USAirways flight with some of the best service I have ever experienced. Surprisingly upon our arrival we both felt rested enough to check into our hotel and than hit the streets of Rome. The very first site I wanted to see was the Colosseum (Coliseum). It just so happened to be that our hotel was just a few blocks away so we walked and just enjoyed the all of the beauty of the old buildings. As we approached the coliseum it was really hard for me to believe that I was actually standing in front of this magnificent structure and just a few yards away was the original city of Rome the forum. It was really hard to believe that these structures are still standing and that they have so much history behind them. We first walked through the forum and joined in on a tour that was being conducted. As we listened to the tour guide explain how the city was first formed it was quite amazing to hear all of this history some of which I didn’t learn in my history classes. From there our next stop was the coliseum. It was hard to believe how they built this and to learn further what actually took place there. The Roman Colosseum was the stadium for gladiatorial contest where many Christians were fed to the lions. This spectator sport was greatly enjoyed by the ‘upper crust elite’ of Rome. You can actually feel the presence of the slauttering that took place here. There was something very mystical about it all. I was glad to see that the Italian government has invested a great deal of money and effort into preserving all of these sites. The preservation is actually being done now and you can watch all of the workers as they tediously rebuild the priceless structures.

During our time in Rome we had fun eating out and enjoying the great Italian food and wondering how we were going to eat all of this food in one two week vacation jaunt. The Italians really believe in eating a lot of food at one sitting, late at night, so I had to pace myself for all of these sumptuous meals. We spent one afternoon around the Spanish steps and just doing some people watching, having coffee, window shopping and of course we had to try some of their great gelato. What a mouth watering delight!

We spent a full day at the Vatican, however this was my first time visiting a city within a city. It was quite exhilarating gazing at this historical place. This is where the foundation of the Catholic Church was built. The home of the pope is here and there is so much history to be absorbed. We started off first in the cistine chapel by the making the climb up the very long and winding staircase that leads to the corridor of the chapel. The view down this very long and narrow hallway was absolutely astounding. The paintings on the ceiling and all of the statues were very interesting. We finally entered the chapel itself and spent time just admiring all of the beauty. You just have to sit down here and look at all of the fine detail in this room and just wonder how someone could actually do all of this. I was amazed to see what Michelangelo had created. This minute details were simply amazing and it must have taken him a lifetime to do all of this fine art work.

Now it’s time to move to the southern part of Italy. We boarded our high-speed train destined for Naples. I have never been onboard a train like this one, it was almost as though we were on an airplane and the service was fantastic. After a two and a half-hour train ride we had reach the city of Naples. We than transferred to a hydrofoil boat for a short ride to the island of Capri. As we headed out for the island we could see in the distance the city ruins of Pompeii and mount vesuvivus. As we approached the island it looked like it was made out of solid rock with a tiny village on the top. Cars are only aloud to go to certain parts of the island, so we hired a taxi that took us to the top of the island to the village where all of the hotels are located. The taxi driver pointed out several spots on the island and he gave us some history. Since we only had a quick overnight here and he seemed friendly and fair, we hired him to take us sightseeing around the island where cars were allowed to go. We started by going to the other side of the island, which is called Ana Capri, and he showed us the interesting spots with a stop at the blue grotto. This is a cave that is only accessible by boat. Capri is a place for the rich and famous, so many of them have summer villas here that were quite enormous. It is a very peaceful and serene place to be. I must go back to Capri and spend more time there.

Our next day was very early as we had to catch the hydrofoil back to Naples to board the train for a 7 hour ride to Venice (Venezia) which is in the very north of Italy. This gave us an opportunity to see some of the countryside and to just relax and enjoy the ride. We finally arrived in Venice late in the afternoon, however as you enter into the city itself it is really picturesque. Venice was actually built into the Adriatic Sea many years ago with its network of canals. Now the fun part is trying to figure out how we were going to manage with all of our luggage to board the water taxi and than try to find our hotel. I must say I have never been to a city like Venice, it was like stepping back in time a thousand years. I wondered how they built a city in the middle of the ocean at a time when you would think that technology wasn’t so advanced. However I did learn that the city is actually sinking slowly into the ocean and during high tides the water level actually rises to the point where they have put out elevated platforms for you to walk on in order not to get caught in the water. We did take a short ride over to Murano Island to visit the glass blowing factory. Venice is known for its Venetian glass. Upon arriving at the factory we were escorted to an exhibition of the glass blowers. The glass blowers are considered to be masters of the art and to watch them at work was very interesting. After spending sometime on the island it was time to catch a water taxi back to Venice. We where dropped of at San Marcos square to visit the cathedral. I have never seen so many pigeons before in my life. There were thousand of them flying around and mingling among the tourist looking for food. While having coffee and enjoying the sights you actually have to fight the pigeons off of you. They would fly right up to your table and sometimes land on your head. For those of you that saw the movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley" you will know what I mean.

After spending four wonderful days in Venice it was now time to catch our train to Florence (Firenze). By this time the weather was starting to get colder and the rains had set in for the duration of the trip. I was looking forward to visiting Florence as this is the place for all the best buys on all the leather goods and the home to one of the largest outdoor flea markets I have ever seen. Florence is renowned for its architecture, museums and galleries. The Roman Empire, at its peak in the 2^nd century a.d., stretched for nearly 2,000 mi (3,220km) in every direction, with a population of 55 million. The Romans amassed wealth from agricultural taxes on conquered territories. Eventually the empire grew too big. It fell in the 5^th century. The reverence for the arts returned in the 15^th and 16^th centuries, when Florence became the cradle of the Renaissance.

Just outside of our hotel a few yards away we shopped until we dropped. This is the place where you have to buy an extra suitcase to put all of your goods in. I was able to do all of my Christmas shopping here. Some of the high points of Florence were seeing the original statue of David and many more large cathedrals.

Now we are at the end of our trip and it was time to pack up and head back to Rome for an overnight and than catch our plane home to Los Angeles. This was truly and educational experience and something that I will have to remember for a lifetime. I highly recommend if Italy is a place you have wanted to visit by all means plan a trip there for a truly wonderful experience.