Sunsets, Sangria, and Spaghetti

Hello, hello!

This past week was the long-awaited fall break trip to Spain and Italy! I have been dreaming of going to Italy for a long, long time and I can finally say it is as spectacular as I dreamed it would be. After ten days of traveling, I am beyond exhausted and I can barely function, but I must fill everyone in while it's still fresh in my mind!

Two fridays ago now, we left the Dublin airport for Barcelona, Spain to meet up with my roommate Chiara. Barcelona was a toasty 60 degrees when we got there at about ten o'clock at night, which was tropical compared to Ireland. That night, we headed out to a small bar called Seranno, where the place was packed with college kids pouring their own drinks. The nightlife in Barcelona is like nothing I've ever experienced before, and I only got a small taste of it! The next day, we headed out to Park Guell, the gorgeous mosaic park set in the hills of the city. The park was designed as a community for the upper class so the structures and mosaics are extremely intricate. After a lengthy photoshoot, we headed to the harbor and walked around the gothic part of the city. There was never a dull moment as the streets are lined with huge palm trees and the most unique architecture I've ever seen. After much exploring we headed out for another night on the town. Saturday night was a great night full of friends, food (yummy tapas), and a lot of sangria! On Sunday morning, we got in some last minute sightseeing and checked out La Sagrada Familia, the spectacular church based off of the designs Gaudi created before his death. The cathedral is enormous and each side represents a different aspect of religion whether it be the Genesis or the stations of the cross. Unfortunately,  we were very sad to leave the beautiful city of Barcelona so we stopped for some Dunkin Coffee on the way out of the city to ease the pain...

Park Guell

Park Guell, the mosaic benches

The Spanish Arc de Triomph

Sunday evening we landed in Milan and spent the night in the greatest hostel called Ostello Bello, where they provided a full buffet of Italian food! The next morning we took a train to Venice, where we actually trained through the water to get to the city! Although the city was dark and gray that day, it was still one of the coolest cities I've ever seen. As soon as you step out of the train station, you are directly facing a canal and you have to take a water taxi to navigate the city. We spent some time exploring the narrow streets and quaint bridges before going on a gondola ride through the city! As much as we begged and pleaded with our Gondalier to sing to us, he would not, so instead he informed us on the sights of Venice. Later in the evening, we were lucky enough to see a spectacular sunset over the water and I was able to take some of my favorite pictures of the trip! Also that day, I had my first taste of Italian gnocchi, prosciutto pizza, and gelato! It was a perfect way to start our journey through Italy.

Venice Canals

Sunset

Tuesday morning, we hopped on our next train to Florence where our friends Katherine and Meaghann are studying! Also, thanks to my friend Brette (a huge Italy enthusiast) we were armed with the greatest suggestion list of all suggestion lists. The city was just as romantic, inviting, and heartwarming as she described it to be. The buildings are mostly a warm red or orange color and as the sun sets, the city looks as if it is on fire. It was truly stunning to see.

Tuesday we spent most of the day shopping and exploring, but on Wednesday we headed out to the Chianti region for a wine tasting in a refurbished Medici castle. The castle, the weather, and the wine made for a perfect afternoon in Tuscany. We got a tour of the castle and were able to taste a selection of wines and snacks with homemade olive oil! We had such a great time eating and drinking together in the beautiful countryside. That afternoon, before the tasting, we headed to Coquinarius in the city for lunch (one of Brette's many recommendations) where I had the most delicious pear and gorgonzola ravioli ever. In case I hadn't eaten enough that day, we went to Brette's recommendation, Neri's Gelateria, for dessert! I alternated between gelato and a cannoli each night.

Thursday, we sent the day exploring the gardens at a local palace, got brick oven pizza at Gusto's (another of Brette's recommendations), and climbed the 463 steps to the top of the Duomo in the city centre for an incredible bird's eye view of the city. We stayed up there chatting until sunset and got to see the sun set the city ablaze as it descended over the horizon. After a perfect evening, we were extremely reluctant to leave Florence the next day. I now understand why people say you fall in love in Italy, because I fell in love with the country itself.

The Ponte Vecchio Bridge

The Medici Castle

Chianti countryside

Wine Tasting

The view from the top of the Duomo

Once we got to Rome on Friday, we set out directly for the Colosseum and the Forum, two of the most impressive archaeological structures still around today. The ruins were so cool! Many, many pictures later, we headed to the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. At the fountain, we all made a wish and threw coins into the water!

The next day, we headed across the city for a tour of the Vatican museum. The museum is an exhibit full of paintings, sculptures, and tapestries. The building itself is so incredible that my eyes couldn't keep up with all the artwork. At the end of the tour, we were led into the Sistine chapel. The chapel was a long rectangular room, painted from floor to ceiling. It was different from what I expected but the paintings were exquisite. Next, we were led into Saint Peter's Basilica which was absolutely enormous! The alter was probably as big as my church at home. This vast building, in all its grandeur, was amazing to explore. Later in the day we stopped at the Spanish steps at sunset to see the grande white church that overlooks the city. There was an enormous crowd of people on the steps just taking in the beauty of the city. After another perfect day in Italy, we ate some more wonderful food and I went to sleep that night with a full belly and a happy heart.

The Colosseum

The view at the Forum

The Pantheon

Maggie and I at the Spanish steps

The Trevi Fountain

After a long ten days I am so very happy to be back in Dublin, but I'm so grateful to have had such an amazing week with my friends. I came back full of gelato and full of love for Italy and Spain. I can't wait to go back someday and keep exploring!

This week it's back to the grindstone before we head to Northern Ireland for the weekend. Miss and love you all during this holiday season. I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Cheers to a wonderful family, the best of friends, and the greatest semester I could ever ask for.

Much love. Eat some turkey and watch some football for me :)