A Drive By Through Florence and Rome

My feet, throbbing and swollen, hit the pavement as my stomach ached of hunger.  Once again, I pushed myself too far.  Too many sights seen in one day without a siesta. I always skip siesta, even in Italy, because there are so many things to do and see during my short visits.  I don't want to miss a thing.  My hardcore sightseeing mode can make me a very unpleasant traveler; when I'm tired and forget to eat, I become a monster!  Of course, I have nobody to blame but myself.  I am my own slave driver sometimes...

Before meeting Dave in Ireland, I decided to do something crazy...hit up Pisa, Florence and Rome in just four days. Under other circumstances, I would have prefered to stay in one place and get to know it well, rather than cover so much ground in such a short time...but, something just seemed wrong about flying out of Rome and not seeing the Vatican or Colosseum.
(St. Peter's Square)
(Colosseum)
 
I spent about ten minutes pondering "How does the leaning tower of Pisa stand like that?" and took a train out that afternoon. 

Then, I did a big museum tour in Florence to admire David at the Accadamia and see the famous works by Botticelli at the Uffitzi Gallery.
(Replica of David)
(Ponte Vecchio Old Bridge)

In Rome, I visited the Vatican, saw the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square and hiked the dome for a spectaular view of the city before resting at the Spanish Steps. I also covered the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Pantheon, leaving a coin at the bottom of the Trevi Fountain: Rome, I will be back! 
(Vatican Museum)

(St. Peter's Church)

(Trevi Fountain)
 
Florence and Rome were nice stops on my journey. I gave myself an education in art and history, two subjects I am certainly not well read in.  Perhaps I'd go as far as saying I was a little clueless.  I wished my mother, who is a former art teacher, could have given me a guided tour to explain the significance of all of the art I saw. But, it was a nice introduction to two worlds that never really made a connection with me before. I most enjoyed the Colosseum tour, learning about how it was a important political monument during its time. It was interesting to learn how everyone was invited to watch the matches between the Gladiators and/or animals for free upon the emperors good spirit, and how the seating sections were organized according to social class. 

Overall, I admit, I did it too fast and feel a bit dizzy now. I had a good time, but I would have liked to go at a more leisurly pace. There were just too many exciting things to do, which I guess is a good thing. So many people have been to Europe, so, with that, comes an extra long "grocery list" of things to do and places to see. Europe has been well discovered, which is sometimes frustrating because I feel like I'm ticking off someone else's checklist. I'd hate to make the mistake of missing something truly great and important. That's part of the reason I wanted to come to Europe, to see what everyone is fussing about! But, still, there is something great about seeing the more unique, exotic places, and taking the road less traveled. I feel most excited about seeing places NOT in my guidebook, and discovering for myself what's cool and great about a place. That's the whole dilemma with traveling: some places are well discovered while other places are still secret and unknown; neither one is perfect. Tourist spots are great because you can meet other travelers (and likely speak to them), find internet, comfort food, and postcards. In exotic places, there are more difficulties with language barriers, finding accomodation, and simply getting from here to there. I suppose the best trips have a little bit of everything...