_Roma 9.14 - 9.17


Train Ride to Roma (2 1/2 hours) x__x oOo Zz...



Day 1: Villa d'Este in Tivoli



Day 2: Roma
We pretty much walked all of Rome in a day. It was awesome to see all the sites like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and Forum up close. It's amazing how these detailed structures were built so long ago without modern technology. I have seen slides of these sites in school but I never thought i would have the opportunity to see them in person. I'm feel so lucky..

_Roman Forum

_ Colosseum

_Trevi Fountain (The tradition is that you're are suppose throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain to ensure that you will come back to Rome again.)



_Spanish Steps

roomates picture (room 25)


_St. Peters


_Pantheon


_Mouth of Truth (Legend has it that it will bite your hand off if you lie.)




Day 3: x__x

Today, we were supposed to go to Pompeii for the day but we missed the train to Pompeii by 2 mins.. Then the doors of the next train wouldnt close so they had to empty out the whole train. We figure we wouldn't make it to Pompeii in time so we end up walking around Naples. I really wanted to go to Pompeii too.. =*( The first half of Naples was pretty bad.. we saw druggies poking themselves with needles. But after we hit downtown Naples, it got alot better. After we ate dinner, we got lost. x__x We thought that the train station was only like 2 miles away but in reality we walked for over an hour and still didnt see it. We missed the 7:30 train and end up arriving at Rome around 11:30.. We were soo tired.. We just wanted to shower and sleep. But missing Pompeii wasn't even the worse part of the day. We reserved rooms at this hostel that was near the train station. It was only 22 euros/per person. The picture in the brochure looked pretty decent and it said there was a private bath, tv, and such. But when we checked in to the room, it had none of those things. It was a public restroom and beds with just sheets. No towels or blankets. One of the windows was broken so they used cardboard to cover it up x_x.. The worse thing was the restroom. It looked so nasty.. the toliet seat cover was cracked, there were stains.. Ahh.. =O.. So we decided to all rough it out and no shower till we get back to school. Then I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a bug on my bed. When I got up, I saw two more on my bed. =O I was freaked out.. I just went to the other bed and sat in the corner while everybody else slept. Eventually I fell asleep.. But that was the worse experience in Italy so far.. Although it's kinda funny now that I think about it. heheheh =)



Bruise from carrying my backpack all day =I


Day 4: St. Peter's & Sistine Chapel (we were all smelly walking around rome =P )
One word.. Sistine Chapel = left me speechless =O

School of Athens


ceiling of Sistine Chapel


@ the Gelateria after a long shower

_my day in Cortona 9-9-05



yummie watermelon.. .. =D


steep x_x


walking on the top floor of the fortress ( i felt like i was living in the medieval times..)

_Castiglion Fiorentino

I been uploading pictures of other cities but not of the city that is my home for the next 2 months.


foggy morning (so picturesque)


view of the valley

_my day in florence (firenze) 9-7-05

view of the Duomo


bridge (so pretty)


it's amazing how everything is so detailed =O


walking into the forest of doom =O

My day in Arezzo 9-04-05 . ....

Jousting competiton =O
They split the city of Arezzo into different districts/teams. Once a year, they have a jousting competition and the whole city comes out to cheer on their neighborhood with flags, and pins. But i didnt get to see the competition. They required tickets this year which were sold out... =(





Cemetery (crazy huh!)



On top of the world! (The hike up there was so tiring but the view made it all worth it.)


Tree climbing... well not really.. the branch was low on the ground... =)
and advertising for Lemon Soda =)




me and my roomie helen =)

ready to go home... x_x