Firenze

This past weekend, I ventured to Firenze (Florence) with most of the students in the program. It was a great first trip out of Rome, but it was quite a whirlwind, as we were only there for a little over 24 hours. Since a lot of us have a class on Friday from 2:30 to 5:30, we decided to take the 8:15 AM fast train on Saturday morning, which got us to Florence at before 10. The moment we stepped off the train, we sprung into gear, attempting to cross everything off our Firenze bucket lists by our 1:15 PM train on Sunday.

After dropping off our luggage at the hostel, (I'd like to add that for the first time in my life, I packed extremely light, bringing only a backpack and a purse. My mom would be proud) we headed to the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo. After looking around the church and seeing Brunelleschi's tomb, we embarked on our epic climb to the top of the Dome. I've been missing my daily trips to the Loyola gym, but forget the FAC, climbing those 463 steps was the best workout I've ever had! Since the basilica was built in the 13th century, the steps are very uneven and steep, with dangerously low ceilings. However, all the huffing and puffing and soreness were worth it, because the view of Florence and the countryside from the top of the Duomo was absolutely breathtaking! We also got a great view of the incredible, painstakingly detailed painting on the inside of the Dome depicting Heaven, Hell, and the life of Jesus. The Duomo can be seen over all the rooftops and because of its central location, it came in handy when we wanted to meet up with others in the group. 

Stephanie, Me, Katie & Trisha at the top of the Duomo

Our next stop was the Uffizi Gallery, the former Medici family residence, which boasts an overwhelming collection of ancient sculptures and paintings dating back to the 1200s. With famous works by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Botticelli, and Caravaggio, the Uffizi features thousands of paintings that depict mythological and Biblical events. It was fascinating to see the many different variations of the Madonna and Son paintings, and the famous "Birth of Venus." The Uffizi has the largest art collection I have even seen. There was art everywhere, and it took us an hour into visit to notice the frescoes on the ceiling!

The Ponte Vecchio

We then hit the leather markets and had an amazing dinner at a little ristorante near the Duomo. Fortunately, my first hostel experience was quite positive. Three of my friends and I shared our own room with a private bathroom for only 17 euro each for the night. The hostel was very clean and well kept with many amenities. Day two started with coffee and cannoli for breakfast in a little cafe off of the cobblestone streets near the Duomo. We then walked across the Ponte Vecchio and did some people-watching in the beautiful Piazza della Repubblica. We were all anxious to return "home" to Rome. Florence is beautiful, but we all missed Rome! That homesickness for Rome was actually comforting in a strange way, because it reaffirmed to me how much I love Rome, and I am proud that I am so comfortable in my new city. We opted to take the cheaper slow train back, but the four-hour ride passed quickly due to the beautiful Tuscan countryside that we passed through the whole way home.