Long Weekends in Rome and Venice Make My Life!!

For the long weekend I went to Rome and Venice!!! I wasn’t really that excited about it at first but it was such an amazing place to go for the long weekend in so many ways!! I went with jon, Emily, jill, taylor, and Amanda, but there were so many more people that went kind of with us but weren’t staying in our room so that was so hard at first because there were 12 and that is so many people to figure out what to do, too many opinions!! Haha!

But we started out the trip on a night train to rome and it was perfect cuz there were 6 of us in each compartment and we knew everyone and no weirdos in the compartment so it was perfect and fun to sleep with people you actually knew!! But I was sick so I just took niquil and was passed out!! I guess the conductor had come in and woke everyone up and I had no idea!! They had to yell my name like dr. lerner to wake me up!! So that was good to get a good night sleep!! And then we had to go through florence because something happened with our trains so we took a train there and it was so sad to be in florence when no one was there!! I like wanted to go to the villa and see everyone but they had already all left for the long weekend too so it was almost depressing to be there =( but I felt cool cuz I took jon and Emily and jill to the dumo cuz I knew how to get there since I had been in florence a few weekends before and it was just as amazing as before and they were obsessed with it! but we only had an hour there and had to get back on the train but we didn’t want to pay 15 euro for a seat reservation so we took the slow train and it took 6 hours to get to rome so we didn’t even arrive until like 6 or 7 Wednesday night and we left Tuesday night!! It was awful but a good bonding experience!! At this time we were still with karsten, jeff, bobbi, Nathan, Andrew, and matt, pluss my group so it was kind of fun and I tried to get everyone to play train games and one time we pretended to get our stuff really fast and get off to freak the other group out!! That was funny!!
So we finally get there and all we want to do is eat and go to bed!! Oh and it was a process getting into the hotel cuz it was only for 4 but there were 6 of us going to stay in there cuz that’s how you have to do it or its super expensive!! Even hostels are expensive!! So that was funny slash scary!! We go out to eat at this itallian place but I didn’t really like mine all that much I think it was more of a tourist trap not real Italian food but whatever! So then we went back and went to bed to get up early so we could see a bunch the next day!!

YAY for night trains and sleeping in a compartment with people you know!!

We took a pit stop in Florence, it was really depressing because no one was there =(

We went to the Spanish steps first thing in the morning!! They are so extremely old it was so cool, and there was like no one except for us there cuz it was in the morning on a weekday so no tourists were really out!! So we have a ton of cool pictures on there!! And then we made our way over to the trevey fountain!! It took us such a long time to find it was ridiculous!! So then we decided to make a game out of it and go two separate ways and see who could find it first!! My group definitely LOST!! We had no idea where we were going! We walked around for days!! And then finally we just asked someone for directions cuz obviously we couldn’t read a map and we finally found it and the other group had been waiting there forever!! The fountain was so cool!! It was ginormous!! We all threw coins in of course and made wishes and it was really fun and again NO ONE was there!! It was so weird!! Usually you like can’t even move at those two tourist attractions or at least that’s what we were told, and we have pictures with like no one else in them except us!! And of course I almost fell in cuz I got really excited and grabbed my friend and tripped over her and I almost pulled her in with me!!

The Spanish Steps

The Trevey Fountain!

Making a wish!

Hope it comes true!

We definitely almost fell in the Trevey Fountain!!
Jill says: "I am SO in love with you!!!"

I love you Jill!

Then we made our way to the pantheon, where we were going to meet dr. satler!!! He and his wife were in rome for the long weekend too and he told jon he wanted to meet up with us and he would give us a tour of the city!! It was so awesome!! Dr. satler is one of the most brilliant men I’ve ever met, he knows everyone and knows everything about everything!! Him and dr. lerner are just amazing!! So we get there and no one thinks he’s gonna show and then here he comes around the corner and it was so cute!! He hugged everyone and I don’t even really know him cuz I don’t have him for classes this semester!! And then everyone that was staying at different hotels started showing up and it was like a reunion and he was like “oh my this is like class so many students!” and he told us “you all listen to me like we are in class, we are not in class” it was so funny!! 

And then he took us inside the pantheon and told us about it and how the circle in the ceiling is the one form of light and if it rains there are drains and the floor is slanted and if it snows there will be a pile of snow in the middle making a perfect circle!! It was so cool!! And then he just straight up leaves and we follow him all around the city and he just stops randomly at places and talked to us about them it was so funny! And at one point I was right next to him and I go do you know me, I’m not in any of your classes, and he links arms with me and starts walking with me and he goes “no, that is very peculiar and strange for that to happen what is your name?” and I said I was Shannon and he goes “oh like the river!! Did you know that and the airport!” And he starts talking about my name! it was so funny and then he brings us to this cool place where all the artists were painting and it was so pretty and peacefull and we took a group picture in front of the fountain of poseiden with him!! He spoke itallian to ask someone to take the picture, he amazes us all every day!! And then he took us to this museum and tried to get us a discount for museums all over but he couldn’t and they all thought he was so cute there cuz he’s just this sweet friendly old man who everyone loves!! And then he all of a sudden is like I’m late I must go meet my wife!!! And like goes to leave and says bye to all of us and jon asks to take a picture with him and then someone else is like oh dr. satler can I have a picture with you too?? And he straight up runs away!! Haha!! It was so funny!! I’m not even kidding he ran!! So then we were on our own again and we wanted to find the colloseum!

The Pantheon!

Layla Brisco says: "Sonia Sorrell would be so proud of you!"
Me: "haha! I know right?"

Dr. Satler told us the Romans stole all of these from the Egyptians, there's over 60 throughout the city!

He gave us a tour of Rome!!

This lights the entire space and it rains through here and everything!! 

It's Poseidon!!!
Layla says: "ooooooh my heck!!! It's him! You are soooo lucky!"

Roman Ruins!!

None of us could figure out the streets in rome but we realized it didn’t even matter because every corner you turned these amazing buildings just emerged out of nowhere!! It was incredible!! It was like history just jumping out at you everywhere you went!! So we just started walking and we ran into the most amazing building which turned out to be like the unknown soldier memorial and it was humongous!! And this guy in a gladiator suit was standing out in front of it taking pictures with people and he comes over to me and grabs my hand and pulls me over to take a picture with him and I was like ok and he like held my hand like to kiss it and then he took another one pretending to cut my head off with the sword and I was laughing at him and then he goes there you go and the he says two euro ok? And I was like what?? So I had to give him two euro and he made me come over there, and then they were everywhere and I kept telling everyone don’t let them trick you!!! I learned my lesson!! Haha!!

he took my hand and pulled me over to take a picture with him and then he told me to give him two Euro! I was so mad

There were amazing ruins everywhere you turned and the entire city was just a masterpiece I was in love with just how old and magnificent everything was!! And then we ran right into the coliseum!! It was incredible!!! Just like in the text books!! It was absolutely amazing!! So we had to go wait in line and in line we learned how to haggle with the itallian venders!! This guy comes over with these dumb flour dolls and is like 6 euro and amanda’s like I’ll give you a euro and he says no and keeps talking to us and kept calling me bella and staring at me and telling me to take one and I was like no I don’t want it I don't have any money and every time Amanda said a price he would say no and then turn to me and say 6 euro bella and kept staring at me and I was weirded out so I sat down next to taylor and then he finally gives it to Amanda for a euro and he turns to me and says 1 euro bella here and I was like NO!!! I don’t want one!!! It was so funny he would not leave us alone!!! But we couldn’t believe he actually gave it to her for a euro!

And then we finally got into the coliseum and it was so cool!!! Like it was perfectly preserved and you could see the underneath too where they would keep everyone!! I can’t believe so many people would go watch that for fun!! I could never imagine watching people fight to the death for an afternoon activity, it made me sick just thinking about it!! we took some fighting pictures in there and then ran into the rest of our group there and then decided to go to this place where all the ruins were! On the way out of the coliseum there was Constantine's arch and it was really cool so I was trying to take a picture of it and the sun kept covering the whole picture so I kept moving to get a better angel and then when I turned around my entire group of 12 had dissapeared and I was turning in all directions and I couldn’t see them anywhere I started freaking out and this guy could tell and he points and goes they went over there and I looked where he was pointing and I was like oh my gosh thank you so much!!! And he laughs and he goes “I saw the whole thing happen I was coming over here to give you guys a flyer and I saw the look on your face and I knew you thought you lost them!!” It was so funny! I think I had my lost in Disneyland face on!! The one Patrick kept making fun of me for cuz I always seem to loose the group and he would always be watching me and would see the look on my face I got and made fun of me every time for it and I’m sure that’s the face I made!! Haha!!

The Colosseum!!

Inside the Colloseum
Lauren Forbes says: "That is soooooooooooooooo coool!

We're such Gladiators!!

Spectators 

This is our sad "people are dying" spectator face

The Arch of Constantine!
Layla says: "Cute dress!"

So anyways we go to the ruins and it was so cool!! Like these buildings and stones were around in jesus times! That’s the way someone put it and I liked the way it sounded!! We took roman ruin pictures and then split off for lunch!! I’m poor so me n jon separated and ate peanut butter and jelly in a park and then went off to see the circus maximus which was basically just this old field but its what the chariot races were held on so that was cool to walk where chariots used to race!! And then we went to this church to see st. Theresa in ecstacy a famous sculpture we learned about in class and that was really cool! It took forever to walk there and then jon really wanted to see this sculpture at this museum in this amazing park but I couldn’t afford it and jon really wanted to see it so I told him I was fine and I would just hang out in the park cuz it was pretty and I liked that kind of thing so jon gave me his backback and all his stuff and went in and was like “I’ll be real quick” and I was like no take your time I’m fine!! And so I started walking around this massive park and I was fine at first and then I was like oh my gosh I have all of jon’s stuff and mine and if someone just swiped it from me right now there’s nothing I could do about it!!! and I started getting a little worried but I was like no I’m fine!! So I walked around and enjoyed myself and when I could see that it was gonna start getting dark I started heading back towards the museum and then sat out in front of it and jon came out after like 10 or 15 more minutes and he was glad he went but said it wasn’t really worth all the money he just really had to see his statue!!

The Roman Ruins

This is our "I'm a Roman Ruin" pose

Philosophizing

Classic female statue pose!

Gladiator pose!

This is where the chariots raced!

So then we made our way over to one more church to see the conversion of paul and that was a really cool painting! And we actually walked in during mass but it was so cool and we just sat in a listened for a little bit and then went and saw the painting and then went back to meet the rest of the group which had all crashed and been taking a nap in the room for the past 2 hours!! Haha!!

The conversion of St. Paul

We just went to dinner after oh wait and we went and saw the trevey fountain at night which was really pretty cuz it was all lit up and there were a ton of Italian venders there trying to sell those flour dolls again and I got one for 50 cents!! Haha!! I told him I didn’t have any money and I kept saying 8 cents cuz that’s all I had and then I said 50 even though I didn’t’ have it and then jon kept saying 50 and he gave it to him and jon gave it to me, a pink one!! And taylor bought one for a euro so he was mad that I got it for 50!! It was more of a funny souvenir and story than anything!! 

The Trevey Fountain at night where we haggled for stuff the entire time!!

And got this for 50 Euro Cents!!

And then we went to find food and this guy handed us a flyer and we were like ok lets go here and he goes here I’ll show you where it is and is cracking jokes with us and stuff and we’re all following him and then he starts to lead us down this alley way and I get freaked out it was like the movies everyone just laughing and walking carelessly after someone and then they attack you!! And I told jon I was scared so we start to hang back and then we see people randomly coming out of stores and alleyways as the whole groups passing and I’m freaking out and I’m like I’m not going down there and jon tried to get taylor's attention who was a the front of the group to tell him it wasn’t a good idea but taylor was jut laughing at the guy and so we walk away fast cuz it really did look shady and then I was like we should go back I don’t want to get separated from the group so we tried to find a different way to get there but we couldn’t so we were about to back track and then I was standing right in front of this resturaunt and I was like that kid really looks like david and then I bent down to see him better and I was like I think it is and then he started staring at me and I kind of waved cuz I still wasn’t sure and then he gets excited and waves and I was like oh my gosh it really is a small world!! And so we go in the resturaunt and there's ben and david and mark!! I didn’t even know they were coming to Rome too!! So that was fun and then we told them the shady story and they went with us to try and find them and I was kind of worried but then we took them to the alley and at this point it’s me and jill and 4 huge at least 6ft. tall each guys so I wasn’t scared and then we did find the returaunt and they were all in there and they were fine so that was good!! And we told them why we didn’t follow them and they were like oh my gosh no way that’s so scary why didn’t you say anything!! And we were like we did you all weren’t paying attention though!!

So then we ate and went to bed and half the group got up to go to st. peters church and the Vatican at 5:30 in the morning and half of us were like heck no we don’t mind waiting in line!! So then were going to go at 9:30. but then jon told us that there was a train strike (dr. satler knows everthing he had warned us there might be one!!) and so it was at 6:45 so we should leave before then and so then we got up an hour later than the other group but that extra hour sleep was so nice!!! We caught the train to st. peters and it was raining, that’s why we didn’t want to walk, but the rain made it look even cooler!! And we didn’t even have to wait in line at all and there was like no one even inside of there so we could take our time and enjoy it! it was gorgeous!! I would go back to rome just to visit st. peters church. It was humongous first of all and just mouth dropping gorgeous!! Supposedly peter the apostle is buried there, I don’t know if I believe that but there is this massive like shrine basically for him and it is ridiculous how much stuff is dedicated to him in there!! And masses have to be held outside because so many people attend! But there were mini masses while we were there and some of them were singing and it was so incredible to hear everyone singing in a different language I loved it!! and there was a madonna there and I love those they just make me feel so connected to jesus’ death and make me just think…..
So then we made our way over to the Vatican and we had to wait in line there but only for like an hour because it didn’t open until 10 and so we really only stood in line since it was open for 30 minutes because we got in line before it opened!! It was good bonding time though! I was with jill, taylor, and Amanda and we had fun! Taylor bought an umbrella for 2 euro just because he wanted to see if he could get it for two and then as soon as he bought it it stopped raining!! It was so funny! And then me and Amanda ran and got gelato and then the line started moving fast and I’m a slow eater an I had to shove like half of it in my mouth right before I walked in the door my cheeks were popping out of my face!!! Haha!!

ST. PETER'S CHURCH!!

A Madona, I'm obsessed with these

St. Peter's tombstone

The outside of St. Peter's Church

And then we were finally in the Vatican!! It was so crowded but still totally gorgeous!!! This hallway we walked through I felt like a herded cow cuz you couldn’t even stop to appreciate it cuz everyone had to just keep moving but it was absolutely incredible!! I was obsessed!! And we saw all the Raphael rooms!! I can’t believe all the murals he’s painted!! I’m obsessed with every single one!! They were all mouth dropping good!! He painted entire rooms, covered in amazing murals of everything you can think of and they all just have so much detail and beauty, it was like half his life just to paint the rooms in the Vatican!! And then we got to see school of Athens which is this painting that I’m now even more in love with since I saw it and we were tested on it in school and it’s huge, like life size and it’s of Aristotle and plato and showing that you can mix religion with philosophy and knowledge and that they don’t have to be separate ! I loved it!! and then we finally made it into the Sistine chapel which was not what I was expecting but it was incredible!! The entire thing was painted by Raphael and it was the entire ceiling covered in this giant mural with god and adam trying to touch in the middle, you weren’t allowed to take pictures in there but I tried cuz taylor forgot his camera and that was his favorite and I got in trouble and I freaked out cuz I thought he was going to take my camera away but all he said was no pictures!! I don’t know how he saw me I was doing it so sneakily too!! Haha!! But it was amazing!! Like we stood in there for probably 15 minutes just staring up at the ceiling and there were so many people it was like a mosh pit!! Haha!!

The hallway in the vatican, it was amazing!! (even if we felt like cattle being herded)

Getting excited for the Sistine Chapel!!!

School of Athens is amazing and like my new favorite painting!

I actually think this looks really cool with Taylor in it!
-this was before I got in trouble for taking pics in the Sistine Chapel!

This is the Tri Delt room!! haha! It was all gold and blue!

I want a carriage when I grow up!!

Then after that we had really seen all we wanted to see so then we just enjoyed the rest of the beautiful day and went and got food, mine was disgusting it tasted like slimy slugs and the lady was rude but whatever, it was still I warm perfect beautiful day in rome!! And we found this place that had tiramisu and it was A-mazing!! Best tiramisu ever and I couldn’t even finish it cuz there was so much!!

And then we wandered around some more and finally came back to the hotel and then we all decided to go to the hard rock café rome and it was amazing!! I ate something before we went cuz I couldn’t afford it but we stayed there for like 3 hours, not even exaggerating cuz it was so fun to be somewhere that was totally and completely American!! There were music videos playing all over and all the American food and it was just so much fun!! We had the best time ever!! And it was just the 6 of us who stayed in the room together so that was good cuz there weren’t a million people and we all got along really well and it was just relaxing and great!! And we talked forever!!

I'm OBSESSED with this picture!!

So cool and so cute!

Then the next day we got on a train to Venice!!! I was really excited about Venice!!! 

Long...long...train rides!!

It was freezing when we got there though!! Like the sun was out but all the town is buildings and narrow little roads and they’re al in the shade and all the buildings create these wind tunnels!!! But it was still gorgeous!! We were supposed to meet people in san marco (the main square) and that happened to be like a 40 minute walk from the train station and we didn’t know that so we have no idea how to get there so we’re just following all the signs that say san marco this way and our train was delayed too but we were like walking so fast we didn’t get to enjoy the city at first and then we get there and there are like millions of people EVERYWHERE there and we were late!! And I was like there is no way we’re finding them but it was no big deal so we just run out to the middle where all the pigeons are and did the whole feed the pigeon thing so they get on you!! I just stood out there waiting for Emily to get feed and they started flying on top of me and I was like freaking out cuz it’s so scary at first!! They kept just perching on my arm and I hadn’t even fed them yet!!! I kept screaming then and I was so scared!! As soon as Emily handed me the bag of food they knew and all flew at me and I freaked out!! And Emily was like here get them to sit on your head and I was like how do I do that?? And she threw seed on my head and they all attacked my head I screamed!!! Most of my pictures I have this freaked out look on my face but some of them I managed to smile for!! And jon was mean to them he kept kicking them and I would get mad at him and then he punched one right into my face it like almost knocked me over, it was funny though!! And then I got paranoid of bird flue!! Haha!! But I’m still fine so it should be ok!! Haha!!

I was so scared of the birds! I freaked out when it sat on my head!

Emily trying to show me how!

I'm like "HOW DO YOU GET THEM OFF OF YOU????"

I calmed down long enough to take a couple decent pictures with the birds... it was like cooing in my ear though it was so weird!!

It was really hard to look like I was enjoying it though! haha!

I could handle this one... especially since Emily handed it to me and it didn't fly at my face to get there!

It wouldn't get off of me!!! and it kept pulling my shirt off my shoulder!!
Kristen Anderson says: "hahahaha I love this picture. Your face is CLASSIC

So cute!!

This is the most amazing picture EVER!!
Emily was so good about getting a million on her!!

So after that we decided to eat and then we would take a gondola ride!!We ate at an asian itallian returaunt, that was interesting, we weren’t having the best luck picking good places to eat at!! Then we went on a search for a gondaleer and we found one right away and they told me I was good at bargaining so they made me do it and I was like how much for a medium length ride?? And he said 20 euro each for 3? and I said no there’s 6 of us how much for 6, and he said 20 euro each and I said how that doesn’t make sense, if it’s 20 euro each for 3 then that’s 60 euro so if there’s 6 of us then you are getting a lot more. So can it be just 60 euro total? And he said “no 20 euro each” and I kept telling him that he was getting more since there were way more of us so then he says ok 15 each and no one thought we could get less than that so we took it and it was totally worth it!! it was so much fun!! And pretty and he was the cutest gondaleer EVER!! I’m not even kidding he was all dressed up in high black pants and a stripped shirt and a straw hat with a black thing tied around it!! it was adorable and none of the other gondaleers were even dressed in black really!! And he was whistling and he knew everyone and was talking to people every corner we turned!! And he was really nice too!!

I love Venice!!

I think this looks so cool!!

Our Gondaleer was the best one there! He was so cute!
Jill Says: "Oh my gosh! This is the most awesome postcard - like picture EVER!

Kristen Anderson says: "how CUTE are you girls? I love it. 

I asked him if he ever let people try and he said “yes sometimes, but they never can do it” and then I said would you let me try?? And he said ok come up here and so I got to do the gondola!!! It was so much fun!! It was so hard though, taylor was so nervous he thought I was going to fall in the whole time!!! He makes fun of me for being clumbsy, but whatever I didn’t fall in!! I couldn’t do it at all though, I don’t think I even pushed it in the water once it was so heavy!! He was laughing at me and trying to show me how to put my feet but I didn’t understand him so he was like moving my legs for me! It was fun!! I’ll never forget it!! and then I sat back down and we enjoyed the rest of the ride!! At some points it reminded me of splash mountain in diseyland because we would bump into boats in front of us cus some canals were busy and would have a lot of boats in them and they would get backed up! He told us he had learned how to do it when he was 9 and didn’t take anyone around until he was 21 and that there are over 400 gondaleers in Venice!! It was awesome!! My favorite part was when he took us out into the open waters and there were gondolas everywhere and they were all going so fast it looked amazing!! I took a really cool picture of it!!

And then the girls all wanted to shop in the stores because Venice is famous for it’s glass jewelry and it was all so beautiful, I just liked looking through the windows though! I bought a necklace and this beautiful scarf I’m obsessed with!! The boys were making fun cuz all of the stores looked alike and the girls wanted to go into every single one!! I mostly hung out with the boys during the shopping part cuz I didn’t want to spend money!! It was fun though and then it was time to try and figure out where the train station was!! Venice is the most confusing city EVER!! It’s like a maze!! We ended up at san marco’s place every direction we went!! And then we’d start passing the same store multiple times because we’d recognize something in it!! it was awful! We didn’t think we’d ever find it!! and every time we asked for directions it was so confusing to get to people could only tell us like two directions at a time and then we’d have to ask again!! And then for some reason jon took charge and totally figured out where to go!! And we found the main street after like 2 hours!! And then we looked for dinner and could just relax and have fun until our train at 11! We found, finally, a good real itallian place for dinner!! And they had calamari!!! I was so excited when taylor read that I freaked out so we orderend calamari and this 4 cheese pasta and split it and it was so amazing!! I hadn’t had calamari in so long!! Everyone else enjoyed Italian wine, a little too much though!!! Taylor didn’t drink either cuz he doesn’t like wine, and they were all super tipsy when dinner was over, but it was fine but then when we finished dinner they wanted to get more and this is when the nightmare started.

sunsets in Venice... priceless. 

I really respected taylor for not drinking with them, I think he didn’t want me to feel like I had to be responsible for everyone and I thought that was really a good guy thing for him to do. And he made sure he got all the train information from jon and everything and then we were walking to make sure we knew exactly where the train station was and we ran into karsten, bobby, and geoff so that was really fun!! Karsten hadn't drank either and I was so glad to have two boys to help me cuz it was so hard to get 9 drunk people onto a train!!

I was so tired and cold and also sick so then i just lay my head down to rest which was so stupid cuz i'm supposed to be watching everyone and everyones stuff and then jill goes oh my gosh i think that guy just took jons bag!! and i jump up and am like what??? and i turn and look and i'm like are you sure?? and she's like i think i just saw him take his bag but she was a tipsy and i didn't see so i dind't want to go up to some guy if i wasn't sure so i'm like freaking out and the first thing i can think to do is yell taylor!! and he turns around and i'm like i think someone just stole jons bag and he's like what are you sure?? is his bag there and i'm like i dont know i dont know jill saw and i saw the guy she pointed too but i dont know. so he gets up and starts running up the stairs over this bridge that this guy went over and i follow him cuz he doesn't know what the guy looks like and then i see him and im like its him its that guy the one in the leather jacket and taylor goes up to him and asks to check the bag and whatnot and it was his bag. And the guy doesn’t speak much English and keeps trying to walk away and is like its no problem it’s no problem and taylors like is everything here??? Did you take anything?? And the guy keeps on trying to walk away and is just like it’s no problem and taylors like whatever and walks away. Thank goodness taylor like towers over this guy cuz I think that’s why it was no problem to get the bag back. It was awful!!!! i just wanted to go home!!! and i was so glad to arrive back in heidelberg!!!

Luv shannon