Day 14 – Train to Venice – Wednesday June 6th

Our train left pretty early, 8:37am, and we took a nice three hour ride into Venice. I had had a sore throat the night before, but today, I felt very bad. I was just drained, my neck was swollen, and my head felt heavy. I took some Tylenol sore throat medicine to bounce back. I took a nap until 2:40 and met up with the majority of the group. I didn’t feel great, but I was not incapacitated. I really did not want to miss anything, and I went out just as the group was leaving. We went on a boat taxi from the nearby stop from our hotel on the grand canal to the Academia.

We took pictures on the nearby bridge and then walked to the Casa Artome that is owned by Wake Forest. We took a tour of the house and met the seven Wake students that were studying there for 6 weeks. The house was beautiful and overlooked the Grand Canal. We relaxed there until about 4:45 and left for a nearby piazza that Dr. Bob told us was the place where all the young locals ate dinner. Upon our arrival, we saw dogs, children with their families, and teenagers all hanging out in the square. The group split up, and a large number of us went and ate at a restaurant nearby. We sat down at about 5:00 and ate for two hours. I had lasagna that was pretty good.

We hung around for a while but walked back after grabbing some gelato. The night ended early, but the day seemed very long. I felt better once I had some food and water in me, but I still was not one hundred percent.

Day 13 – Rome – Tuesday June 5th

Rob, Chris, and I woke up at 6:15 to get ready for an early train to Rome. We took the fourth fastest train in the world for a trip just over an hour and a half. The second we got there, a large group of us headed for the B line to get to the Vatican. We got on the wrong line, however, and realized the A line was the correct one. The subways were shady. B line was covered in graffiti, and a girl in my group was groped on the A line (she was fine; she just elbowed him and moved away). We finally made it to the Vatican only to find that the line for entry into the museums wrapped around three blocks. Apparently, within the last year, they decided to significantly limit the amount of non-group visitors into the museums. They also closed entry for tourists at 12:30pm. While waiting, we had a nice parade go by that surprised us all. We made it inside a little past 11:30. The problem with the inside was that there were so many statues and paintings that without a guide of some sort, I was lost. I’m sure I missed something important, but the signs for the Sistine Chapel loomed heavy on my groups shoulders. We booked it for the chapel, taking pictures all along the way, hoping we captured something of importance.

The Chapel was awe-inspiring. I just zoned out in its beauty while people laughed at the guards saying, “No photo! Shhh!” I especially liked the depiction of the Final Judgment. The progression from the heavenly bodies at the top, to Jesus in the middle, to demons below was so masterful. We left after a long time of gaping and had some pizza in their cafeteria.

Direct from the chapel, we headed to St. Peter’s to look around. There were no lines outside the Vatican anymore, and the inside of the cathedral was not overcrowded. I rubbed my hands on St. Peter’s feet (though apparently people usually kiss them), and admired Michelangelo’s Pietà. The beauty of the cathedral was overwhelming, and I wish we had spent more time exploring. Feeling rushed to see all the sights in one day, we left for the coliseum.

Taking the B line there, we waited in line for about twenty minutes to get in. There were not any student discounts, so the money we saved at the Vatican went into seeing the Coliseum. It really was not anything special. There were no guides that could explain what I was looking at or any gladiator history at all. I thought I’d enjoy it more if there were more spaces for tourists to walk around. Really I wish they just restored it, or part of it. It was so crowded with tourists and so soulless that I did not really enjoy it nearly as much as I thought I would. I did get to take some pictures with gladiators outside though. What I didn’t realize was that the 5 euro fee for the picture was actually 5 per gladiator. Three gladiators equaled a hefty bill.

We walked from there to the Pantheon, passing the Roman Forum and the Vittoriano on the way. I really enjoyed the Pantheon, and there were enough signs and readings to guide me through its history. I took a few pictures, and we met up with Dr. Bob to go relax at a bar called “The Drunken Ship” in a piazza just a few blocks from the Pantheon. We stayed until everyone else met up with us. We ate nearby, and I had spaghetti alla carbanara. It paled in comparison to anything from the night before, but it was still very good.

We left for the train station at 8:30pm. On the bus that we took, however, Dr. Bob started becoming very upset. It turned out that a pickpocket was noticeably spying on our bags and pockets. He physically pushed the man away from the group and stood over next to me in a central position. He discovered that there were three of the men all working together to seek out something to take. You could literally see there eyes moving downwards over people’s belongings. One positioned his hand behind him and near the pocket of one of my friends next to me. My friend quickly covered his pocket. Dr. Bob alerted as many people as he could to what was happening. The front man even tried to put a jacket up on the handrail to block Dr. Bob’s sight from what they were doing. They left unsuccessful and flicking us off. No one lost anything.

The ride was noticeably longer coming back, and we did not arrive until 11:30. It had been a long day, and most of us just went to bed.

Day 12 – Florence – Monday June 4th

Chris, Rob, and I woke up around 10am and headed out straight to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, or the Duomo for short. It was epic. By far one of the most beautiful buildings so far on the trip, the colors were amazing. We got in line with the other tourists. A young boy played an accordion very well while we waited in line. I tipped him a little bit and took his picture. The inside of the Duomo was impressive with its beautiful floors and painted ceiling. The floor is usually not the center of beauty in a building, but here it definitely was. We went into the museum in the basement of the building to see the ruins of the original cathedral, including some relics and tombs. We headed for a small cafe soon afterwards where I had some great spaghetti and some gelato.

Next, we headed for the Palazzo Vecchio. We headed down the wrong street though and ended up next to the oldest bridge in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio. We happened upon a plaza next to the palace and the Uffizi that had a replica of the David and other beautiful sculptures, so we took some pictures. Instead of going into the palace though, we headed for the Museo di Storia della Scienza. The Uffizi and the Accademia were both closed since it was a Monday; the Galileo museum based on the history of modern science had to do. It was filled with scientific instruments, celestial globes, and telescopes that were very beautiful and had great historical value as well. Highlights were the telescope Galileo used to see Jupiter’s satellites and Galileo’s right, middle finger. We happened upon a Georgia tech group that was following a guided tour through the exhibit. We just kind of tagged along, and we saw some demonstrations of the teaching tools in the exhibit.

We left and headed to check on our reservations at La Giostra, the 26^th best restaurant in Europe. From there, we went to the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella to take a look inside. Though its chapel had free entry, the church itself had an entry fee. Nothing pricey, but it seemed wrong for a church not to be free for the public. We made it inside and just sat in awe of the place for about fifteen minutes before walking around. It had a beautiful interior with many paintings and sculptures.

We left for the hotel afterwards to get ready for dinner that evening. Eight of us met at 7pm to head over to La Giostra. Dr. Rast had recommended the restaurant to me just before I left, and he made it out to be the best meal of my life. After a four hour meal with five courses and great service, it really was the best meal of my life. They treated my friends and I like royalty. They gave us all sorts of free food and drinks. The owner, royalty from two lines, came out and described the origin of all the food we ate. Most of it was direct from Tuscany. We had some chocolate cake made for us that apparently was made using a family recipe of his, passed down by word of mouth. The owner looked pretty goofy, with unkempt, long white hair and a chef’s hat on. You never would have guessed he was so important until you noticed pictures of him with John Travolta and Brad Pitt on the wall (just name a few of the celebrities there). Afterwards, we headed back for the hotel since it was nearly 12am anyway.

Day 11 – Train to Florence – Sunday June 3rd

We met at the train station in Interlaken at 8:45 after a small breakfast. We had three trains to take, with two substantial layovers in between each stop. Mostly we just slept, did homework, and listened to music. Our stop in Milan was sketchy. You could see pickpockets, or maybe just shady people, looking for unsuspecting people. A lot of people asked for money and some girls that went outside the station received some cat calls even though guys were with them.

The train station in Florence was much nicer and less sketchy. Americans were everywhere. The exit shot us right out in front of the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. Our hotel was beautiful, and it was the first three star hotel on the trip. Apparently, it costs 300 euros per night, but since we have been coming for so many years, we got a great deal and just as nice of rooms. We took a break for a while but soon went in search of dinner.

The restaurant we happened upon had great prices, and the food was the best of the trip so far. I had the best pizza of my life. We went next door for some gelato that was just the best ever. We headed back and hung out on the balcony of one of the rooms that overlooked the roofs of the town.

Day 10 - Kleine Scheidigg – Saturday June 2nd

Chris and I woke up and joined the whole group for breakfast at about 9am. We all headed for the train station by 10am to get on a train(one of three) that would take us to a station at Kleine Scheidigg. It wasn’t the top of Europe trip that most people take out of Interlaken. That trip would take considerably longer, but we were still at about 7,000 feet.

There was snow everywhere. They had a few buildings, including some teepees that seemed oddly out of place. We saw dog sleds and a Saint Bernard with a little keg under his neck. We also saw helicopters flying overhead. It was all really cool. They had an outdoor grill with bratwurst and hash browns for 14 franks, so I grabbed some of that for lunch. Drew, Nick, Sam, Rob, Chris, Dr. Bob, and I all headed towards the top of a hill beyond all the buildings to go sliding down on trash bags. We went very high, and the snow was knee high. It was strange being very warm above the snow but freezing from all the snow in my shoes. We made a pathway and slid down. It worked pretty well.

I headed back down the mountain with the people doing afternoon excursions at 2pm. Amelia, Jocelyn, and I booked it to the stables to catch our horses by 4pm. We went for about 2 hours all around Interlaken, past rivers, lakes, mountains, golf courses, and forests. It was a wonderful time. My horse’s name was Lascar. The two Swiss Germans that took us around couldn’t speak English very well, but they did alright. We could understand what they meant most of the time. When I was trying to find a helmet to fit my huge head, they said to make sure I found “tight, but does not make pain.”

The three of us and Dr. Turkett went to eat dinner at a pizzeria that was wonderful. I caught Brent with everyone walking by just as I was leaving, so I went to sit with them for dinner. I just ordered ice cream with chocolate sauce. After dinner we all headed back to the hotel, and I went to bed.

Day 9 – Arrival in Interlaken – Friday June 1st

We woke up at 5am to get ready to leave for our train to Interlaken. It was hard, but we made it on the train missing only one person (who was accounted for). The two train rides lasted until 3:30pm, so we mostly just slept, listened to music, had class, and ate. It seemed to take forever, but the view from the train was great. We went through small French and Swiss cities deep in the countryside until we made it to Interlaken (which I found out literally meant “between lakes”).

The water was so clear and blue, fresh from the mountains, and although it was raining, the mountains and the small town were beautiful. Ate about 4pm, a woman from an outdoor experience outfitter came and talked to us about extreme sport options while we were in Interlaken. The prices were steep for anything really cool like hang gliding or bungee jumping, and I didn’t want to go canyoning after our professor told us about some people who died just a few years before. I opted to just go horseback riding for a reasonable price through the trails surrounding the city. The excursion wasn’t until the next afternoon, so I’ll tell you about that later.

Mr. Turkett, Chris, a girl, and I went to a fondue restaurant for dinner. The prices were a little high, but the portions were very generous. I definitely got my money’s worth, the food was excellent. Apparently, some girls on the trip got ripped off there after we left, so I’m not sure if I would recommend the place.

After dinner, we all headed back, and I joined up with Sam and Drew. We decided to go with some girls to a casino just to see what it was like. Also, there was not much of a nightlife in Interlaken outside of casinos and local bars. I only took 5 euros with me, which ended up getting me 7.5 Swiss francs to use, which was great. I win two francs, but then blew it all. I guess that’s what gambling does though; it makes you think you could win more just before taking the rest of your money. Some people on the trip got really into it and spent a lot of money. I realized 7 francs was enough to blow before realizing I wasn’t going to win anything big. I left soon after losing and went to bed.

Day 8 – Paris Last Day – Thursday May 31st

Chris and I met Rob at about 9:15 and went straight for the Louvre after a quick croissant. We accidentally came upon some ATM style machines that let you buy the tickets. It had no lines and was very convenient. We just walked in and avoided the crowds. We saw literally hundreds of sculptures and painting in the four hours that we were there. There were so many, in fact, that I think many of them lost their artistic value for me. They were all lined up in gallery after gallery, some without any readings on them at all. They just had plaques in French. I enjoyed “The Raft of the Medusa” the most of all. I thought it was just extraordinary how the triangular composition of the figures focused all of the viewer’s attention to one point. It was just amazing. I saw the Mona Lisa, but it really was not that big of a deal. It was small, far away, and looked just like it did everywhere else. I don’t understand what makes it so fine compared to “the Raft of Medusa.” Da Vinci had better. The statues of “The Winged Victory” and of “Psych and Cupid” were incredible. They were just so powerful up close. I had no idea how large “the Winged Victory actually was. The statue, “Venus de Milo,” was not as spectacular as I would have thought, though still very beautiful. I was not taken aback by it as much as the others. Napoleon’s Apartment was also very nice to see. I can’t imagine just hanging out in a place like that. It had to be awe-inspiring even then.

We ate at a food court. I had a chicken sandwich that was very good. We headed for the “Crazy Horse” cabaret to see if tickets were relatively cheap. They had cheap prices, but we would have to stand for the two-hour show. No one besides me thought it would be worth it, so we did not buy tickets. We headed back to the hotel and worked on some Computer Science homework and other necessary planning for the days ahead.

At about 5:40, we headed to the Pantheon and the Luxembourg gardens. We made it to the Pantheon at 6:05, and the last entry was at 5:45, so I just took pictures outside. Apparently, all I missed was a pendulum, so I didn’t feel too bad. It began to rain just as we entered the park, so we headed to go eat dinner instead. The first cafe ended up just being a bar with fruit and cheese, so we went to another nearby restaurant that was reasonably priced considering the portions and the quality of the food. I had lamb, a salad, and chocolate mousse for a little over 20 euros. We headed back afterwards and met up with some people. I found out that there was free wi-fi very close to the hotel, so I went and set up my blog for a while.

A large group of us went up to the top floor of the Eiffel Tower at about 10pm. The crowds were not awful, and the view was incredible. On the hour every hour for ten minutes, it sparkled, so we enjoyed that very much. We walked back after about an hour and went to bed, hoping to get enough rest before a very early wakeup call.