What to Say about Italy!

By Neel Desai

 Oh, do I have a lot to say about Italy. It was absolutely amazing. It surely was different than Germany, and that made me miss Heidelberg. I had some really great experiences, but also many that made me skeptical of Italy. I met some really great and helpful people, but also a handful of not so friendly people. Overall, it was an experience of a lifetime and I learned some great things about myself, history, and a new culture.

            First, the trip started in Rome, a beautiful city full of lots of history. The hostel I checked into was basically a hotel, which was a great start to the trip and city. The first day was tiring, so I stayed around the area of my hostel and went to a local restaurant and bakery. Obviously the first thing I had to try in Italy was pizza. It’s hard to explain the difference of regular pizza compared to pizza from Italy, but I guess the best way to say it is that you HAVE to eat pizza from Italy with a fork and a knife. There is a lot of sauce and cheese and basically impossible to pick up at a slice, but that’s what makes it so amazing. Throughout the trip in Rome, I visited the Coliseum, Roman Forum, Vatican City, The Pantheon, St. Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain, and a few more. I was really happy that we were able to see all of these historical sites in the four days we had in Rome. My two favorite events would have to have been being able to see the Pope at the Vatican and Trevi Fountain. Even though I am not Catholic, it was amazing to see a man with so much respect. In the few minutes I was able to see him going around the crowd, I understood why this great man has so much respect. He went throughout the entire crowd, shook hands with viewers, took babies into his arms and blessed them, and spoke to others. He took his time speaking to the people who love and respect him the most. The Trevi Fountain was just something amazing to see and to learn that it was made so many years ago makes it even more amazing. The intricacy in the architecture was something I have never seen before.

            Next, I took a train over to Florence where I stayed in a hostel that was much different than the last in Rome. It was more of a house that had rooms being rented out. The owner was very personable and helped me with my trip planning. The room was not as nice, but the owner made up for it in the helpfulness. While I stayed in Florence I was able to see the Uffizi Gallery, Florence Cathedral, Ponte Vecchio Bridge, a copy of the The David, The Duomo (which was literally a 2 minute walk away), and a few others. I really enjoyed most of the and again learned a lot from each and every one. I really enjoyed seeing the Duomo. It was a clean white Cathedral that the light came perfectly on. I was able to go to the top of it and overlook the entire city. Although the history of Florence was great to see, the one thing that stood out to me the most was a bar that I found. The owner was such a nice guy, the food was absolutely amazing, and he let me taste a least 5 beers from around the world. He had beers from around the world in a showcase and beers from Czech Republic, Germany, USA, and much more on tap. He let me taste all of them to see which I would like the best. Out of the 4 days I stayed in Italy, I had 5 meals from that bar. The owner remembered me after the first day and knew exactly what I wanted to order. He even customized my order to my liking. The owner of the bar is someone who I will never forget and his bar is the most memorable place in Italy.

            Lastly, I made my way to Venice. I was really excited to go, but it really didn’t meet my expectations. It was really cool to see the canal and the water streets, but the buildings were really dirty. It was a bit of a sketchy city and people there took advantage of tourists. Servers at restaurants would try and get anyone walking by to come to eat there, charge extra for “complimentary” bread, and give big bottles of water and soda without asking. I was able to make my way to another Island in Venice called Murano. It was an island for glass making. All the shops there were shops where they blew their own glass. I bought a lot of souvenirs for myself and my family there. I am going to mail it to my family as a surprise. Overall, the experience was great. It was a few downsides, but I learned a lot about how I deal with certain situations and deal with a high stress environment. I’m glad I made a trip to Italy and would love to go back in the future!