The Glory of Italy

Ah, the Roman Forum. There is no place quite like this in the world. This small, quiet area, not a more than an acre, which is set down from the bustling modern city of Rome, appears to be nothing more than deteriorating marble and massive rocks strewn about. But it is here, where the cobblestone paths wind awkwardly through ancient foundations, that the city of Rome, in its empirical heyday, domineered almost all of Europe and vast portions of Africa and Asia as well. The Forum, which held buildings such as the Curia, or the Roman Senate, more than 2500 years ago today stands in a state of demise, and there is little more left of it then the foundation and a dilapidated wall. Several temples to the polytheistic Romans now line the edges of the forum, but all left standing epically are a few columns here and there. It takes a bit of imagination when walking through this ancient city to really comprehend the magnitude of where you are standing. No matter how much of history buff one is, I doubt that anybody will ever be able to truly feel what was like to be here thousands of years ago, when this place was in its prime. This was the epicenter of European society, the marketplace for the civilians, the senate house for elite magistrates and the place of worship for the people of Rome. This is undoubtedly a place of inconceivable magnitude that should not be skipped over.

So now a little bit about the place now-a-days. The Forum is set down from the main road adjacent to it but is still entirely surrounded by the bustles of the modern city. There is a small fee to get into the Forum to walk around inside. Its not quite as big as you may have pictured it to be, but is still grand in magnitude and historical significance. All around are crumbling foundations random pillars around in the center of the plot and the around the outside are the larger remnants of buildings. Some are surprisingly still in contact, most likely because they were constructed many years after some of the others. Some buildings, however, have been completely lost forever.

There are really no words to describe this place. The Forum is just so jam packed with history that it would take days to even have a remote idea of all that has happened on these ancient walkways. I do have some advice about visiting the Forum. First and foremost, invest in some kind of guide. Where it is just some book or an all out tour guide, you really need some one there to show you around and get you familiar with the basic history of it. Otherwise, it just seems like a pile of rubble in the middle of a sprawling, traffic burdened metropolis. My second piece of advice it to take your time. Really stop to look at the buildings. Just try to picture what this place means to the history of the world. It may not seem like it now, but this was once the ultimate seat of Europe. This small area is to this day, the center of what was the most powerful city in the history of the world. So really, just slow down. Pull your self away from the hectic tourist currents, and just give it a shot. Try to imagine the prestige, the glory and sheer the magnitude of where you stand. It is simply overwhelming and utterly wonderful all in the same.

Fiorens d'oro, which translates literally into English as Flowers of Gold is a beautiful place to have lunch during a classic beautiful Mediterranean day in Florence, Italy. The restaurant, which is composed of two parts (one outside and one inside) offers traditional, delicious Italian cuisine, truly in the heart and center of Florence. When dining here, my group and I sat outside in the Piazza della Repubblica, under a sun relieving awning, taking in the midday bustle of the city. The Piazza itself is beautiful, with a massive archway at the east end of the square and traditional buildings lining the sides. Now about the actual restaurant. There were, in my opinion, two very strong points; the food and the service. The cuisine was artfully prepared, dowsed (in the right moderations) of rich olive oil making it a rather enjoyable meal. However, I was more impressed by the service. The waiters were quick with taking orders and very informative in helping to explain to the Italian illiterate tourists (of whom, I include myself) to comprehend the menus. During the meal, the owner/manager personally came out to our table to ask how the meal was, how the service was, and if we had any questions about navigating the city. After a very refreshing and delicious lunch, we were hit with the bill, which was pricey, but understandably set was we were in a tourist hot spot. Anyways, the complete experience at the restaurant truly did justify the bill. I recommend this to any traveler in Florence who is looking for a nice, fairly casual lunch in the city's center.

Almost everyone who comes through Florence will at least see the Duomo from afar. A majority of these people, especially tourists, will come up close to this amazing structure, marvel at the intricate detail on the outside of the church, and stand with wide eyes, head dropped back, mouth agape, staring at the amazingly intricate mural painted on the underside of the epic dome. This massive church is enough to make any passerby stop, if even for a moment, to look up and truly gain a feeling of insignificance and overwhelming impressment. Giotto's Bell Tower and the massive Duomo dominate the Firenze skyline and are a symbol of the beauty of the city. Now any visitor to this church can surely appreciate the gratitude of it and will undoubtedly enjoy walking through and looking the mural from the floor hundreds of feet below. But there is one activity that may be passed by that every single visitor should partake in. That event is making the trek to the top of the massive dome to marvel at the city of Florence. On the north side of the building is a queue for visitors to enter who wish to go up to the top. During the time I went, the fee was a respectable five Euro, and it was well worth the money. Be warned; the trip to the top is a grueling one. There are no elevators and stairwells are steep and narrow. The trip to the top is long and the way down is equally straining on the knees. If you wish to be rewarded with the greatest view of this city, however, and you feel up to the challenge, I recommend proceeding. For a while, the stairwell wraps around in a dark corridor with no windows and dingy lighting, building up suspense to the view above. Eventually, you will find a window and be graced with a view of the city. However, you are still a long way from the top. Roughly halfway up, you will cross a catwalk which loops around the back of the church, directly under the painted mural on the dome. You will certainly want to take alot of pictures, but continue on as you will come up even closer later in the tour. After circumnavigating the first catwalk, you will spiral around the curvature of the dome for a seemingly very long time, until you reach the pinnacle at the top. Stepping out into the wind is a great feeling, and it feels even better when you realize the view that you have been presented with. For as far as the eye can see, buildings covered with vibrant red roofs treat the eye and on the horizon is the beautiful Tuscan Hills. One of the most dominant features of the view is the facade of the Basilica of Santa Croce, famous for the tombs of Michaelangelo and Machiavelli. When you are finally able to pull yourself away from the illustrious view, you will wrap around the stairwell again and once again take a catwalk around the church, this time directly under the dome (close enough to actually touch the painting). After the journey back down the stairs, you will exit out the south side of the building, likely still awestruck from the beauty of the view and the church. Personally, this is one of the greatest highlights in all of Italy for me and I highly recommend that everyone who comes to the Duomo takes the time and effort to voyage to the pinnacle of the dome.

My friend and I are avid runners. We have logged countless miles together over the years and were lucky enough to travel to Italy with our school. Figuring that we needed to stay in shape since the we would be consuming massive calories as we ate our way around the cities, we decided to run as much as possible. I can gladly say that this was the single best choice we made on this trip. We saw so much more of Rome, Venice, and Florence than anyone else in our group and got to see much more than the beaten path and touristy attractions. Our second day in Italy, we were given an hour and half to travel on our own, away from the group, and unsure what to do, we decided to make the most of the time frame. So in our jeans we took off arbitrarily down some side street in Venice until we came to the end of the island. For 45 minutes we wound our way through Venice, going nowhere in particular, but passing through remote plazas very few tourists see, markets along the canals, and local kids partaking in pick up soccer games in the alleys. Several times, we had absolutely no idea where we were, but this did not bother us. We were taking in much more of Venice than most do. We finally returned to our group a few minutes late in San Marco Square, sweaty and exhausted, but satisfied with our journey. Our next major run started from our Florence hotel, the Grand Hotel Mediterraneo (which was amazing) and stretched along the parks along the Arno River. This early morning run was pleasant as the streets were quiet (as opposed to the midday roar of traffic we encountered later in the day). Our final major run took place in Rome. With a midday tour of Pompeii scheduled, we pulled ourselves out of bed before day break and set off in no particular direction. This was rather scary at first, as it was dark out and we were in a foreign city. After a few miles, we found ourselves looping around a quiet park somewhere in suburban Rome. Following a main road which we though would take us back to the hotel, we stumbled upon the Piazza del Popolo, a beautiful square we had visited the day before. Deciding it would be cool to run up the Spanish Steps, we took off down one of the roads of the Trident and then bolted up the stairs. Shockingly, we were the only ones on the steps. Here we were, at one of the most popular tourist locations in Europe, completely alone (this was around 5 AM, keep in mind). Realizing the need to get back for the bus, we turned around going back the way we came. Later that day, we returned to Rome for our final night in Italy. The group was to take the Metro to the Piazza del Popolo, and my friend and I, now knowing the way on foot, decided to run there. Upon reuniting with the group, it was decided that we would all go our separate ways for dinner. Can you guess what my friend and I did then? We went for another run. Deciding to visit the Trevi fountain again, this time at night, we ran down one of the roads of the Trident only to end up at historic Piazza Novarra. We grabbed some gelatos from a famous gelateria, and walked towards the Trevi Fountain. Unable to find it, we ran in circles for another 20 minutes until we gave up and stumbled upon it on our way back. After revisiting the beautiful sights at night, we called it a day. The next morning we went for a peaceful 2 mile jog before our flight along the suburban streets of Rome. This was a nice change of pace as we ran by the houses of the locals going about their business on a beautiful morning.

Running was undoubtedly the greatest experience I had on this trip. We were able to see much more of the cities in a shorter time and were able to take in the scenery that makes Italy such a popular destination. We were exhausted at the end of the week, but it was very worth it. A word of caution; bring a map. A word of advice; be free spirited. Don't go along the beaten path all the time. See more of the city than you would have otherwise. It will make your trip much more enjoyable.

This is an absolutely gorgeous hotel to stay in. Going against the typical and infamously small European room, the Grand Hotel Mediterraneo offers a shockingly spacious and comfortable place to sleep. Upon walking into our triple room (sleeps three with three beds) I was shocked at the size and elegance of the place. After staying in a tiny, seemingly closet sized room with two other teenagers in Venice, I was pleased to find I could have plentiful space to move about. Furthermore, the food in the hotel was rather pleasant, although I would definitely encourage guests to get out and sample the local cuisine. The location was not within immediate proximity to the sights of Venice, but it was certainly not in a bad location at all. Just across the street is the Arno River where guests can walk through a beautiful park and take in the scenery. A walk into the center of the city is only 10 or 15 minutes, but it seems shorter if you take the sidewalk along the river, which is absolutely beautiful, during the day and the night. Finally, the decor of this hotel is beautiful and you truly feel like royalty, while paying a moderately reasonable price for the location. The service is exquisite and informative and staying here truly takes away the stress of travel so you can make the most of your journey. Hands down the best hotel I stayed at in Italy.

Located is a nice neighborhood of Rome, the Grand Hotel Ritz is a beautifully decorated and true to its ritzy nomenclature. Although its is not located within walking distance of Ancient Rome or any major sights, it is positioned in a fairly wealthy and suburban part of Rome, which is actually rather nice, since you are off the touristy footpaths Italy is infamous for. Don't get me wrong though. Its is VERY easy to find your way to the city center and to historic sites. Not even a block from the hotel is a subway/metro which offers a cheap, short 2 minute ride to the absolutely beautiful Piazza del Popolo (the twin churches and trident). Furthermore, if you wish to get in some exercise as my friend and I did, it is roughly a 2 mile walk/run to this Piazza. In addition, there are three nearby Villas, which are like parks for you to explore, all within walking distance. Now about the hotel itself. The rooms are very glamorous and spacious, especially compared to what is thought of as the typical European hotel room. Rooms have internet access (with a fee of course) and TV and an elegant bathroom. The dining facilities are decent, with mediocre food, but at a much more reasonable price then any where else. My suggestion, eat breakfast at the hotel and indulge in local cuisine on the town. After all it is Italy! Overall, this hotel is very nice, elegant, and spacious but a bit pricey. Regardless, it is worth the stay.