Amazing Spring Break - Rachel Van Deventer

Over the past 10 days I have been in 3 countries and 8 cities. I have learned so much about different cultures and languages.

My trip began in Madrid, Spain. I have been feeling ill and unfortunately flying only made it worse so, I arrived in Madrid in misery. After finding our hostel and grabbing a needed siesta, I felt better. Piper, Sammie, and I decided to explore some of Madrid and wander the streets before dinner. We found beautiful gardens and monuments. For dinner, we participated in the hostel's all you can eat tapas at a local restaurant. The restaurant wasn't classy but oh my, the tapas were delicious. We met several people from Australia, Italy, Canada, and India. Saturday was my friend's (Sammie) birthday. We began the day with a long walking tour throughout central Madrid in order to learn more about the city. After three hours of walking we needed our siesta! We went to the Rena Sofia museum that houses famous Picasso and Dali paintings afterwards. For dinner, we opted for a very nice restaurant and delectable tapas with salmon and steak. To finish off the night, we did a pub crawl with our hostel. We stayed out until 5:30 A.M. dancing and meeting new friends. Sunday was rainy but we still made sure to do some exploring and saw a vertical garden and the only public statue of Lucifer in all of Europe.Early the next morning we were off to Italy!

Monday we flew to Bologna, Italy and were surprised that we did not have to go through customs at all. We took a bus through the city and arrived at our hostel too early to check in. We found a cheap cafe and enjoyed several cups of coffee and pastries. We stumbled upon a museum that is currently housing "The girl with the Pearl Earring". Because Bologna is somewhat small, it was amazing to be able to stare at this famous painting with only a few other people in the room. Afterwards, we enjoyed a much needed nap. Our hostel was very nice and the bathroom was extremely modern. I took advantage of that by taking a long bath! For dinner, we found a very modern and odd restaurant. The deal was that each course is a surprise....and it was AMAZING! We loved the food and the restaurant owner even gave each of us a ceramic bowl! The next day we did a little shopping and prepared to move on to the next city.

Tuesday we took a train to Florence. We accidentally got into the First Class car and were kicked out into the super economy area by the conductor. Our hostel in Florence was built in 1100 and it was pretty cool. On Wednesday we joined a tour that took us all throughout Tuscany. I went to San Gimignano, Chianti, and Siena. The countryside was beautiful and breath taking. It was so nice to get out of the big cities and the crowds. Plus, it was sunny and warm! We explored the small cities and their monuments. In Chianti we had a delicious lunch! The day was a great success and well worth our money! Thursday morning we climbed to the top of the Duomo and could see all of Florence! The hike to the top was quite painful and there was a lot of sweating! Immediately afterwards, we climbed an adjacent bell tower. The 2nd climb was much more painful and I barely made it to the top (and when I did, i looked like a wet rat). After the exertion was over, we ate some well earned gelato and headed to the train station for our next adventure!

Thursday afternoon we hopped on a train to Rome! Our hostel was nice and was located just 5 minutes(walking) from the Colosseum. We went grocery shopping and cooked our own dinner. Friday, Valentine's Day, we went to the Vatican Museum. The museum was very busy but the art was beautiful. We saw the Sistine Chapel and it was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, the room was full of tourists and there were loud speakers drilled into the wall in order for the staff to tell us to not take photos and to be silent. Next, we walked to the Trevi Fountain and to The Spanish Steps. We saw a marriage proposal at the Trevi Fountain and I made sure to throw a coin into the fountain and make a wish! The fountain was very busy but it was an amazing monument! We walked to the Spanish Steps and were bombarded with men selling flowers. We barely escaped! Sammie haggled with a man to buy a beautiful painting of Tuscany and then we went back to the hostel. Saturday we explored around the Colosseum and went shopping! I bought a small leather purse, some beautiful black leather boots (the boots I was wearing were literally falling apart- the sole was no longer attached to the boot), and I bought a painting of Tuscany. Saturday night we splurged on dinner. Extremely early Sunday morning we were on our way back to London.

Overall, this was the best 10 days of my life. I had an amazing time with my friends and I cannot wait to travel more. I love Europe and have learned so much!