My Travels in Italy
Dec 09 '06
The Bottom Line My pretend Travels To Italy
It was a long walk from my hotel room to Piazza del Popolo. I left early so I could get there by noon. I walked down the Via Flaminia, which turns into the Via del Corso after the Piazza del Popolo. There were many old buildings along the way, mostly shops and cafés. I entered the Piazza del Popolo from the north, through the Renaissance Papal. I entered through the main archway. There were three altogether, the main one and two smaller ones on both sides. There were tourists all over, walking in every direction. Many people had bought their lunch at a one of the nearby deli’s and were eating at the square. As I looked even farther I could see the twin churches. They are separated by the Via del Corso. I continued to walk south down the Via del Corso
While walking down the Via del Corso, I decided to do some shopping since this street is greatly known for its shops. I bought a couple souvenirs and decided to walk to the Piazza Venizia. I noticed some kids trying to climb a tree, one of the only trees left on the street that runs for miles. I could tell I was getting close because I could see the monument. It was very small at first, but by the time you finally get to it, you didn’t realize how big it really is. The building is nearly symmetrical besides the different statues on both sides. On the steps of the Piazza Venizia, right below the statue of King Vittorio Emanuele II, there is a tomb of an unknown soldier. On both sides of that there are two guards. They are dressed in blue suits, which almost look like trench coats, and both are holding guns.
I was getting pretty hungry by know. It was almost 4:00 in the afternoon. I decided to grab a taxi and check out some local restaurants. I went to the nearest taxi stand and found a taxi. The taxis in Italy are completely different from those in America. The taxi I got was almost like a minivan. The front windshield slanted down toward the hood, then dropped off 6 inches and then the hood began.
“Where’s the best place to eat” I asked the driver
“I ate Da Lucia the other weekend. It was good” He Said
I was grateful that he spoke English, because my Italian was a little rough.
“It’s across the Tiber River in Trastevere” He said
I told him that sounded great and to take me there. We went across Tiber Island. It was a small island in the middle of the river. The church San Bartolomeo and Caetani tower are located on the island.
We drove down a crumbly old street on the north side of Trastevere and there was Da Lucia. “This restaurant is in an alley. The paint is peeling off the walls of the apartment buildings surrounding the tables. Scooters are parked a little way from he tables. The wooden tables and chairs rocked slightly as you sat down on the uneven cobblestones.” (Sullivan).
After Eating, I walked to the Colosseum. I was one of the many tourists taking pictures of it. It was very large, maybe one or two city blocks in size. It was mostly stone white in color except the very top which is rusty red. You could walk through the center of the Colosseum for 8 Euros. There were a couple hundred other people looking at the ruins. You could see the hallways that used to be under the wooden floor that is not anymore. I eventually left after going up to the 2nd level and taking a few pictures. I went home because I had to get up and catch a train to catch early in the morning.
I got up at 7:00 in the morning to go to Firenze, Italy. I took the Eurostar for about 26 Euros. I sat next to an older man and women who said that I should take another train the Leaning Tower of Pisa. They had their trip all planned out from start to finish. They talked to me about how I should go see some of the churches of Firenze. The trip only took 1 hour and 30 minutes. I arrived at the Santa Maria Novella train station in Firenze. I got on another train that took me straight to the leaning Tower of Pisa. In about an hour I was there. I walked around the tower for about a half an hour or so. Then I hurried back to the train station to go back to Firenze.
I arrived in Firenze about 10:30 so I decided to check out some of the flea markets that they had going on. I was going to go to the Mercato Delle Pulci. It is the city’s most famous flea market. It’s located at Piazza dei Ciompi square. When I got there I expected there to be tables and little booths filled with things people were trying to sell. That wasn’t the case. Most people had all of their things laid out on the ground in front of their vehicles. I walked up and down the many rows of vendors. One man about the age of 55 was selling jewelry. (Wikipedia)
“Where did you get this jewelry?” I asked the man.
“La miei moglie ed io lo hanno fatto” He said with a scratchy voice.
“I don’t speak Italian” I said.
“Me and wife made it” He said.
I told him I would take one of the ones on the left and asked him how much it was. I bought an olive green, beaded necklace from him for 12 euros. He was also selling these carved, wooden lamps that he had made himself. I thought about buying one, but I was going to be traveling all day and didn’t want to carry it around.
I decided next to go to Piazzale Michelangelo. This is where I would be able to see a panoramic view of Florence. To get to there I walked up long, but not very step steps on the western side of the hill. There was a wall to the left of the steps and trees and houses on the other side. I finally got to the top and was amazed by how many tourists were there. I also saw a lot of vendors selling different types of clothing, newspapers and food. I saw a replica of the sculpture The David. It was copper, but now is green from the oxidation.
I looked out off the balcony. There were hundreds of tan, red and yellow buildings all with red rooftops. I could see the Arno River and the old stone bridges that go over it. I could see Duomo cathedral, which stands tall among the other buildings. I looked over the other side of Piazzale Michelangelo and saw the old city wall that used to surround Firenze. Now only some of the stone wall remains.
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