Worst case of vertigo.

Views from the Eiffel Tower

This was one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, of the entire trip.  We happened to get to this point on the Tower right as the sun was setting.  I could see all of the city, making sure to take pictures on all four sides.  Right there, I really realized how lucky I was to be there.  I was in the company of wonderful people, old friends and new, taking in this beautiful city.  I don't know if I'll get a chance like this again and wanted to soak it all in.  I loved Paris.

The Eiffel Tower

I was SO EXCITED to go see the Eiffel Tower.  It's such a big symbol of Paris.  When I saw it for the first time, I couldn't believe how tall it was.  I mean, you see it on TV and in pictures, but that doesn't compare to to to the real thing.  For some reason the color of it surprised me.  It sort of reminded me of toothpicks.

The Louvre

Bonjour!

Written July 2, 2011:

I am finally in Paris and it feels nice.  The weather is beautiful.  We were able to do a little shopping and I did something I've never done before: take the subway.  Boy, was that a shock.  The whole time I was in New York , I never took the subway, so this was a whole new experience for me.  As we were winding through the subway like a maze, I noticed a lot of produce being sold...PRODUCE! Doesn't seem like the best place to be selling this kind of stuff.  The subway+a group of over 40 kids=difficult.  We were all packed in like sardines and I was trying not to get squished.
The views in Paris are incredible.  I have never seen a city quite so beautiful.

Trains are not the best to sleep on

Written on July 1, 2011:

I am not a fan of sleeping on trains.  I am currently sharing a super small, completely cramped "room" (compartment) with 5 other girls.  There are two columns of three beds and I have the bottom which I don't mind.  But I don't like having to walk back and forth to a bathroom that is maybe a third of the size of my little bathroom.  Plus, there was no running water...not a good thing.

New friend in Florence, Italy

Post rain storm.

The group and I learned about how to tell real leather from fake leather.  It was really helpful since sometimes, vendors in Florence will try to sell faux products for a higher price.  I didn't want to get scammed.  I was really happy I got to learn this because I could use it after I came back to the US.

Florence, Italy

Post rain storm. I was a vision in blue.  This poncho was worth it, considering I was wearing a white shirt.

Gelato, gelato, gelato

Provided for plenty of tummy aches. But well worth it.

Florence, Italy

Coolest. Street. Sign. Ever.

Lock it & throw away the key

When I saw this, I was thinking, what the heck are all these locks doing here?  Our tour guide actually told us that couples attach these locks representing their unbroken love.  Once it's locked, they throw away the key, so that they can never find it, so their love with never be undone.

Statues

All around the center of Florence, there are beautifully sculpted statues.  I was amazed with the detail.

Florence, Italy

New city, here I come!

Written July 1, 2011:

Hello Florence!  The long bus ride was spent sleeping uncomfortably.  We will leave tomorrow for Paris, so we tried to pack in a bunch of activities today.  We saw The David which was incredibly sculpted.  Michelangelo was an incredible sculptor.  A group and I also had lunch at this little restaurant where we had a steak that was so delicious.  Midway through our meal, rain drops started falling.  Seconds later, a full-on rain storm hit, leaving us scrambling to buy ponchos from street vendors.  We ran through the streets, drenched, but having an incredible time.  How many people can say they've ran through the streets of Florence in the rain?

Vatican

Written June 30, 2012:

Rome is too beautiful.  I absolutely love it here, even though I'm still not accustomed to the hours.  I get to experience all this incredible architecture and I've even begun to barter.  The Vatican was absolutely stunning! The paintings and especially the ceilings were really well done.  The Sistine Chapel was AMAZING!  I couldn't believe it.

The Vatican

I was amazed with the beauty at the Vatican.  My head was constantly up, looking at the intricate details on the ceilings.  The time that it must have taken to accomplish all that just blew my mind.

The Vatican

The Vatican

Pompeii

Separating past & present

This gate is what separates me from the past.  From the bodies preserved in the ash that engulfed Pompeii.  

Pompeii

Bodies Preserved

I was overcome with a great deal of sadness when I saw the bodies preserved.  It was a strange feeling, knowing that these bodies and artifacts once lived and existed during that time.  I've heard and read about this but I never thought I'd have the chance to see it for myself.

The day started like any other.  The sun was shining so bright I had to squint my eyes and I could feel the heat on my cheeks.  My younger sister was accompanying me, her hand wrapped tightly in mine.  She was skipping, trying to keep up with my large strides.  As we went to cross the street, I led so that my sister would follow my steps, knowing where to put her feet.  We were heading to the theater today.  I wanted to get us good seats this time.  She kept laughing and giggling, excited to see our older brother in the play.  He had a small role as a soldier, but seeing him perform made us all happy.  We turned a corner, heading down an alley, with walls on both sides.  A couple people were ahead of us, heading in the same direction as the theater.  Suddenly, a noise thundered through the streets.  Everyone walking stopped in their tracks.  This was not a sound we were used to.  It seemed to shake the stones, sending a chill up my spine.  My sister squeezed my hand harder, her laughing turning silent. "What was that?" she asked.  I just shook my head, not knowing what to say.  The noise seemed to come from the mountain and my head faced it, my eyes searching for any inconsistency.  Just as I was about to look away, dark gray smoke began to emerge from the top of the mountain.  "We need to get out of here," I said and we took off.  Running through the streets, trying not to trip over stones.  We shoved through people still not aware of what was about to happen.  My sister was crying out, scared of why I was dragging her along, scared because of what she saw in my eyes.  My mother had told me about this sort of thing and she told me if I heard the thunder coming from the mountain, to run.  We ran through the streets, ran through the alleys, my hand never letting go of her's.  Suddenly, we heard screams.  We stopped, turned around and saw the crowd running towards us.  Every pair of eyes held fear.  Behind them a dark cloud that was as far as I could see was descending upon us.  I turned back and took off, pulling my sister behind me.  The screams continued but it only pushed me further.  "I can't sissy! I can't!" my sister cried.  We paused and I turned around, bent down to face her.  "We can't stop. If we stop, we might not make it. Okay? We can't stop."  My words seem to make her body go stiff, her breath catch.  "We can never stop."  She nodded slowly, and I ran down the street, my sister going with me more willingly this time.  The screams were increasing.  I dared to look behind me and instantly regretted it.  The dark cloud was closer, nipping at our heels.  I could only see a few others running in the same direction as us.  But in a few seconds, they'd be engulfed in the same cloud that had claimed the others.  My sister and I rounded a corner, running like we would never run again.  All of a sudden, my sister's body plummeted down, almost bringing me with her.  I whipped my head around to see her digging her foot out of a notch in the stone.  Her foot must have gotten caught.  I bent down to help her wedge her foot out.  As I looked at her, I realized we wouldn't escape this.  We could run and run and run, but the cloud was running with us.  I knelt at her side and looked her in the eyes.  "Don't ever stop, okay?"  She stared back and I know she understood.  Just then, we were covered in darkness.

I was amazed that these stones were the roads back then.  I thought the raised stones were clever, like an old-school crosswalk.  Like any American tourist would do if they thought of the idea, a group of us pulled an "Abbey Road" on the "crosswalk".

Preserved & Uncovered

Pompeii

Pompeii

Back in 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted, engulfing the 20,000 residents of Pompeii in lava and ash.  The city was preserved.  Over a thousand years after, people began to uncover the preserved city and is now a very popular tourist site.  

Beauty outside of Pompeii

Roman Cities

Written June 29, 2011:

I have seen so many picture of Roman cities, nestled on the hills.  As we head to Pompeii, I am witnessing the beautiful houses.  They are all different and unique, unlike the houses around Lynnwood that look the same.  It's refreshing to see that beautiful individuality is still appreciated in the world.  These homes are not focused on being the biggest and best, but the most efficient.  It's a nice break from America.

Make A Wish

I made a wish with a euro & a quarter. European dream & American dream. It only makes sense, right?

Like any seventeen-year-old girl, when I saw the Trevi Fountain I thought of the Lizzie McGuire Movie.  Was constantly wishing for the same sort of thing to happen to me, but I digress. 

Colosseum

One thing I was greatly looking forward to seeing while in Italy was the Colosseum.  The history behind the deteriorating walls always interested me.  Built by Emperor Vespasian for the people, this amphitheater was once capable of holding 50,000 spectators.  The Colosseum was home to numerous gladiator fights, ending in victory and blood.  I was amazed with the size and the amount that was still standing, since the Colosseum endured many battles of destruction.  I made it my mission to travel all around the arena...mission accomplished.