Day 9 - A Day of Food

Our last day in Florence began later than we would have liked. For that reason we each pounded a cliff bar on the way out the door (trying to enduce the taste of gelato or a chocolate covered scone, however peanut butter crunch got the job done). We were headed towards The Domo. The Domo is a huge domed Cathedral that is the tallest building in the city. It features a 360° balcony which allows for unbelievable views the whole way around. Getting to this balcony was quite a journey. With there being no elevator, we navigated up hundreds of steps (420 to be exact ) through cramped stairwells which was no problem for Taylor the tiny traveler. Ed on the other hand will be taking pieces of the Domo hallway ceilings home with him in his fedora. After enjoying the view for about a half hour, we decided to have lunch and more importantly cold water (It was about 90° and sunny). We found a small restaraunt where we endulged in a lunch for the record books, followed by a chocolate cake that Justin described as "Swimming in Mt. Vesuvius filled with warm creamy chocolate while tiny chocolate chip explosions hit you where it felt best". After lunch we hit The David. We were afraid that none of us would be able to appreciate the artistic value of the statue however we were pleasantly surprised upon arrival. It truly was an impressive sight. After scouring the museum for David's workout routine, we decided to give up and move on. We soon found ourselves in an outdoor market full of leather goods, fake watches and a few sketchy characters. Regardless we knew there was gold to be found and we started looking. With our wallets clinched tightly in our hands we debated and bargained, fighting for every euro we could get. At one point I don't think any of us were even shopping. We were doing it for sport. Exhausted from a long day, we crawled back to our hostel. We decided that it would be a good time to do laundry. We did not realize that there were not enough dryers however Kyle, being the prepared cubscout that he is,  had string and clothes pins. We strung up our room and hung our clothes. This fact combined with our bunkbeds in the hallway made our room into a jungle. We then head off to dinner at Acqua al 2. This was one of the best meals we had in Italy. We sampled five dishes of pasta and proceeded to have steaks including one covered in a blueberry sauce and as always, bottles of house wine. We stopped at a few bars on the way home before it a night.

Day 8 - Wandering Florence

Our first first full day in Florence started off slowly as the boys decided that it in order to prepare ourselves for the adventures that lay ahead it would be imperative to sleep in. Similarly to our morning struggles in Rome, we neglected to react to the sounds of Justin's iPhone going off. After another hour in bed, it was finally time to explore the city from a place other than our beds. Food was on our mind so we dropped our heads into a breakfast spot where we were greeted by a lovely Italian lady who sat us down. Considering it was 95 degrees out and the five minute walk from the hotel  caused sweat to transpire on our foreheads, we immediately ordered iced espressos in order to cool down. We were soon in awe at the work that was being put into making these drinks. Her physical strength, dominance, and concentration were on display as she shook the expresso with the ice until we felt vibration from our seats. We wondered if she was ever going to stop and soon thereafter began asking questions amongst ourselves that included "Is she okay?" And "I wonder what kind of weight she lifts at the gym?" After we consumed mediocre tasting omelets, we all agreed that we'd come back to this cafe just to pay for the iced espresso show. Following breakfast we hopped on the City Sightseeing Tour bus, similarly to what we had done in Rome. We were fascinated to learn about the city and many of the outer areas that we wouldn't have experienced otherwise. One such area where we hopped off  was the Plaza de Michelangelo. Here we saw the replica of the David as well as the original location for the sculpture. The best part of the Plaza was hands down the aerial views of the city which allowed us to easily spot the river and the duomo. After doing a full tour around the city the boys were more than ready for lunch. Alex was persistent on finding a sandwich place called All' Antico Vinaio that was recommended by a friend of his. Somehow after walking in circles and failed conversations with policemen and locals, we were excited to spot the restaurant in the distance. It proved to be worth the stress as it quickly became the best sandwich some of us have ever had. We then visited the Ponte Vecchio bridge and walked around the many jewelry and leather shops. After a long day of exploring, we went back to our hostel and skipped dinner because our late lunch was causing us to remain full.  As for the night activities, we met up with our bus2alps friends who were studying abroad in Florence. They brought us around to a number of bars including a place that had Mexican drink specials, Lions Fountain, and the Red Garter.

Day 7 - Movement

Day 7 yet again started with us fighting the alarm clock. However our drill Sargent Taylor had us up and running quicker than a hobo chasing a ham sandwich. We then proceeded to another sub-par breakfast with croissants with too much sugar and coffee that was just hot water. However we did get the opportunity to watch Alex eat cereal with no milk. We then boarded the bus with our sights set on Pompeii. Upon arrival, we decided to skip the guided tour and take matters into our own hands. Tour guide Alex led us through the ruins armed with simply a 3 euro information book. We saw such sights at the Taylor statue, and the worlds oldest amphitheater. We even got to see a gladiator dual. The 6'4" 210 lb barbarian from Armenia was set to battle the 5'11" 165 lb (soaking wet) prisoner fighting for his freedom. Let's just say the prisoner did not attain his freedom. After the battle we made our way to Pompeii Pizza per recommendation of the tour. There we had one of the rarest experiences of the trip.... A bad meal. Putting that behind us, we took the bus back to Rome where we then boarded a high speed train to Florence. The 150 mph train cut through the hills of Italy allowing us to reach our destination in only an hour and a half. We were traveling so fast that every time a train passed us going the other way it made our ears pop. Once in Florence we got dinner at a place called Gigglio Rosso (Ed's parents ate there 20 years ago). We were all so full and exhausted we actually decided to get a good nights sleep for the first time in Europe.

Day 6 - Almafi's Finest

Our day began with another below average breakfast at Hotel Albatross before we boarded a 30 minute bus ride that took us to Positano. The scenic drive along the coastline provided us with some astonishing views of the ocean properties and the beach. The boys were  pleased to find that the day would be consisting of relaxing on the beach with beautiful women and taking an afternoon boat ride around the coast. After a few hours of catching some rays, swimming, and applying not nearly enough sun screen, we boarded a small boat that took us to an area where we had the opportunity to cave swim and cliff jump. After  neglecting warnings about the dangers of the 50ft jump, Justin made his way to the top where he shortly thereafter took flight. We then popped some bottles of champagne on the boat as we heading back to the shore. It was no surprise that we felt this was the best day we experienced thus far. Some would have called it quits after a relaxing day, but not these European hosses. We wasted no time and headed to the organized "dinner and pool party" at one of the nearby hostels. To make a long story short, we were served the worst salad ever and were concerned about the next dishes that were going to be placed in front of us. As a result, the Big Cheese (Eddie) decided to fake a sickness allowing us to swiftly escape the meal. Operation salty salad paved way to an incredible meal in Sorrento. Following dinner we once again headed to the English Inn and then sang karaoke for hours with some of our new bus2alps girlfriends. The night turned into another late one, but we managed to get a few hours of shut eye.

Day 5 - The Isle of Capri

Our first day in Almafi was upon us and we wasted no time getting going. We were awake at 6:30 (plus 3 snoozes) and our ferry was pulling up to the island of Capri by 8:00. Our group was then ushered onto smaller boats for a private tour of the island. The views of the unbelievable vertical cliffs towering over the crystal clear ocean left us in awe as we cruised around the island, feeling at times as if we were watching Avatar. We made a stop at a cave called the blue grotto where we hopped off the boat and into tiny rowboats with a driver to maneuver us through a gap so small you needed to lay down in the rowboat so you didn't hit your head. With Justin in the front and the rest cuddling in the back of the boat, we made our way in. Once in the blue grotto we realized that it wasn't just a clever name. The unique shape of the cave made it so that the water inside of the cave glowed a neon blue that was unlike anything we have ever seen. By the way, George Clooney's summer home is alright. Once the private boat tour came to a close, we began the trek to the top of the island. We walked partway up the island, then bussed up another fraction of the island (Scariest bus ride ever), and finally took a single person chairlift to the top of the island. On the chairlift up you could enjoy stunning views of coastlines or the tranquility of backyard gardens, however Ed took another route by trying to say hi to every person going the other way.... EVERY person. The mixed reactions of those passing by was quite entertaining as we tried to disassociate ourselves with him. Standing on cliffs 1800 feet over the water, you can imagine that it was quite the view but for safe measure we added some pictures to help (although they don't do it justice). We bought a bottle of wine and sipped it on a bench on what felt like the top of the world for a solid half hour before beginning our descent. We took the chairlift down and then decided to be adventurous and hike the rest of the way down (stopping first for a lemon-cello and chocolate tasting). Once we finished the hike we were met with a beach full of students on the trip and immediately jumped into the Mediterranean. We were then physically forced to board the ferry kicking and screaming all the while. That night the group was bussed to downtown Sorrento where we could have dinner and hit the local bars. We met two friends, Christina and Erica, on the bus ride who joined us for dinner at a great place off the beaten track. We then met all of the Bus2Alps travelers at an outdoor patio bar called The English Inn. We were surprised to hear the place was standing in the morning.

Day 4 - The Rome Finale

After a long night of debauchery, exploring the Roma nightlife, and watching the sunrise from our balcony, the four of us were ready to checkout of our hotel the next morning and proceed to the next destination: the Amalfi Coast. Awaking thirty minutes after our checkout time on Thursday, our host Vincenzo was gracious in extending our checkout until 12:00 P.M, and giving us some tips on our further travels to Ibiza and Barcelona. We then set out for the day starting with our routine croissant and espresso. We ventured and decided to climb up the Spanish Steps. After the steps, Justin took lead of our fleet, and felt it best we go to all the stores he wanted to visit - having to stop at each one that caught his eye. After trying on every leather pair of shoes in Rome, we convinced the young tourist it was time for us to grab a bite to eat. Hungry after our "roaming around Rome", we set our sights on a small restaurant in Campo Di Fiore. Our waiter, who had just started working his first day, set us off on the right foot forgetting to bring us water or drinks to start. What should have been a typical one, maybe one and a half hour lunch turned into two and half hours of sipping on the house wine and recapping the classic moments from our excursion to Rome. Upon finishing, we began our departure for Termini - the madhouse Italian train station, to meet with our group. As was the theme for the day, we ran late as our cab driver, Marcel, hit heavy volumes of traffic. Weaving and wheeling his way through the crowd, we arrived at the Termini station five minutes prior to departure. With our crew ready to go, the European hosses boarded a bus to Amalfi to meet with three hundred other college students on a student-lead tour called Bus2Alps.

Day 3 - The Pope-ular Sights

Day 3 began earlier than anyone wanted. After a total of 3 hours of sleep the dream team reluctantly woke up and set its sights on the Vatican. After the usual croissant and espresso, we met our tour guide at St. Peter's Square. Yet again, she spoke some language resembling English and we were forced to interpet throughtout the day. During our time at St. Peter's Square, we watched the pope ride around in circles kissing babies and then spoke in Itlian for about an hour. We met a few older gentlemen during the speech and one took a liking to our gang so we accepted his hoss application and set off for the Vatican. We refer to this man as Peter Griffin due to an uncanny resemblence. The tour, although quite long and packed, gave us an idea of the significance of Catholicism and its role in Ancient Rome. After that we saw St. Peter's Basillica and proceeded to climb up a hill reccomended by a friend. At the top of the hill we took in a panoramic view of the city. When you combine this view with gelatto and wine, it makes for a good afternoon. After our hike we made our way down to the hotel to prepare for the night. We went to a restaraunt called Tony's where the owner was an animated character to put it lightly. We then went to a few random bars including G-Bar and eventually ended up at the Trevi Fountain with, yup you guessed it, a couple bottles of wine. We hung out until the wee hours of the morning enjoying our final night in Rome before calling it a day after the sun rose.