It’s crazy to think that randomly planning my trip it ended up I would be in Rome during Easter weekend. I was all planned and ready for it. Reserved my ticket for the Vatican Museum… check! Made it to the convent/guesthouse I was staying at… check! Picked up my tickets for the Easter Vigil and Easter Mass… check! 

 

The place where I was staying was super nice. I had my own room and a private bathroom. Such a good change from the hostels I have been staying at. The problem with this though was that it was awfully hard to meet people. I decided that Rome may just be one of those cities I will do along. That wasn’t the case. I met amazing people in this city. Standing in line for 3.5 hours for the Easter vigil I met Martha from Portugal. I hung out with her for most of the time. Met a girl from Ukraine and a bunch from America where I later hung out with. A group of people even shared their dinner with me in line since I hadn’t had dinner yet. While waiting for the Easter Sunday mass I saw a girl who I had met the night before. Even flying out of Rome a girl I had met in Venice was on the same plane. It was if God was providing the people I needed on this trip. 

 One of the most significant moments in Rome was attending the Easter vigil mass. First of all, I talked to several people in line who said that it was difficult to get these tickets. They had written the Vatican but got no replies. I felt very lucky and blessed to have gotten tickets. It was such a solemn service reminding me of what this night is about. This was the Saturday before the resurrection of Jesus. The night before everything changed. Growing up Catholic it was a memorable experience to be a part of this mass with the pope leading it. No words can really express what God was doing in me that night. He was present and was moving. I look forward to seeing his presence in the next part of my trip… the Camino de Santiago. 

  

 

Since I was in these cities for only such a short time I thought it would be best to do one blog post for the three. I enjoyed each and every one of those cities. Now for the highlights. 

I was only in Milan for about 24 hours and I found it super relaxing. Since Milan is quite small I found myself slowly strolling throught the city to take it all in. Why did I go to Milan if I was only going to be there for a short time? Two reasons. When planning for this trip the ticket from Athens was super cheap. Second,  I wanted to see the last supper by Di Vinci. What an amazing experience that was. Although I do not have any pictures of that (photography was not allowed) that will be a moment I will never forget. Seeing the work of art faded as it is was memorable. We only had a 15 minute window to see it. So I sat there taking it all in and contemplating what that moment was like for Jesus and his disciples.  

 

I was only in Venice for a short time as well. Since there wasn’t a whole lot I wanted to do there and the fact that the city is fairly small I thought that one day would be a good enough time for his trip. Walking out of the train station in Venice the city was exactly like I pictured it. Beautiful! I think I favor cities with canals since the water plus the old building are so eye catching. While there I did an audio tour of the Grand Canal from this app that I have. For smaller cities this has been super helpful. Nerdy but helpful nonetheless.  

  

I was in Florence for a few nights which was a good change of pace. I visited the Duomo. Climbed up over 800 steps in a day to see two great views. Ate some Bistecca alla Fiorentino which was seriously a tasty steak. I saw the David statue by Michaelangelo which was massive but such an amazing sculpture. If you didn’t know I love art, sculpture specifically. In college that was one of my favorite classes which my roommates at the time would remember as I took up the living room to make my masterpieces. Haha. Although I have enjoyed this taste of Italy in these three cities I am looking forward to going to Rome for Easter weekend.    

If I thought all the other things I have seen in Europe were old. They have nothing on Athens. Athens is an OLD city. My very first day I was driving around with Yiannis, whose family was hosting me. As he was explaining the sites he mentioned something that was modern as in 100 B.C. I guess if the city you live in has been around for a super long time that can seem modern to you.  

 It was nice seeing all the sites. I saw the Acropolis with the massive Parthenon building. I sat and watched the sunset on Areopagus Hill where Paul spoke to the Athenians in Acts 17. I was blown away by how old everything was and how the country was doing such a good job protecting its past.  

 What really struck me while I was here was how much it felt like home. First of all the weather is very similar to San Diego. I was extremely grateful for this since Northern Europe has been cold, and I have had to wear more layers than I am used to. Also, the people in Greece are so kind and welcoming as well. Instead of staying in a hostel as I had been doing in the previous cities on my trip, I was staying of friends of a friend. It was a much needed change from the noisy roommates. I felt welcomed and at home with them. The home cooked meals also didn’t hurt. Although I have been meeting people along the way, it was nice to get to know people on my trip on a deeper level.   

I loved Athens! Haha, I think I have said that for every city so far. Hopefully one day I will return. 

Right before arriving in Prague I got these nasty bug bites on my arm. At first they were normal and itchy bites, but they continued to grow. My first day in Prague I was utterly miserable. I bought some anti-itch cream from a pharmacy mainly through acting out what I needed. The lady spoke little English so I had to improvise. I wanted to do nothing, but since I was only in Prague for a short time I had to seize the day itchy arm and all.   

I took a free walking tour and it was very helpful to get the background of the city. If you visit a city where they have these, specifically from sandeman, you should totally take advantage. I learned a lot about the architecture and history of the country. Although I was learning a lot, a 3 hour walking tour is not as enjoyable when you arm is super itchy. So most of the tour I was grumpy and had a grouchy face. What a great start to a beautiful city.   

That night I met some nice people at the hostel and one recommended that I do a castle tour. He also said if I wanted company exploring the city in the morning that he was down. That was nice! I would have totally taken him up on that offer but instead I slept in and felt fabulous. Although my arm was still itchy I felt much better. I wasn’t going to let it distract me for a second day. 

Luckily the tour was great and very informative. Europe has such a rich and complex history. And to top it all off I made some new friends from the tour. We hung out and had dinner that night. What a great ending to a difficult start in Prague.