Hello everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed my day in the life in Prague last week. During the past two weekends, I have had the privilege of going to Rome and Venice, and both cities were absolutely amazing. I chose to go to Italy twice because Italy has so many different things to offer. The food and scenery in Venice and Rome were completely different and I do not think the trips were repetitive at all.
The first weekend I went to Rome and was absolutely blown away by the architecture. Every time I turned a corner, I was greeted with another amazing view. While in Rome, I visited all of the famous sights including the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican, and Trevi Fountain. I was very disappointed in the amount of construction that was happening in Rome. Almost every sight was being worked on since it is technically the off season right now. The biggest let down was the Trevi Fountain being completely drained with scaffolding all around. The Vatican was my favorite place in Rome. The Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica were by far the coolest churches I have been to, and overall the Vatican was my favorite area in Rome.
One thing that surprised me about Rome was the affordability. It was definitely more expensive than what I am used to in Prague, but nowhere near what I was expecting, with a full sit down dinner only costing around $15-20. Most people in Rome spoke English, so I did not need to know any Italian to order or communicate. My favorite dish in Rome was Carbonara pasta, which actually comes from Rome. I ate at a lot of pizza and pasta restaurants during this trip. Overall, the food was definitely a highlight of this trip.
This past weekend, I went back to Italy, this time to Venice. Venice was also a very unique experience. The first night, I did a pasta making class where I learned to make authentic Venetian pasta and Tiramisu. I was looking on tripadvisor and happened to stumble upon the class. I had a super fun time learning all of the history behind these 2 dishes, as well as how much effort it takes to make pasta. Venice definitely had less historical sights than Rome, but there was still no shortage of things to do. There are no cars on the islands, so everywhere you go is by foot.
In Venice, I toured Doge’s Palace, arguably Venice’s most historical attraction. There was so much to see in the Palace, and I even got to walk across the famous Bridge of Sighs, a famous Bridge that connects Doge’s Palace to the prison. The bridge gave prisoners their last view of the outside world before their imprisonment. Venice is built on a bunch of small islands, and is slowly sinking; therefore being able to have the opportunity to see a city that I may not get to see again is truly a blessing, and I am so thankful for that opportunity.
Overall, my Italian adventures were an amazing time. These 2 trips gave me some of the best food I have had abroad so far. The history and architecture of Rome and Venice were breathtaking, and I would love to go back some day. I cannot believe I only have a couple weeks left of my abroad experience. Stay tuned for a recap on my abroad experience!
More about USAC Czech Republic: Prague – Politics, Culture, and the Arts >