September 12th.
This was our first day of travel. We left Omaha at 10.30am and flew to Chicago. We had a four hour layover and then took a flight to Zurich, Switzerland.
Me at the Zurich airport
Me with some bears at the Swiss airport
September 13th.
We landed in Rome about 1.30pm Rome time on Tuesday. We then proceeded to try to figure out the directions to the hostel and navagate the Metro system. It was difficult to say the least. Thankfully, they had helpful picture signs that helped us figure out which way to go and most people we asked for help from spoke great English. After about another 2 hours of travel, we made it to the hostel. We were so tired that day, that all we did was shower, eat, have a few drinks and then go to bed.
September 14th.
Our first full day in Rome. Today we saw the monument to Victor Immanual II, who was a unifier of Italy. We didnt stay long at this monument because when we reached the top, Bryan and I kissed and we got whistled at by the arm guards. Since it was a monument/tomb, kissing was disrespectful, and we didnt know it. I was so mortified that I just left. After that, we visited an amazing museum where we saw some beautiful statues and artwork. All centuries old and authentic. Next was the Roman Forum and the Colleseum and the Pantheon. We didnt go in to the Colleseum because it cost and there was a two hour line. After that, we relaxed in a massive piazza (plaza) and then made our way back to the hostel for dinner and sleep.
The first site of rome off the metro
The Rome streets
An archway
The St. Victor Immanuel II monument
Me at some ruins
St. Victor Immanuel II
Guards at the monument
Bryan under the horse at the monument
Statues at the base of the horse
Me with Rome behind
The Roman Forum
Bryan with the city behind
Hercules!
Medusa
The Roman Forum
The god of war
Roman Forum
Bryan and I at the Colleseum
The Colleseum
The Colleseum
The Romans love thier scooters
Scary faces at a fountain
The Pantheon
Statue of a mintrel
Statue of a man
Statue of a prophet
Throngs of people at the Piazza Spagna
Me on the piazza steps
Bryan on the steps
Me drinking from a public fountain
Me in the bed in our hostel
September 15th.
This was our last day in Rome for now. Today we went to Vatican City. We just got off the Metro and started walking towards it. Once we got to Vatican City we went to the museums that eventually led up to the Sistine Chapel. They had the most art and artifacts I have ever seen. When you finally reach the Sistine Chapel, it's amazing. You couldnt take photos of the ceiling, because the flash on cameras would eventually erode the paintings. After the Sistine Chapel, we went to Saint Peter's Square and Basillica. We couldnt go into the actual Vatican and Basillica because, even though I was dressed properly, Bryan had worn shorts, and they wouldnt let him in. While resting in the square, Bryan found a priest who was walking through and had him bless a rosary that we had bought for Bryan's mother. We were pretty tired from all the walking that day, so after the Vatican, we went back to the hostel for some good sleep!
A view of a plaza
A museum on the way to the Sistine Chapel
Freaky faces
One of my favorite paitings on a ceiling
The other favorite painting
Me in the museum
The view as you walk in
Looking out in the the private gardens
The Basillica
One scary face deserves another
A painting, she's holding a decapitated head
A war scene
A painting on the ceiling, again, a head
A painting, she's putting a spike into his head
The square
The square
Me in the square
Bryan in the square
The church
The two of us in the square
Guards at the square
Where we got the rosary blessed at
Me again
The inside of the hostel camper
The hostel we stayed at
September 16th.
We left Rome early that morning and took a train to Florence, Italy. The train ride was only about two hours long. When we got to Florence we found out that the hostel we had booked was very far away from the city and that buses dont even really go from the hostel to the city. Luckily, an Italian who spoke wonderful English told us this and told us about his hostel. He showed us the place, and it was right in the heart of the city. You cant pass that up, so we stayed. After settling in, we just wandered the streets. We did go down a street where there were a lot of street vendors. One in particular was selling mass re-produced art. Just junk. But we stopped to look at the vendor said 20 euro. Too much. Bryan said he'd pay maybe 15. But we didnt have any money on us and said so and walked off. And the vendor chased after us! 10 euro! 8 euro! He literally accosted Bryan, wanting him to pay. We didnt know Italian customs, and the vendor mentioned the police, so we were scared and just kept repeating no and finally broke away. We recounted the incident to the italian owners of the hostel and they said we hadnt done anything wrong, the vendors just get forceful. So after we calmed down, we took to wandering again. We found an insanely large inner city garden and spent about two hours there. It was almost like a maze, interspersed with statues and you could climb up and get a great view of Florence. After that, we went back to the hostel and met two American Airforce guys who were on vacation and knew some Italian and had been to Florence before. We all went to dinner together to a place called Il Latini, The Latin. We waited outside for two hours to get in! But you can drink anywhere in Florence so we passed the time with a couple bottles of wine. Once we got in, you dont order. They plunk a huge jug of wine down and just start bringing you food. Five courses of food. It was the best meal I have ever eaten in my entire life. After all that, I went back to the hostel and Bryan and the other guys went to the disco's, which are European dance clubs. Bryan didnt make it back to the hostel until early the next morning, but had a good time meeting people.
Me on the train
Bryan on the train
Markets outside the hostel
Me in an alley
Statue
Statue, decapatated head
Close up of the head
Statue
Hercules wrestling with a centaur
The rape of Polyxena
A replica of David
Me by a fountain
The outside museum
Statue
A bridge with apartments in Florence
A river view
The city
A walled part of the city
Romulus and Remus nursed by a She-Wolf
Crazy statues
Me in the garden
A garden walkway
Bryan overlooking Florence
Me overlooking Florence
Part of the gardens
Beginning of a palace
A palace
A view from our hostel
September 17th.
Today we didnt do too much. We had been out the night before and got a little drunk, so we werent up for much. We basically got a late start and just visited different parts of Florence some more. We did go to the Duomo, the most favorite church in Florence. It took 150 years to build. You can go up into the dome. It's 500 feet high. We waited about an hour to go up, but because Bryan is deathly afraid of heights, we made it halfway up and had to go back down, once Bryan saw how high up he was.
The Duomo
Me
The Duomo
Artwork on the church
A door to the church
A view from a window on the way up
Another church
September 18th.
Our last day in Florence. Florence is kind of small. All we did today was walk around some more and just enjoy the city.
Me feeding some birds
The Duomo again
A saint
The church door
Bryan relaxing
Me on the bridge at night
Bryan on the bridge at night
September 19th and 20th.
Today we were off to Croatia! We took a train ride from Florence to Ancona, Italy. From there we took a ship ride to Split, Croatia. It was an overnight voyage and fun! We slept in a little cabin and when we awoke, we were in Croatia! Once we landed, we took a bus to Dubrovnik, Croatia, which is where we stayed for three days. Our first day there we got to our hostel, which was just gorgeous. The lady who runs is served us grapes right off the vine. We spent the time after that exploring. We went swimming, but that part of the beach was too dirty to stay in long. Then we just walked around more before bed.
The ship we took
Ancona, Italy
Ancona
Me showing off the ship
Our cabin
Me on deck
Bryan on deck
A snuggery?!
Croatian beer
Bryan and I on deck
The cabin was cold and I was hungry
Sunrise in Croatia
A town on the way to Dubrovnik
Apartment building
Farmland
Grapes!
Me and "croatia kitty"
The room we stayed in
Another view of the room
A room with a view
Thier gardens
A beautiful flower
A walkway
Me surrounded by beauty
Leading away from the house
Sunset in Dubrovnik
September 21st.
Today we took an all day excursion on a ship and went island hopping. It was like a pirate ship and we got to go to three hours and spend an hour, two and a half hours and one hour, respectively. While we were on the first island, the crew caught fish and cooked it on the ship and we had a fresh fish picnic on the ship. Overall, it was about 10 hours on ship and islands. It was amazing. We got to be on the sea and islands and go swimming and exploring. It was perfection.
A view of Dubrovnik by ship
Me on the ship
Me by the masthead
Sailing...
A view of the Old City in Dubrovnik
More sailing... that blue sea..
Fishies and the bottom of the sea
Bryan swimming at the first island
More Bryan swimming
Bryan doing his Baywatch pose
The second island
A street
Me in the sea
Me again
Me swimming
The third island
Me
Bryan and I on the island
Sunset on the way back to land
September 22nd.
Our last day in Croatia. We spent the day exploring the Old City. The Old City had been bombed in the war. But they have restored everything. It was a beautiful place, if not a little touristy. It had stray cats everywhere. We went swimming again for a good amount of time. You just found your place on the rocks and sunbathed and swam. There were even a few people topless! It was amazing to swim at the base of a 13th century city.
A stray kitty
Bryan jumped from those rocks
Me sunning
Steps were cut into the rocks to go into the sea
Me swimming in the Adriatic
Me swimming
More of me swimming
Bryan floating away....
The rocks where we relaxed at
Bryan and "croatia kitty"
Bryan and the kitty
Look up! It's Peko!! <3
September 23rd.
Today we left for Bosnia. We took a bus from Dubrovnik to Mostar, Bosnia. Mostar was really something else. Personally, it was scary for me. About half of the city is still bombed out from the war. What you see most is the bombed out buildings. It's so sad. The war really leveled Mostar. The poverty is staggering. Children begging, people living in the bombed buildings. And yet there are beautiful parts as well. The old bridge, which symbolized the bridging of Muslim and Orthodox Croats; the children themselves; the Turkish Markets. We only spent one say there, but I'll never forget it.
The river in Mostar
Me on a bridge
A bombed building
Bombed building
Bombed apartments
Shot up school
Bombed building
Bombed building
Bombed building
The old bridge
Turrets on Muslim mosques
Guys jumped off the bridge
Me
Pasha's Mosque
Inside the mosque
The mosque
Bryan peeking out at the top of a turret
A view of Mostar
Another view
Sexy Emily
The old bridge
Me by the bridge
French troops patrol the city
A begger girl
Dont Forget '93
Couches were we would drink cafe from
Me
Mmmm, smokey...
Contemplation
Artsy Emily
You talking to me?
Too much caffiene!!
City cemetary for all the were killed in 1993
Headstone
Bombed building...Happy New Year
Inside a bombed out building
Bombed tower
Bombed balcony
Walking down the street
Bombed building
Bombed building
Beggar children
Old men
Muslim women
Children
Boys playing soccer in the street
Balcony of where we stayed
Too gross for words
September 24th and 25th.
Today we left for Split, Croatia, which would eventually lead us back to Rome and then home. This had to be one of the worst days in my entire life. We took the five hour bus ride from Bosnia to Split, Croatia. We went into the ferry office to check in. They tell us, no boat. Boat broken. The ferry broke and they said it was the agency who we booked through's responsibility to let us know. Well, no one told us. I just started crying. I sobbed my head off. As Bryan was trying to figure out what to do, we found four other people in the same situation. A girl with them cried too, so the ferry people let us use the internet in thier office to try to figure out another route, as there were no other boats leaving at all that night. This was a Saturday and our plane left on Monday. I thought we were stranded. After about an hour of looking and thinking, we had a plan. But it was a crappy plan. It involved 20 hours of travelling. We ended up taking a bus from Split, Croatia to Trieste, Italy, and went through a little of Slovania, and it took twelve hours! So the 25th started with us, after all that bus ride, we still had to take a seven hour train ride to Rome. We got to Rome about 3.30pm on the 25th. After all that travel and almost no sleep, we didnt want to spend another hour taking Metro lines to the hostel we had originally stayed at. So we decided to get a hotel near the train station, which would take us to the airport. But, of course, as we start to look for a hotel, a torrential downpour started. So we're trudging around, with our backpacks, looking for a hotel in the rain. And since it was near the train station, it was going to be expensive. After looking at 4 hotels and getting soaked, we just said screw it and paid 100 euros for a room. Then it wasnt so bad. We calmed down, relaxed, walked around and saw an amazing church and just got some beer and watched MTV in Italian.
On the bus from Bosnia to Croatia
Mountains
More mountains
Me reading The Da Vinci Code
The last church we saw
Inside the church
More of the church
More of the church
Me
Me looking up at the church
Bryan upset that he has to leave the next day
A view from the hotel
The hotel bathroom
September 26th.
We leave Rome today. Another hectic, bad day. We got up at what we thought was an early time. We had to take a train to the airport and thought the trains ran more often than they did. So we got to the airport with only 45 minutes to get through security, customs, etc. All to find out, that the plane was late. Every plane we took that day was late. We had to go from Rome to Switzerland to Chicago to Omaha. Every one was late. We sat in the Rome plane for an HOUR before it took off. And we only had an hour and a half layover in Zurich. So we had to book it to that gate, only to have that plane be late by about a half hour. The flight from Zurich to Chicago was 10 hours! So neither of us is very pleasant by the time we land in the US again. But we get a bite to eat while waiting for the plane back to Omaha. I take it back, that plane was on time. Left at 8.40pm on the 26th and landed in Omaha a little after 10pm. Finally, home! My dad picked us up and we were finally back home. We stopped by Bryan's sister's house and then went out for a drink to re-hash everything. Finally got to bed about 1am. The end of our trip.
Overall
Europe is a beautiful place. Rome and Italy in general is everything you see on TV and more. Romans love clothes and themselves and I saw some of the most beautiful people ever there. They're all so up to date on fashion. Florence was better than Rome, because it was more the quiet, Italian experience. Rome was very large, noisy and crowded. Croatia was the most beautiful country I've seen. So green and blue. The colors all so vidid. I enjoyed swimming in the Adriatic Sea more than I've ever enjoyed swimming before. Except being crusted in salt wasnt great. And even though Bosnia was scary for me, it was quite an experience to see a war torn city, and one that still has troops in it. Everyone in all countries were willing to help us out with any questions. In Italy, 99% of the people we spoke with spoke great English. Not so much in Croatia and even less in Bosnia. We never had any security problems. Except for that vendor, no one ever gave us any problems, I felt safe, except fot a little time in Bosnia, all the time. Even though there were some bumps in the road, I am so happy that I was able to see so much and be a part of something great.
Thanks for taking the time to read all this and look through our photos. If you have any questions or comments, please email me. Thank you.
part of the beautifulvoices.net site and all copywright to Emily Watson; 2005.
