Firenze (Florence)

Florence – my favorite stop on our journey in Europe! After a two-hour ride on the Eurostar from Rome, through the rolling hills of Italy, we arrived at the most elaborate establishment imaginable that still carries the ‘hostel’ classification. Two minutes from the train station, five minutes to the Duomo (left), and one minute to the gelateria! Below, the Ponte Vechia carries an enclosed passageway for members of the wealthy Medici family to come and go from the city as they pleased.

The highlight of Florence: climbing the bell tower. A small stone stairway spirals steeply up, stopping occasionally to enjoy a view of the red-tiled roofs and roof-top patios carpeting the city. We also hiked to Piazza Michelangelo, where this beautiful view could be seen:

With just one day to spend in this city, we had to choose carefully what to do. But one opportunity that could not be missed, was a chance to see the Uffizi Gallery. It ranks among the world’s top art museums. My favorite: the Birth of Venus by Botticelli.

And of course, we left a kiss on the nose of the Florentine Boar, which traditionally ensures returning one day to Firenze.

Roma

Rome, in word, was magnificent. As we explored, it seemed that around every corner there was another grandiose monument or building looming, ready to impress us with its beauty, age, and historical significance. It is a truly remarkable place to be.

One of the best parts of being in Italy, is undoubtedly the food. A traditional dinner out in Rome starts with appetizers and a glass of wine. Afterward, the meal proper has a first course of pasta – just a small portion, prepared a la dente, and served with Italian bread. The second course centers around either meat, or fish, and comes with salad. Finally, the meal is topped off with Italian espresso, and maybe some gelato for desert!

… and a few people shots – from left to right: evening at the Spanish Steps, my sister Miriam and her friend Liana, and Conrad Grebel at the Colosseum.

Vatican City

St. Peter’s Basilica is breathtaking; four rows of monolith pillars circling round the center, with statues of the saints perched along the rooftops, a fountain on either side, and in the middle an obelisk that acts as a sundial for the seasons. On Wednesdays the Pope leads the Holy Mass, and many people come a long way to participate. We visited on a Tuesday hoping for a quieter look around.

Saint Peter (below, left) holds the key to the Christian faith (the key being faith itself), and at the other side of the square is Saint Paul (below, right), who brought Christianity to the Romans.

Our very first view of the Vatican came, actually, from a long way off. In Rome we stayed with a friend of my sister’s, Liana, an Italian native. While walking in the evening alongside a giant stone wall, Liana pointed to a heavy gate and suggested looking through the keyhole. It had been carefully placed so that framed in that tiny opening, you could see the lit cupola of St. Peter’s, far off in the distant Vatican! What a rare and fantastic first view!

From the Vatican Museum:

The Vatican Museum has overwhelming volumes of sculptures, paintings, tapestries, floor mosaics, and ceiling frescoes – I wish that I was more of an art buff to appreciate better what I saw! My favorite painting in the gallery: Raphael’s ‘The School of Athens’ featuring Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Euclid, and allegedly Raphael himself. Also an obvious highlight: the Sistene Chapel with Michelangelo’s ceiling.

Waddinxveen

While staying with my aunt and uncle who live in Waddinxveen, I borrowed my uncle’s bike to explore the Dutch countryside. Above is what many of the bike paths look like and they are found alongside almost every road. The farms are laid out in perfect squares (as if in Sim City) with bridged canals separating them.

Something I like about being outdoors in a new place, is seeing birds that I don’t recognize. These are ones that I ran into…

Since I was there in the Spring, I also discovered that the lambs had been born! That led to some really cute pictures:

And finally, a rural Dutch farmhouse with grass roof. I was really glad to have a few days in the quieter countryside of the Netherlands – if you’ve only ever been to Amsterdam, you’re missing out on a large part of Holland’s beauty.

Utrecht

Despite the difficulties I have with pronouncing its name, Utrecht is a city I’ve been to fairly often. On market days the streets are filled with outdoor vendors of cheeses, meats, breads, clothes, and used books. My family would come here to stock up while “on leave” from Tanzania. During an unexpected week in Holland, I took one day to re-visit the market in Utrecht. I had some great Dutch fast food, croquettes and french fries with curry sauce, while sitting under the Dom tower (below, middle).

Amsterdam

Dubbed “Venice of the North”, Amsterdam is built around networks of canals. There are always boats on the water, including some houseboats that are permanently moored and connected to the city’s plumbing and electricity. Across the Netherlands, many of the bridges are able to be raised to allow larger boats underneath. The houses in Amsterdam are mostly thin, and many stories tall. There is reputedly a house that is only a metre wide – I kept an eye out for it but did not see it.

A big attraction of Amsterdam in the Spring is the flower market. But it’s not just for the tourists – I discovered that Dutch people will decorate their homes with fresh flowers regularly, most often on Sundays.

We took a tour of the city on this canal boat – it is especially neat to see everything from the water. There are many canal cruises available including those where you are served dinner, or are accompanied by a live band. We were content just to sip a Heineken and enjoy the view!

Here’s the group of us that met together in Amsterdam, just for one day. Left to right is Cassie, myself, Trisha, and my sister Miriam. We explored the city using the best transport available – bicycles! All the streets are combined with bicycle paths and there are even designated crossing signals for cyclists. The Netherlands is well set up for biking!

Can you tell what this is?

Travel Diaries

In May, I was privileged to take a month’s trip to Sudan, the Netherlands, and Italy. Since I have some time before medical school begins, I’m going to write a short series of posts that document my trip. The diaries will be organized by place and will focus on the photos that I took, along with the stories that accompany them. We’ll start in Amsterdam!