Britt Roams Roma

Rome was where I was flying solo. I had only two days in Rome and was sure to savor every minute. Day one held The Colosseum, The Forum, The Palatine Hill, The Trevi Fountain and The Pantheon. Rome is an incredibly touristy city which I had mixed feelings about. I hated that the fact I was foreign seemed to make it permissible for me to be constantly harassed, scammed or touched. It didn't take long for me to be completely fed up with people trying to sell me things or make me come on their tours, I hated people grabbing my wrists trying to 'give' me bracelets and pointedly did not go to any restaurant where people outside creepily 'complimented' me to come in. However there were some parts of the tourist atmosphere that I loved. I adored the buzz of the Trevi fountain and the Spanish steps, it's so invigorating to see so many happy and relaxed people from all over the world coming together. I also loved that at night at the hostel that I was able to eat dinner with people from America, China, Poland and Holland, I love that when traveling it's so easy to bond with other travelers from all over the world. My second day was mainly spent at The Vatican City and museum, being enthralled by The Sistine Chapel. I also managed to fit in some Caravaggio paintings, a visit to the Trevi by dark and a four cheese pizza and tiramasu.

Verona, Venezia, Firenze

Having not much money and not much time, this was a holiday of walking. Walking through
streets with no aim, getting lost frequently, and fueling ourselves with gelato. I admired the frescoes which adorn the outside of many Veronan buildings, fell in love with all of Venice and was awed by Florence's Uffizi. We frequented Christmas Markets in every city, treating ourselves with Chocolate covered apples, Panzarotti and Mulled Wine. I mastered the hazard of high heels on cobblestones and we even succeeded at transporting our luggage over dozens of bridges in Venice. Venice was the one place where walking did not feel like the most appropriate form of transport, and so we took to the water. Gondola rides cost about thirty thousand dollars so instead we took the vaparetto. We got a huge kick out of waiting for 'the bus' at a floating bus stop before boarding to take a trip down the grand canal, in between the islands and into Piazza San Marco.

Duomo

Milan is not a primarily tourist city, which suited us perfectly. It was the part of the trip where we had all seven of the girls together and where some of us were having our reunions with Greta. Our main priority was just catching up and spending time together, and not having a huge list of other things to see and do meant we could just be relaxed about it.

The one tourist attraction Milan does have is the Duomo, and we sure did see it thouroughly. By day, by night, in passing as we shopped around it and from the rooftop. Climbing it was Spectacular.

NaBloPoMo Day 15: Future Plans

In my mind I always have a million and one ideas of things I'm going to do in the future. These are all complete deviations from my likely actual future which I am properly on the path to - becoming a doctor and hopefully joining doctors without borders- but I like to think they are still all possible.

There's the life where I move to Paris and live alone in a little apartment. I work in Shakespeare and Company, and perfect my french, and read as many books as possible.

There's the other french life where I study at Le Cordon Bleu, become a pastry chef and put on 20 kilos.

There's the more recent decision of moving to LA or Hong Kong or Paris or Orlando and work at Disneyland for a year playing the part of Cinderella.

The life where I move to Oxford to study at the university and ride bikes everywhere.

There's the life where Tess, Henry and I move in together and start a famous cover band in our kitchen.

Or the future where I become a Conservation Biologist and work with Greta to save the sharks.

The plan of starting a party planning company specializing in particularly elaborately themed and catered events.

Even if none of these happen, my actual future is looking pretty good at the moment, taking me to Italy and Norway, Beach trips with friends, studying at Melbourne University and if all goes to plan to New York in not too long.

NaBloPoMo Day 10: 2 Weeks 6 Days

Sometimes things just sort themselves out.

As you know 2 days ago I was exhausted, frustrated and stressed from booking (or rather not booking) my Italian accommodation. But two days can change a lot of things, I now have even more than I bargained for!

Along with hostel rooms being booked for Greta and I for Verona and Venice, thanks to gorgeous Greta and her wonderful host family I also have a place to stay with them in Florence. Not only that, for the weekend we are going to take a trip to The Country House and visit Pisa! My Accomodation for when I am being grown up and independent by myself in Rome is done! Greta is on the job of booking trains our together, and I just have to book my trains to and from Rome.

Italy here we come!

NaBloPoMo Day 8: Three Weeks and One Day

Three weeks and One day until I board a plane for Italy! Crazy to think how soon it is now, given that way back in January saying goodbye to Greta and knowing I wouldn't see her for a year does not seem all that long ago at all. I leave the day after the end of NaBloPoMo so I'm sure this will be one of many updates. After much umm-ing and ahh-ing and waiting and deliberating tonight I decided it had been long enough and I was going to sit down and get everything booked in- trains, accommodation, everything! You don't need to tell me that I'm cutting it a bit close with only 3 weeks to go. However after 3 hours of research, I'd only found 2 of the 5 places I need to stay, and concluded that there is literally no where for me to stay in Florence. I'm not asking for a lot, all I want is an all female dorm that is actually in the city of Florence and doesn't have bedbugs. Apparently that's all too much though. I've decided to put myself to bed now and hopefully my next update will be one of much more productivity. I'm going to spend the rest of the night reading Alain De Botton's 'The Art of Travel' and remember that with all the difficulties of travel come all the wonders which are why I love it so much.