Italy so far

Well when I got to Italy I was exhausted. I spent about 3 hours walking around from hostel to hostel looking for a room to stay in until Bryce got here the next day. Finally found a place with ice cold showers and a rock hard matress to stay at. It definately beat the previous 4 nights I had where I didnt have a hostel at all. I thought that when Bryce got here I would be able to relax because I wasnt going to be traveling around a lot, but I was wrong. After Bryce got here, which was an adventure in itself from what he told me, we went on a hard core mission to see everything we possibly could. As soon as he got here we got some of the most amazing pizza we have ever had, and attempted to go on a walking tour with a guide, but instead ended up doing it ourselves. We did all the ancient Rome stuff that day. My favourite was the Colloseum. Its so unbelievable the stuff that went on in there. I think what made it better was the fact that we watched Gladiator that night just by coincidence. Apparently I have gotten really good at walking because Bryce could hardly keep up with my pace. I guess thats what happens when you do nothing but walk everywhere for a couple of months. Bryces legs and feet were sore, but he kept up quite well.

The best part of hanging out with my brother in Rome was watching him experience all the weird quirky stuff about traveling that I have become used to. His first time using the subway I could see that he was really excited and unsure of what exactly to do. Crossing the street for him was a challenge and eventually he learned to just follow me like a little duckling. Not gunna lie, Im pretty good at crossing the street now. The locals even follow me; a true sign of an accomplished traveler. I also took for granted how easy EuRail pass makes traveling. Watching Bryce have to wait in lines to buy train tickets and validate them (Which he forgot to do once and got a huge fine) makes me realize just how awesome EuRail is.

The Vatican was simply amazing. The museum and the sistine chapel were breathtaking. St Peters Bastilica took me by complete suprise. The inside of it is awe inspiring, I cant describe the way it makes me feel. Bryce brought me a couple of good books to read as well, which I was desperate for.

All the churches here are amazing. The David is really awesome, which I wasnt expecting it to be, I thought it would just be another statue. My favourite though is a statue of Michael slaying Satan. Such an epic statue, I think Ill buy a mini one to put on my desk at home.

Florence and Siena are in my opinion superior to Rome. Rome of course is awesome to see the art and the history of, but the feel of the city is a bit dirty and not what I would consider authentic Italian. Florence is an awesome city, and I love how walkable it is. Siena is beautiful, has some of the most amazing views so far this trip, and the plaza that I cant remember the name of, where people are just sprawled out on the ground, is one of my favourite places so far this trip. I could lounge there for hours in the sun. Speaking of the sun its such a relief to have some warm sunny weather, even though its raining right now; at least it gives me a chance to get on the computer ;). I did get a little sunburned on my face due to not seeing that much sun in a while. I am a big fan of Italy but for the most part Im not really into the people here. The food is ridiculous, me and Bryce ate quite well while we were here. The Gelato is amazing as well, unless you get tricked into buying a cone for 9 euros. My favourite flavours are banana and melon.

My favourite part of Florence was just having a bottle of Chianti and listening to some guy play guitar and sing covers of Oasis in front of the Uffizi at night. Free awesome concert baisically. Anyway it was an awesome experience to have my brother here with me for a week, and we had a lot of good times, and good memories.

Anyway I went from Rome to Florence to Rome and now I am back in Florence. I met someone that goes to school in Florence right now so I think Ill hang out here for a bit. This is the beauty of traveling alone and with no itinerary, I wouldnt have it any other way. I think Ill day trip to Cinque Terre and then go to Nice, followed by Barcelona, try and get a plane to Ireland for cheap, then get back to London to fly home. I think it would be cool to be in Barcelona for Easter, but Ill have to check and where there are any big festivals. I have a month to do that so I get to take it nice and slow. Of course the last time I had an idea of where I was going I ended up in Bosnia, so wel see where I end up next.

Once again sorry for not posting that often, just been so busy with stuff to do and things to see. I have been meeting some really cool people which is good. There is so much I could write about Italy but simply dont have the time. Thanks for keeping me in mind

Kyle