SNOWWW, An Edinburgh Christmas, My New Identifier, Artistic Experiences, Respiratory Problems, and Unstoppable ME

After my final exam, I had three days left in Scotland. On the 20th, I went on my third and final trip to my beloved Scottish Highlands, this time with Chloe, who had never been to the Highlands before. We drove for about an hour and half before our first stop at a place to use the toilets and get a bite for breakfast. But it was at that stop that I got the BEST surprise. 

SNOW ON THE MOUNTAINS! AHHHHH!!! I had looked at the weather previously and saw that it had been raining in the Highlands for a few days, so I figured all the snow on the ground would be melted. I never considered that snow would still be blanketing the mountains! I jumped around and giggled like giddy little kid. I was so ridiculously happy! I was getting to see snow in Scotland, and it happened to be in the Highlands. Perfection.

The first sighting of snow!!!

Beautiful much?!?!

This third trip to the Highlands was more about just being there. It wasn't about the history this time and I didn't even plan on taking any pictures (that was before I saw the snow of course). This time was about really being present in the Highlands, taking in the atmosphere and saying goodbye (for now!). And of course, we saw a rainbow on the trip, because what would a Highland trip be without a mixture of both sun and rain creating this beautiful sight!

My last Highland rainbow <3

Snow covered hills along a loch

Those mountains in the distance are completely covered in snow! Simply majestic.

My favorite spot in the Highlands (so far, until I get to see more of them someday) is Glencoe, and I knew my love for that place would just intensify with the snow. And I was so so right!

Entering Glencoe. 

One of my favorite pictures. Do you see that tiny white house there?? That will give you some perspective of just how massive that mountain is!

Glencoe <3

Chloe and I in the Highlands!! :)

Me at Glencoe

 Another one of my fav pics!

After Glencoe, we stopped for lunch at the Ben Nevis visitor center. "Ben" in Scottish Gaelic means "Mountain," so Ben Nevis is Nevis Mountain. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Great Britain (not very high in world standards, but still the tallest in the UK). We then drove to a spot where we could actually see the mountain from a distance which was, of course, all covered in snow :D

 Me with Ben Nevis

We then made a picture stop at this loch lined with just the most beautiful, snow-covered mountains. 

Beautiful, huh?

Chloe and I!

Me and my Highlands <3

Our last stop of the day was Urquhart Castle, the famous ruined castle on Loch Ness that I had visited when I was 18 and then again a few months ago on my second Highland trip. I went in again because I wanted to accompany Chloe on her first visit to Urquhart. And, because I wasn't alone, I was able to get some pics of myself there this time!

Me at the back side of Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness, aka my favorite spot at the ruined castle. All sounds of the other tourists are blocked out by the largest remaining portion of the ruin, which I am facing in this pic, so all you can hear when you stand at that fence is the soft rippling of the water over Loch Ness. Perfection.

This is one of my favorite pics!! On the left, is a picture my mom took of me at Urquhart Castle two and half years ago when we visited for my birthday/graduation in June 2012. The picture on the right was taken by Chloe this time. I couldn't remember which way I had crossed my legs or which hand I had a glove on in the original pictures, so I just guessed, and I think it is hilarious that I ended up doing the exact opposite resulting in these pics being mirrors of each other. So cool!! (and check out the tree: that's June versus December for ya! haha)

After Urquart Castle, we took the Jacobite Cruise ship over Loch Ness to get back to our bus. It was then a 4 hour drive down from Inverness back to Edinburgh. It had been an extremely successful day, particularly for 3 reasons: 1. Chloe was able to come with me! 2. THERE WAS SNOW!!! and 3. I was in the Highlands again, simple as that. Just being there. You don't need the boat cruises or castles. Those things are great, but all I need is me, the lochs, and the hills. My Highlands. 

The next day (December 21st), I took Chloe to Holyrood Palace, the royal residence of Scottish (later British) royalty for nearly 500 years. I had visited first with Danielle back in September, then with Stef in October, and now I had to take Chloe, particularly because she loves Scottish history as much as I do! Afterwards, we both went back to our flats to change. At the beginning of the semester, after we had first gotten close, we had scheduled to have a Christmas lunch at Edinburgh Castle on December 22nd, Chloe's last day in Edinburgh. And the day had finally come! We took a taxi up to the Castle and then had a lovely four course lunch in the Jacobite dinning room. We then walked around the castle together, into Mary's rooms of course, to the Great Hall (where I was THRILLED to find a Christmas tree), and to the war memorial. It was a really nice way to end our time in Edinburgh together!

Chloe and I at lunch

Chloe and I in the Great Hall

That evening, I said goodbye to Chloe. It was definitely sad! We had gotten so so close over the semester and shared such a passion for Scottish History that no one else would really understand. We definitely formed a special relationship, and we will be seeing each other in the future (NYC and Quebec here I come!!). She is actually planning on visiting me in Richmond in April so she can see me in Funny Girl. I'm SO pumped! 

Catherine and I then headed down to the Christmas Market to go ice skating. We had bought the tickets earlier in the day without looking at the evening weather. It was raining. Sort of a lot. But we were troopers! We didn't care. We skated while being rained on! And now I get to say that I went ice skating in Edinburgh. I was a happy camper :)

Is that a pool or an ice rink??

Catherine pointing out that there may be some water on the ice due to weather.

Me pointing out that there is more than some water on the ice due to weather.

That brings me to December 22nd. My last day abroad. At that point, I was ready to go home. In NO WAY was sick of Scotland. I repeat, in NOOO WAY!! But you know how it is when you've been away from your home and your family and your friends for so long. It was time to go home. But first, I had a long checklist of things to accomplish in those remaining 24 hours. So bright and early, I set off on "Mission: Last Day in Edinburgh."

First, I had my favorite breakfast at the Elephant House (a ham and cheese croissant) and couldn't resist getting an elephant shortbread cookie to go. Then, I headed down the street to the National Museum of Scotland. I had literally lived a block from the museum the entire semester and had never gone in on my own time. I had gone in twice before on specific missions for classes, but had never explored on my own. I spent two hours in the Scottish History section, moving through the centuries of history that, after three and half months in Scotland, I knew pretty well. I realized that it was actually good of me to come to the museum so late in my abroad experience because with my newly accumulated knowledge of Scottish History, I could really understand and appreciate what I was seeing. It meant a lot more to me that way. 

At the end of my time in the museum, I reached the top floor of the Scottish History exhibition, which contain artifacts and information about the past 40 years or so. There was this video playing on a loop that I sat down to watch in its entirety. The video showed a bunch of Scots, young and old, male and female, from all over Scotland, answering questions about their lives as Scots, such as "Do you identify as British, Scottish, or Both?" "What is the best part of living in Scotland?" "What do you dislike most about Scotland?" "What are your favorite Scottish foods?" "How are your perceived by non-Scots?" etc. It was a fascinating video, and when it restarted after about 15 minutes, I was so bummed! I could have easily sat there for another hour listening to Scottish people talk about life in Scotland. It was sort of a beautifully appropriate thing for me to experience on my last day. 

After the museum, I met Catherine at the Festival Theatre to get our cheap student tickets to that night's performance of the Scottish Ballet's The Nutcracker. I was so excited to not only see this wonderful ballet again, but I was excited to see it done by the Scottish Ballet. 

Then, I headed to the National Library of Scotland where there was an exhibit called "Game of Crowns" (a play on "Game of Thrones") on display detailing the history and significance of the Jacobite Rising of 1715 (the Jacobite Rising I have talked about most, the one with Bonnie Prince Charlie, was the 1745 Rising, fyi). First of all, the advertisement with its "Game of Thrones"-type name and design style drew me in immediately, and then when I read the fine print that the exhibit was about Jacobite history, I was all in! I explored the exhibit for about 45 minutes, learning a great deal about the lesser known Jacobite Rising. 

Upon exiting the museum, I knew I was heading to the Castle next, but I decided to go straight down Victoria Street instead of turn right onto the Royal Mile. I wanted to take a roundabout way through the Grassmarket. The Grassmarket was where my parents and I stayed when we visited Edinburgh in 2012, it was where I first ate with Katie when we first arrived in Scotland back in September, it was where I had gone for my vocal lessons almost every week, and it was where I could get one of my favorite views of the Castle. I felt that I needed to walk down there just one more time. I then took the many, many stairs up from the Grassmarket to the Castle, taking this beautifully erie picture along the way. 

On the way up to the Castle from the Grassmarket

I headed into the Castle to get lunch. Unfortunately, because it was 1:00 (the busiest time at the Castle cafe because of the daily 1:00-Gun shooting) and because half of the cafe was closed with the daily Christmas lunches being held there (that I had attended the day before), the cafe was PACKED. I grabbed something and ate pretty quickly. Sadly they didn't have any of their delicious chicken caesar salads that I had ate there so many times over the semester, but that wasn't important to me. What was important was that I was at my favorite place in my favorite city in the world for what would be the last time in who knows how long, so I wasn't going to let anything spoil it! After eating, I walked around for a while. I went through the Crown Jewels & Stone of Destiny exhibit for the 4th time, visited the Great Hall, the War Memorial, St. Margaret's Chapel, and, of course, Mary's room where she gave birth to her son. I stayed there for a while, despite the many tourists milling in and out of that teeny tiny room. I just didn't want to leave. 

Before arriving in Scotland in September, Mary was a figure whose story fascinated me. As a student and lover of history, she was someone I wanted to learn more about. But ever since my third week in Edinburgh when I visited her birthplace, Linlithgow Palace, my curiosity turned into an obsession… okay "obsession" makes me sound crazy… 

okay, maybe I am a little crazy…

But, it's true! Something came over me, very quickly for that matter, and suddenly I was no longer just a student in search of historical facts about this interesting woman. I was a girl who suddenly felt like her already-very-full-heart had grown larger in order to make room for this new, self-consuming passion. Suddenly, Mary, Queen of Scots became part of my identity.

Who is Nikki Davis? Performer, Harry Potter Freak, Academic, History Buff, Traveler, and Mary, Queen of Scots Fanatic

And so there I stood, in that little room. I know it sounds crazy, but it was like I could feel her there with me, I could feel he energy. No, not her ghost, not her spirit, but rather this very strong presence she had left behind in that space the day gave birth to her only child, a child whose father was a crazed, abusive husband, a child she would never get to see or hold or raise past his first year of life. I just felt so sad for Mary, like I often do. As I stood there, leaning against the corner window, I spoke to Mary (in my head of course. I swear, I'm not that crazy). I told her I'd be back. I told her I'd never forget her or the trials life put her went through. I told her I would share her story. I would set it straight. No one is ever going to tell me Mary was a villainous queen deserving of her beheading without getting a full history lesson from me!

Me in Mary's Room

Then it was time to go. It was time to leave the Castle. Before I descended from the Upper Ward, I took one last look over New Town and out towards the Firth of Forth, another one of my favorite views in of Scotland. I am pretty certain it was that particular view that did it for me, that made me fall head over heels for Edinburgh way back when I was 13 and visited the city for only 5 hours. Again, all I could think to myself (because I'd break down if I thought anything else) was I will be back.

View from the Upper Ward

As I walked away across the Castle Esplande, I stopped and turned around. I stood there looking at the Castle for quite some time. Three minutes? Five minutes? Eight minutes? I'm really not sure. But I stood there letting the memories flood in. First seeing it when I was 13; visiting it again 5 years later with my parents; the first time I visited the Castle while abroad back in September; all those reunions me and my beloved Edinburgh Castle had. We were like two people in a transatlantic romance, only able to reunite every couple years. Then I thought of the Military Tattoo, the magnificent Scottish celebration that Mum and I were beyond fortunate enough to attend back in August where the Castle served as the most stunning backdrop to the festivities. And finally, I thought of all the times I went to eat and read and study inside the Castle over the past three and half months. That had been a dream of mine since applying to Edinburgh back in December 2013. I said to my parents multiple times that I was determined to find a way to just hang out at the Castle. My Historic Scotland Membership gave me that ability and made the Castle a second place of comfort, a second home for me within Edinburgh. 

It was off to the Christmas Market next. I had visited twice already, but who gets sick of any European Christmas Market?! On my way down from the Castle and towards New Town, I came across the Scottish Writers Museum. Outside of the museum were a ton of stones which bore quotes by famous Scottish writers. Of course, the ones that had to do with Scotland ("Alba" in Gaelic) and history struck me the most. 

Yup, my roots, my soul, my heart are all certainly in the roots of Scotland!

"Where are the links of the chain joining us to the past?"

"This is my own, my native land"

I eventually got down to the Christmas Market on Princes Street and just walked around for a while as the sun was setting (at 3:30… yeah, sucky).  I then headed into the National Gallery of Scotland which sits on the Mound right next to the Christmas Market. I have always appreciated art, but after having just taken History of Art at Uni, I felt more prepared to view art works critically. But what I found most fun was not my ability to use my newly gained Art History knowledge but instead my ability to use both the travel knowledge and the historical knowledge I had gained while abroad. Check out the artworks below. I knew what they depicted before reading their plagues because I had either physically been there or had learned about the events taking place in the piece over the past few months. 

People standing on the Upper Ward of Edinburgh Castle looking out over the esplanade. You can see both the Royal Mile with St. Giles Cathedral and Arthur's Seat in the distance. 

Inverlochy Castle with Ben Nevis in the background. I had visited this location with my parents in 2012 and then again on my first trip to the Highlands back in October. 

This one was a little harder to recognize super quickly, but I still figured it out before looking at the plague. To the far left you can see the Duomo and on the other side of the tree closer to center you can see the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio. This is Florence!

My beloved Glencoe in the Highlands

Princes Street in the New Town of Edinburgh. You can see Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat, and the top of St. Giles Cathedral in the distance

And last but certainly not least, this is the Murder of Rizzio. I wrote about this event way back in one of my first blogs about Holyrood Palace. This is a piece depicting when a group of conspirators led by Mary's husband, Lord Darnely, burst into Holyrood Palace and stabbed David Rizzio, Mary's secretary, to death in front her. She was 8 months pregnant at the time. It was her, in that shimmery white gown, that caught my eye first, and I instantly knew it was her. 

It was 5:00 when I left the National Gallery (I was actually kicked out because they were closing). I had been out and about since 9:00 and was exhausted. But still had many more hours of duties, both fun and not so fun, ahead of me. After saying a mental goodbye to the Christmas Market and to New Town, I headed back towards my flat where my lovely flatmate, Catherine, was making us her famous risotto one last time. As always, it was delicious! Then it was time for the ballet!

The Nutcracker was spectacular! I just love ballets and don't get to see them nearly enough! Catherine loved it too, and it was a really nice final thing for us to experience together.

And that was the end of the fun.

We returned to the flat at 9:30. It was time to pack. I stayed up packing until 2:30 and then finally got some sleep. But not nearly enough. I was up again three hours later, 5:30, in order to get ready, do last minute packing, take out the trash, and get a cab with Catherine to the airport. It was time to leave. 

After a truly exhausting, successful, emotional last day, I was ready to head home. 

It has now been 6 weeks and 2 days since I left Scotland. For the first 3 of those weeks I was fine! I loved talking about my experiences abroad, sharing pictures and stories, and just being home with my family for the holidays. But after those first 3 weeks, after about 1 week back at UR, the nostalgia already started to kick in. And now? How I am, you may ask?

I miss Scotland more than I can put into words. I wish I could pick up the University of Richmond bubble and drop it down in Old Town Edinburgh. I love my college and my friends and my department and my professors, but now having lived in Edinburgh and learned and grown so much there, it sometime feels as if… I don't know… like my lungs don't work properly. Simply thinking about Scotland makes it hard to breath. Sometimes I even feel like being here at UR is the temporary experience and that I am going back to Scotland in the near future. I mean, Edinburgh Uni does not come close in anyway to UR for me personally, but Scotland compared to the States…. my heart belongs to Scotland.

My abroad experience changed me. I know it's cliche. I know that is what's "supposed to happen." But, it seriously did happen for me!! I grew up. I became this incredibly independent woman and learned so much about what I am capable of and how I want "future me" to be. With everything I saw, everywhere I went, everything I learned, the places I explored, the cultures I experienced… I'll just never be the same after all that. The world is bigger now. I will never stop traveling. Never stop learning. Never stop finding things that make my heart swell with newfound passions.

This LASS is unstoppable!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has read/glanced over/skimmed/just looked at the pics on my blog. It's been a pleasure sharing my experiences with you and recording the memories so that I will have them forever. 

Much love, laughter, and learning to you all!

Nikki

I'm just going to put this here. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbb9aRSQpsY

Piazzas, David, Gladiators, Basilicas, Volcanos, the Mediterranean, and Views to Die For

After getting back from Munich, I had two days of the worst cramming of my life for my Medieval Scottish History Exam. I don't know what I was thinking when I said, "Oh yeah! I only need two days to study for an exam." But this wasn't just an exam on a chapter or whatever; this was an exam covering about 1500 years of Scottish history. Studying was rough, but the exam ended up going really well (I think!), so it paid off!

The morning after my exam, I was off to the airport again, this time on my own. I was off to Italy! I flew into beautiful Florence. The flight was actually quite exciting with these amazing views. First of the Alps and then of Florence as we were landing. Incredible!

The Alps

The Alps

 View of Florence on the way in. You can see the Duomo (big dome) sticking up in the center.

I took a bus from the airport to the train station where Stef picked me up. Stef had been studying in Florence for the semester, and I was to stay in her flat for two nights. She had joined me in my beloved Edinburgh for a few days back in October and now I was getting to join her in her favorite city. Upon my arrival, Stef surprised me with a ticket to climb the Duomo, figuring that, with my 8-hour scheduled tour the next day, I would not have time to do so. Like the amazing, best friend she is, she sat in a cafe with my luggage, studying for her 3 exams that she had to take the next day, while I explored the Duomo (built 1296).

Christmas at the Duomo!

Inside the Duomo

 View from the top of the Duomo (462 steps to the top)

Beautiful views

It was the highest dome in the world when it was constructed. That's where I climbed up to.

After I toured and climbed to the top of the famous Duomo, Stef and I dropped my stuff at her flat and then went out for some classic Italian paninis and some catching up time. Stef's flat was on the Piazza Santa Croce (square of the holy cross), one of the most famous squares in Florence where the Basilica of Santa Croce is located and, in the holiday season, where the Florence Christmas Market is set up. 

Basilica of Santa Croce 

Florentine Christmas Market in Piazza Santa Croce

The next morning I set off through Florence to the meeting spot for my 8 hour tour. The streets in Florence are so classically narrow and colorful and… well… Italian!! My walk along those streets with a gorgeous blue sky overhead was a great way to start the day! My tour began on a coach bus taking us up through some beautiful Tusan landscape to Piazzale Michelangelo where we could get stunning views over the city and of the surrounding mountains. 

Adorable narrow streets

One of the original gates to the medieval city 

Tuscan trees!! 

Tuscan Landscape

Remains of the Old City Walls that used to surround all of Florence

View of the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio from Piazzale Michelangelo, and in the background, beyond the tower on the left (Palazzo Vecchio) you can see some snow on the mountains. Stunning.

View of Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, and the Duomo

Ponte Vecchio (old bridge), the most famous bridge in Florence. Houses cover the bridge. People used to live on the bridge in medieval times, but now it only houses jewelry shops. All the bridges in Florence were once like this one, historic and covered in houses and shops. But all the other ones were blown up by the Nazis. 

The Duomo on the left and the Basilica of Santa Croce on the right (where Stef lived)

After enjoying one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen, we headed back down into town where we disembarked from the bus and began our walking tour. Our first stop was the Duomo which was particularly majestic against such a vivid blue sky. 

We then went to the Galleria dell'Academia where Michelangelo's famous David sculpture is on display along with a few other of his sculptures that were unfinished. Our guide took us over to David's left side so that we could see his face. She then asked us why David is so beloved, so revered as a work of art. One man in my group said it is because he is physically the perfect man. Most people think this, but in reality, David's hands and feet are all out of proportion. They are too large. But this was no mistake by the anatomical genius, Michelangelo. The statue was originally commissioned to be placed on top of a Basilica; thus the proportions were made a bit larger than normal because the statue would be viewed at such a distance. Michelangelo knew exactly what he was doing. But still, if David is not "perfect" then way is he so praised by the art and non-art worlds? 

For two reasons in my opinion. First, the veins and the muscles. From a slab of marble, Michelangelo carved a body with all the anatomically precise veins and muscles. Looking up close, the detail is unbelievable. The sculpture was carved between 1501 and 1504 by a Michelangelo who was only in his mid to late-20s! Our guide told us that she has had doctors on her tours who have marveled at the fact that they could not find one anatomical imperfection. Michelangelo didn't miss a thing. His obsession with dissecting corpses paid off! The other reason in opinion for why we all love the David so much has to do with the biblical reference combined with the look in his eyes. David is supposed to be David from the bible story, David and Goliath, in which a young man, David, defeats the giant, Goliath, with a sling shot. Most works of art leading up to the Renaissance that had depicted David, showed David post-fight with the defeated Goliath with him. Michelangelo's depiction is much different. First, his David is not a boy but an adult man in his prime. Second, his David stands with his sling shot pre-fight, and has not yet made the decision to go after Goliath. You can see it in his eyes (see the picture below). He is staring off in the direction of his opponent, thinking and deciding for himself. This is what the Renaissance was all about. Grown men thinking about the world and about  life and making their own decisions. Michelangelo's David is one of the most prominent depictions of Individualism, a key part of the Renaissance. He is so very human. Just that look in his eyes… we can identify with; he is relatable. That is way we love him. 

Look at the veins in his arm and hand and at the ab muscles. Crazy. Almost looks like flesh, but its marble. 

 

Those eyes though!! (and muscles… jeeez)

After the Galleria dell'Academia, I went to lunch as a part of the tour at this adorable, traditional Italian restaurant from the 1930s. I got four courses and found the food delicious! Then we set off on the second half of the tour. We boarded the coach bus again and headed up to the mountains around Florence opposite of the ones we went up to get to Piazzale Michelangelo in the morning. This was pure Tuscany in my opinion. I didn't expect to see such classic Tuscany landscapes so close to Florence, but as soon as you drive out of the city center, just a few minutes up the hills, it looks like this, with the tall, skinny trees and the umbrella trees, and the yellow/orange buildings!

After driving around in the hills for a bit, we descended back into the city. We disembarked once again and set off for the walking portion of the afternoon tour. First stop was Piazza Santa Croce, where Stef lived. I am really bummed I didn't get to go inside the Basilica. Santa Croce is where Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli are buried. We then walked through the Christmas Market and into the narrow streets I had navigated that morning. Along those streets, we were shown a building where Michelangelo actually grew up and the building where the story of Pinocchio was written along with a little Pinocchio shop.  

Basilica di Santa Croce 

The building where Michelangelo grew up marked by a plaque

Me in the Pinocchio shop

We then headed to the highlight of our afternoon tour: The Uffizi Gallery. On the way we stopped outside the Palazzo Vecchio (the Old Palace) where the powerful Medici family once lived and is now the Town Hall of Florence. The Uffizi (literally translates as "The Offices") is connected to the Old Palace and used to be the offices of the Medici family.  Now it houses one of the most celebrated art collections in the world, most of which was collected by the Medici's. 

Palazzo Vecchio 

The Medici fountain and Loggia in Piazza della Signoria

Piazza della Signoria

The entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio. On the left is a replica of the David. This is where the original David stood for hundreds of years following its reveal in 1504. 

Famous painting in the Uffizi

Botticelli's The Birth of Venus

Botticelli's Primavera/Allegory of Spring

The beautiful halls of the Uffizi.. EMPTY! Our tour guide told us that we were getting a nearly private tour of the Uffizi which is UNHEARD OF!

View of the Ponte Vecchio from a window of the Uffizi Gallery

The portrait that graced the cover of my AP Euro book back in junior year of high school

After my tour of the Uffizi, I met Stef back at her flat after she had finished all of her exams. We first went to dinner where I had one of the best steaks ever, then we headed to the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). I had seen it from the Piazzale Michelangelo and from the Uffizi, but I wanted to actually walk across it. I knew the shops would all be closed by then, but I still wanted to see it close up. 

The Ponte Vecchio with the multiple floor of homes and shops

Me on the bridge

The closed-up shops (old homes) on the bridge

It was great seeing Stef again and getting to stay with her at her flat next to Santa Croce. Early the next morning, she called me a cab to the train station and I was off. To Roma!! 

I arrived in Rome around 8:30AM and my first mission was to find my hostel. I knew it was close to the train station, so I shouldn't have too much of a problem finding it. But, I also had a tour at the Colosseum starting at 10 that I had to be at at 9:45, so I was on a bit of a time crunch. I found and checked into my hostel, and then with purse and map in hand, I set off to find the Colosseum. It was about a 25 minute walk but eventually, the great ancient arena arose in front of me. 

The first tour I scheduled was a three hour tour of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. We first went inside the Colosseum and learned about where different members of society sat in Ancient Rome and about animal shows and about gladiator shows and the lives of gladiators etc. The building was magnificent. A stunning piece of ancient structural engineering and classic Roman history. 

The original entrance through which the gladiators used to enter

Under where the stage originally was, aka "The Traps" of the Colosseum

Next, we headed over to the Roman Forum, the ruins excavated tens to hundreds of feet beneath the modern plane of the city. The Forum was the political, social, and religious center of life in Ancient Rome. Buildings of each kind remain in pieces across the Forum today. 

Heading down to the Forum

Ruins in the Forum

Remains of a Basilica from the 2nd century AD which actually has a lot structurally in common with St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican built in the 16th century

An Ancient Temple

 The Forum, ladies and gentlemen. Something funny happened on the way here… My fellow theatre geeks get that one! :P

The building you see behind the columns there is really cool. The part of the building that is yellow starting about halfway up the building is a couple hundred years old and is used as a center for Roman politics today. The part of the building below the yellow part is ancient and was buried for hundreds of years before excavations began. The building was also used for political purposing in ancient times. 

On the way up to Palatine Hill

Palatine Hill

Palatine Hill was where Roman royals and elite lived and entertained for centuries. According to myth, Palatine is where Remus and Romulus were raised, the twins who, when they grew up, fought each other, resulting in Romulus killing his brother Remus, and Romulus founding the city of Rome (the name "Rome" comes from "Romulus"). According to ancient historians, people may have lived on the Palatine since 1000BC. It was from the Palatine that the city of Rome began and spread.

Remains of one of the emperor's mansions on Palatine Hill

The "sports stadium/arena" on Palatine Hill

The other side of the sports arena

After my tour ended, I had about 80 minutes to get from the Colosseum to the Vatican for my afternoon tour. I was going to walk, which would have taken me about 45 minutes to an hour, but my tour guide recommended taking the metro. So, I ventured on my own through Rome's metro system. It was SO FULL. But eventually I reached the stop closest to the Vatican and after about 10 minutes of walking and searching for street signs, I found my next tour's meeting spot outside the entrance to the Vatican. Our first stop on the tour was the famous Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo's world-renowned ceiling and altar paintings are beheld by thousands of visitors per day! It really was magnificent. I was actually more impressed by the altar painting than the ceiling (even though I was still VERY impressed by the ceiling!). I think that was partly because I had heard so much about the ceiling but never had any idea that Michelangelo had also painted the entire wall behind the altar. My favorite part of the paintings were the many jabs made at the Pope/church hidden in them. For instance, Michelangelo painted a portrait of himself on the skins held by the biblical Bartholomew, whom is always seen with a skin of an animal. Michelangelo said that he put himself on the skins because, in forcing him to painting the ceiling and soon after the altar wall, the Pope/church had "skinned him alive." Not only was the workload incredibly daunting and physically painful, but Michelangelo HATED painting. He was a sculptor through and through. 

After the Sistine Chapel, we went outside to see the back of St. Peter's Basilica and to see the outside of the Pope's summer home. We then toured the galleries of the Vatican including the famous Raphael rooms. There are two particular facts that I learned on the tour that I found interesting and funny: first, that the Vatican is the wealthiest country in a the world (yes, the Vatican IS its own country) and second, that the Vatican is the country in the world with the lowest birth rate (haha :P). 

Inside the Vatican, with St. Peter's Basilica in the background

One of the most famous pieces of art at the Vatican

Raphael's famous "The School of Athens"

After the tour, I went to St. Peter's Basilica on my own. The square outside was just so massive and the church itself, was of course, beautiful. 

The square outside St. Peter's

Inside St. Peter's

Do you see how this is structurally similar to the remains of the basilica in the Roman Forum?? Pretty cool right?! The 16th century builders were still using the same forms around 1400 years later.

The altar

Michelangelo's famous "Pieta" (Mary holding Jesus after he has died)

I then left the Vatican City and headed to meet one of my best friend from UR, Claire, who had been studying in Rome for the semester. On the way, I passed Castel Sant'Anglo, this magnificent cylindrical structure commissioned by Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. Since its construction, it has been used as a mausoleum, a fortress, a castle, and now a museum. 

Castel Sant'Angelo

I eventually found Claire, and we went for a lovely Italian dinner together near Piazza Navona. It was so nice catching up with her and seeing her love for this city just exude out of her! I love seeing how passionate my friends are about their favorite cities just like I am about Edinburgh. Claire then took me most of the way back to my hostel. On the way to the metro, we passed the Colosseum where I took one of my favorite pictures I took while abroad. 

Christmas at the Colosseum. Just beautiful!

Once back at my hostel, I met and chatted with two girls in my room, one from outside of London and another from Glasgow, both around my age and traveling alone. They were super nice and made me much more comfortable. 

The next morning, I packed up my bags and checked out of my hostel. The rest of my time in Italy would be spent on a 3-day trip to Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri, all located in southern Italy along the west coast. On the first day, we visited Naples and Pompeii and got to Sorrento at night. But, it was only me and one other girl from Australia who went all the way to Sorrento. Everyone else on the bus had booked only a 1-day tour to Naples and Pompeii that would return to Rome at night. So what was cool about my 3-day tour was the fact that I spent each day with a different group of people.

We left for Naples early in the morning, so early that frost covered the ground around Rome as well as the fields we drove through after leaving the city. But by the time we arrived in Naples, it had heated up and the sun bathed us with warmth and provided this stunning view of Naples Bay with an ancient Roman fortress and Mount Vesuvius, yes THE Mount Vesuvius, in the background. 

Naples Bay

Bay of Naples with bird #1

Bay of Naples with bird #2

Naples

Me at the Bay of Naples

We then drove from Naples to Pompeii, the number one destination in Italy that, for years, I had been dying to visit. More than Florence, more than Rome, it was Pompeii that I wanted to see first and foremost. And when I found it as a part of a marvelous 3-day tour of Southern Italy, I was all about that!! Before heading into the ruins, we first ate a multi-course lunch at a hotel right outside of the entrance to the ruined city. During lunch, I sat with four girls from Australia, one of which was the woman who would be with me for the next three days. And then after lunch, it was finally time. 

POMPEII!! I could have cried. I turned the corner and there was this courtyard surrounded in columns, columns at least 2000 years old! 

Those columns though!

The first courtyard we entered. Took my breath away. You can even see Mt. Vesuvius a little behind the trees.

I couldn't believe I was finally there. After learning about it in high school for so many years (in Latin class particularly), and then in college in my archeology class, I was finally there. It is believed that the town of Pompeii was founded in the seventh or sixth century BC and was taken over by the domination of Rome in the fourth century BC. It was a significant economic town for the Roman Empire with a population of approximately 11,000 people. In 79AD, Mount Vesuvius, erupted destroying many of the surrounding towns, including Pompeii. Pompeii was located too far from the volcano to come in contact with its erupting lava but was close enough that it was completely buried in volcanic ash and pumice. These materials preserved a great deal of the town 4-6 meters beneath the ground; it was those volcanic materials that enabled the city to be seen as it is today, nearly 2000 years later, so well preserved. 

The people of Pompeii had a plumbing system, shops, theaters, brothels, temples, baths, and homes. In my opinion they were shockingly advanced. I don't know what it is, but today we seem to think that those who lived so long ago lived so differently than we do now. I mean, of course it was very different, but there were also some shocking similarities that we assume these people are too much of neanderthals to produce or sustain. The remains show us that the town was laid out very much like a modern day village with a grid of streets, sidewalks, cultural hubs, religious hubs, shopping areas, and residential areas. I could picture people walking around up and down the streets, carrying foods back home after a day of shopping or walking their children to the temples for worship or heading to the forum to talk politics with friends and opponents. On the most basic level, not drastically different from our day-to-day lives! 

Our first stop on the tour was the Roman theatre. You can image how I felt. We had just passed through that courtyard that almost made me cry, then you take me to a theatre!? 

The Roman Theatre

Me on the Stage

Stadium Seating

A main street lined with shops which are proven to have sliding doors as entrances. Sliding doors 2000 years ago?! Yep!

House of Menander, one of the best preserved, wealthy homes.

The Atrium (or Foyer) of the House of Menander. A window existed overhead and rain water would have been collected in that rectangular pool in the middle of the atrium.

You see how incredibly well some of the original frescos have been preserved?! Insane and beautiful! 

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The colors are still so rich. And you can still clearly see the drawing of a column.

All wealthy homes had these large courtyards in the middle. 

A famous surviving fresco in the House of Menander

Another street lined with buildings

The Central Bath House

One of the baths in the Central Bath House

The famous Erotic Frescos in one of the many brothels in Pompeii. Sort of worked as a menu. Come on in and point to what you want!

Another moment my breath was taken away: entering the main forum of Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius in the background. Stunning.

Remains of a temple (see the columns?) in the forum in front of the volcano that was ultimately that temple's demise. 

Me in the forum

One of my last views of the ruins at Pompeii before we headed back to the bus. 

It had been such beautiful day to visit the city, with a cloudless, blue sky and barely anyone else touring through the ruins. I just couldn't believe that all of that had been buried beneath earth for so many centuries before excavations began in the late 18th century. While everything above the ground, ways of life, fashion, foods, technology, art etc were evolving, beneath the ground Pompeii remained frozen in time. And there are still excavations being done. It will be years, maybe decades, before everything is unearthed, and I am sure studies on the artifacts that have been found will continue for a very, very long time. The discovering and the learning never ends! 

After the tour, the Australian woman, Lauren, and I were escorted to a private van while everyone else got back on the coach bus to return to Rome. It was about a 40 minute drive to Sorrento. We arrived at the Hotel Michelangelo around 5:30. We checked into our lovely rooms and relaxed a bit before dinner. The hotel's breakfast and dinner was included in the price of the 3-day tour, so we got to enjoy two lovely breakfasts and two lovely dinners at the hotel over the next two days. Lauren was super sweet and we bonded pretty quickly. Funny thing was I thought she was probably in her mid-20s when in reality she was in her mid-30s. Crazy! But we still got along really well. 

My hotel room

Hotel Michelangelo with the dining room in the distance

The next day was a free day to either spend in Sorrento or go to the Amalfi Coast. Lauren and I decided to do both! We first spent about in hour in Sorrento. From that hour, I knew I loved this small coastal town. Sorrento is the safest city in Italy and has been named one of the safest cities in all of Europe! And you really feel that there. I felt safe and comfortable and felt that I could just explore without a worry in the world! And the fact that the city is just super beautiful and adorable doesn't hurt one bit.

Christmas in Sorrento

Sorrento was seriously DECKED OUT for Christmas!

Yep, I saw palm trees in December!

After our quick walk around the city, we took a bus ride to the famous coastal town of Positano. Trust me, you've seen pictures of Positano before! We paid 2.50 euro for the bus ride… but I would have paid SO MUCH more for that ride!!  If I had to rank the most beautiful views I've ever seen in my life, the views I got on that bus ride would rank at the top! I may have paid 2.50 for those views, but they were seriously priceless. 

Look at this! Climbing the hills over Sorrento. At the left of the pic you can see Mount Vesuvius.

BEAUTIFUL!

Yep, I'll take that house.

Are you kidding?!

Yep, that's the road we were driving on to get to Positano! Don't look down! haha

I just can't.

 Welcome to Positano

We arrived in Positano after about 40 minutes on the bus. To me, it was the perfect, quintessential Mediterranean, coastal town, sandwiched in a corner between the majestic, cliffy hills. Lauren and I decided to walk down to the beach. And so the long descent began down narrow stairways squeezed between colorful, tiny, Italian homes. (I counted them on the way back up. About 660 steps.)

I'll live here too.

A beautiful abandoned church that I fell in love with. Gorgeous!

Me in Positano

 My jaw hurt from dropping so much. 

Going down the steps, getting closer to that glistening Mediterranean Sea.

Me on the beach at Positano. It was deserted that second week in December.

Artsy pic :)

 So serene.

Me, all smiles in Positano

 The classic view of Positano. Recognize it?? That clumping of colorful buildings??

We stayed in Positano for about two hours before taking that unbelievable bus route back to Sorrento. When we got back, we went to one of the best pizza places in Sorrento. We split a delicious cheese pizza and then headed back out to explore the town some more. We explored the medieval area of the town, did some shopping, and leisurely walked around and talked until dinner time.

The view of the Bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius from Sorrento

The super adorable, narrow streets of Sorrento

Gotta love Christmas in Italy

Hotel Michelangelo, where we stayed for two nights.

The next day, we were joined by six Americans and a new guide, Marco, who would take all of us to the famous Italian island of Capri. Capri in the summer is a hot spot for celebrity guests. Remember how I said the views I got from that bus ride would be at the top of my list of best views I've ever experienced? Well, views I got from Capri actually beat those views, if you can believe it! Just wait and see! 

We had to take a ferry from Sorrento to Capri. This is a view of Sorrento as we pulled away on the ferry.

 

View of a 2nd century palace built by a Roman Emperor on the coast of Sorrento

Bye, bye for now Sorrento!

 Hello Capri!! It was like a mirage! Just so stunning.

When we got off the ferry, Marco gave us some miraculous news: the Blue Grotto was open! The Blue Grotto is this amazing cave on Capri. You get taken into the cave on a small row boat. The cave is 60 meters in length and when enough sunshine gets through the cave's opening, the water inside the cave glows blue, unnaturally blue, lighting up the entire cave! It's a marvel of nature! You would swear there is uplighting in the water, but NOPE! It's just the magic of Capri! Now, anytime of year, you are lucky if the Blue Grotto is open. But in December you are EXTREMELY lucky! The Grotto is often closed because its entrance is this teeny tiny little hole at the bottom of a cliff right on the coast of the island, and if the waves are simply decent-sized, the hole will be covered. Still, to get in through the hole on days when the waves are calm, visitors have to lay down in the boat to get inside! So, on the day we were there, the waves were calm enough that we could get in. Check out the pics!

In this pic, I am laying down in the row boat. Do you see the man opposite me laying down? Do you see the teeny tiny hole behind him that looks like he isn't going to fit through it? Yep, that's the entrance to the Blue Grotto. The rowers have to wait until the calm waves recede and then they enter at exactly the right time as to not smack our heads off the rocky top of the hole.

And there it is. Blue, blue water. Beautiful!

Yep, here's another pic of a man laying down in the row boat and the tiny hole the boat is about to enter. Crazy.

We returned to the original port and then boarded a bus up to the town of Capri. There are two towns on the island: Capri and Anacapri. The island is 70% pedestrian. Most residence have to walk 40 minutes down (and then back UP) hill to get to ANYTHING. Only one road runs across the entire island and there is only one roundabout. We took that one road up to the central square of the town of Capri. There was even a tiny Christmas market! 

 Classic boat picture of Capri

The town of Capri

Me in the central area of the town Capri 

The central area of Capri

Looking at the cliffs leading to Anacapri, the other town, and the port below that we came into from Sorrento.

After a little bit of walking around Capri, it was time to get back on the bus and take that one road to Anacapri for lunch. 

The view of Capri and Sorrento in the distance from the dangerously narrow road heading to Anacapri. Amazing.

We had a nice lunch in Anacapri at a tradition, small, family-owned restaurant. Very classically Italian. Then we had time to either explore Anacapri OR… take a 15 minute chairlift ride to the highest point on the island. When Marco showed us the chairlift, I had a mini conniption. I mean a 15 minute ride on a single-seater chairlift to the top of the beautiful island… HELLZ YES!! 

Me on the chairlift. Just a little excited.

The chairlift 

When the chairs passed that tree on the left, the incline seriously increased! But I wasn't scared or nervous at all! On the contrary, the ride was this exhilarating mixture of thrill and relaxation. 

And then we reached the top… looking over the Mediterranean. It was the views from the top of this hill that shockingly were able to beat out the ones from the bus ride the previous day. 

 Just. Un. Real.

The town of Capri and Sorrento in the distance. 

 I couldn't smile big enough to express how happy I was at the top of that hill. I mean look at Sorrento in the distance. Looks like a painting!!

I didn't want to leave. I could have stayed on that hill for hours. Just looking over the stunningly blue and mesmerizingly calm Mediterranean Sea was cathartic! I felt so many emotions. I couldn't stop smiling because I was just so happy. I was even laughing at just how ridiculously unreal the views were. And I also wanted to cry because I knew I only had about 15 minutes up there and knew that the pictures would never do it justice. So I only had those 15 minutes to try and let it all sink in. But, in reality, I don't know if any amount of time would be sufficient enough to take all of that natural beauty in. You may think I am being overdramatic, but that only proves that these pictures do not do it justice. You wouldn't get it unless you've experienced it for yourself. Until then, just take my word for it.

The steep chairlift ride back down from the hill.

And when that 15 minute ride back to the lower elevations of Anacapri was over, our time on the island of Capri had come to an end. It was time to return to Sorrento. We took the ferry back to the mainland and said goodbye to Marco. We were picked up by a driver and taken back to our hotel to pick up our luggage. We were then taken to Pompeii where we transported ourselves and our luggage onto the coach bus of tourists who had just taken the tour of Pompeii that we had taken two days previous. And we were off, back to Rome. I slept most of the way. The past two days had been rather relaxing in Sorrento, Positano, and Capri, but I was still quite exhausted. We arrived back in Rome around 8:30. I said goodbye and a huge thank you to Lauren who I had travelled with and ate multiple meals with and shared some amazing experiences with. I am super lucky I had her to accompany me around Southern Italy. I had to spend one more night in my Rome hostel and then it was time to return to Edinburgh. The next morning, I headed to the airport super early and got back "home" in the evening. 

My trip to Italy had been a complete success!! I had done a lot on my own and everything had gone as planned. The weather was perfect, places were surprisingly empty, and I had had the Italian trip of a lifetime in a little over 5 days. I retuned to 3 days of extensive cramming for my Celtic Civilizations exam, cramming that drove me even crazier than the 2 days I had to study for Medieval Scottish History the previous week. BUT, I would not have changed my Italian travel plans for anything!