TUSCANY

An alley in Montepulciano ending with a panoramic view of Tuscany

My program starts in just a few short hours, but I can officially say my family accomplished way more than we had time for before my send-off!

We went  to THREE Tuscan hill towns in ONE DAY: Montepulciano, Siena and Volterra. Unheard of. They are about a 3 hour drive out of Rome and very hard to access being that they are all medieval cities enclosed by humongous stone walls. But we did it, and had a good time doing so! Here's the summary...


Stop #1: Montepulciano

I am in love with it - and not just because it is where part of the Twilight series "New Moon" was filmed! We had to walk in through what I believe is its one and only entrance, a large stone archway in the wall. It was an uphill climb from there, but boy were the views of the Tuscan countryside worth it. I felt like I had stepped out of present day and into the days of knights and kings. Montepulciano is a magnificently preserved little city, filled with history. It is no wonder that its side streets and largest square were used in the scene where Bella stops Edward from revealing himself...and the city the Volturi inhabit (if you are not a Twilight series fan, ignore these references and just know it is a spectacular place to visit and worth the hassle of getting there).

The Grand Square (can you picture Edward here?)

Mom and I 

Tuscany :)

Stop #2: Siena

I could have spent a week here...it is huge and full of history. It used to be a powerhouse before the plague hit the city and Florence was able to take over.

Il Duomo di Siena

You can definitely tell by its breathtaking Duomo that it was a city of great importance. It's large square (Piazza Campana) is where they hold annual horse races, and is supposed to be quite a draw for many. We had lunch in this square and toured the Duomo, picking up prayer beads and post cards. It is a shame we couldn't see more of the city because what we did have time for was INCREDIBLE. I guess we'll have to go back for those horse races!

Piazza Campana

Piazza Campana's clock tower (with no foundation)

The chapel of the Duomo

Inside the Duomo

Stop #3: Volterra

This originally Etruscan city is famous for its alabaster. It is the most medival (or at least what I picture to be "medieval") of all the cities. It looked like a huge castle on hill as we approached, and all the buildings seem to have that look to them as well - many are adorned with family/knight crests.

Wall around the city

Again, for Twilight fans (I know a lot of you readers are), this is where the New Moon incident with Edward and the Volturi is set. Although most was filmed in Montepulciano, they did use some clips of this city as well. We walked around marveling, and we also went into the Museo de Tortura....Torture Museum. Bad life choice on our part. I was HORRIFIED. The owners apparently found all of these devices within 100 meters of the location (questionable). Regardless, they were devices once used on actual human beings (some are still used), and even the simplest of tools accompanied with descriptions and photos were enough to make us all feel sick. Aside from this, it was still quite an amazing city and a real time warp. At the base of the hill were the ruins of a Roman amphitheater which were pretty cool to see as we drove away.

A dated tower in the middle of the city

Inside Il Museo di Tortura...DISLIKE

Old old old pathway

All and all we packed in a ton!!! I am impressed as I hope you are after reading this. :) Now the adventures in Italy with my lovely parents end here until December (sad), but I hope to have many more to share once I start my program (and when I see the other SCU'ers who are inhabiting Europe).

Ciao for now!

Brianna

Ciao Roma!

Our apartment's courtyard

View from our apartment

We (Myself, Mom and Dad) officially arrived in Roma on Friday, August 20th - it has been quite a whirlwind ever since! Our apartment is in PRIME location. 1 block from La Piazza Nevona, 3 blocks from Il Campo Dell' Fiore, 10 minute walk from the Pantheon, a 20 minute one from La Citta del Vaticano....you get the picture.

La Fontana di Trevi

On a map of the city it looks like it would take years to see everything, but just walking around we have stumbled upon most of the famous sights. Let me tell you they have been more than worth the blisters (I did not choose my walking shoes wisely). One of the big things I realized while struggling to find our way around in the city is that it is filled with hidden architectural gems. That's part of the magic and enchantment of Rome. Walking down a dimly lit alley you'll look up to see an extraordinary church, or waiting for the bus you can glance over and see ruins dating back to the time of the gladiators and chariots. I've already started to fall in love with this place and it is my THIRD day here...looks like I won't be coming home any time soon! Now I know why Kelly mixes up the word "home" and "Rome." :)

Since my parents are only here until Thursday (which is when my study abroad program starts) we have been packing things in. The first day we saw many of the major attractions like La Fontana di Trevi and the Spanish Steps.

The Vatican Gardens

Beautiful! And I guess the artwork is OK too... (In my defense there was about 300% humidity in there...yes I've discovered this is in fact possible) 

I'm in love with the Swiss Guard 

Yesterday, we toured Vatican City starting with a tour of the Scavi (excavations) - we were very privileged because only about 150 people see this per day versus the thousands above the Scavi. We got to see the Necropolis (basically a city of the dead under the Basilica) and St. Peter's bones and burial niche. The Necropolis was insane...we walked down the actual street of the dead still intact from those ancient times...some of the pagan tombs dated back to 1st century a.d. and the earliest findings of Christianity were hidden within these "houses of the dead." We also toured the main Basilica, the Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapel (most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on...the rumors are in fact true). After a long nap, we ventured out to a molto bene outdoor dinner in the same piazza as the Pantheon. Then we ventured across the Tiber River to Trastevere (hopping night life district) for after-dinner drinks. I've done enough walking to last multiple lifetimes...I'm hopeful this will keep off some of the pasta...

Dinner with a view of the Pantheon (and my mother)

Oggi/Today, we woke up to our macchiatos and Nutella pastries (I'm clearly going to get SUPER thin over here) and headed over to Sunday Mass in Italiano at the MAIN ALTER of St. Peter's Basilica...pretty inspirational if I do say so myself. Later, we had wine atop a roof overlooking the Spanish Steps and then continued down to the Roman Forum to see the ruins at night. It is incredible to think of the events that took place right where I was standing, and I am now motivated to brush up on my historical knowledge. Finally, we ended our evening at the base of our apartment at Mimi and Coco's wine bar where I ate my weight in delicious risotto and gelato.

St. Peter's Basilica for Mass

The alter where our mass was held at St. Peter's Basilica

The Colosseum at night...

Spectacular

The infamous archway

The rest of the week we plan to make it into the Tuscan hill cities (say a quick hi to Edward Cullen and the Volturi), the Villa Borgese...and anything else we can fit in. Of course all this includes lots of incredible ristoranti, vino and lots of macchiatos! Arrivaderci!

How Roman pooches get around...

Obsessed