Spring Break in Italy and Spain!!!

Wow!!! It has been ages since I updated. I had a two week long Spring Break which I spent in Florence and Rome, Italy, and Madrid and Granada, Spain. My break started out with an overnight train to Florence, arriving there on Easter Sunday. I spent Easter Sunday with some of my Gonzaga In Florence friends. Easter celebrations included an exploding cart, complete with fireworks, in front of the Duomo, much cooler than the Easter bunny. After that, I just hung out with friends. In my four days in Florence, I did a lot. I went to the Accedemia and saw Michaelangelo's David, the Uffizi and saw Bottecelli's Birth of Venus, the Duomo, and much more. I also got to see tons of my friends. I even ran into one of my friends from high school, Stacy Jordan. It was great to see her and catch up after 3 1/2 years. After my wonderful time in Florence I took the train to Rome, another historical city. In Rome I saw the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the St. Ignatius of Loyola Church (founder of the Jesuits), the Colloseum, the Roman Forum, Palatine, and last but certainly not least, the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the POPE!!!! I was very fortunate to see the Pope celebrate mass in honor of his 80th birthday. At the end, I was about 10 feet away from him when he drove by in his Pope-mobile. It was so AWESOME!!!! After Rome, I took a plane to Madrid, where I spent a day and a half. I saw the Prado Museum and the Reigna Sophia, home to Picasso's Guernica. I also saw the Cathedral and the Royal Palace (I didn't go in). After Madrid I took a 5 hour bus ride to Granada to visit my friend Tierney. We went and saw the Alhambra, an old Moorish fortress/palace that was built in the 13th-15th Centuries. If you want to know more click on the link. http://www.alhambra.org/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio. I also went to the Cathedral, and the Royal Chapel where I saw Ferdinand and Isabella (same ones that Christopher Columbus asked permission from to go to the New World). We also had the opportunity to see a flamenco show. While it wasn't a traditional one, it was still cool. I then took the same bus back to Madrid, and then an overnight train back to Paris. Now I'm back in school, and enjoying Paris in the Springtime.


The Colloseum in Rome



The Pope!!!



Me in front of the Alhambra!!!