Spientia et Fortidudo
And welcome to the city that almost killed me. Mariah lost her wallet within the first hour of arriving in Rome, Italy, and it only got more fun from there. After spending a good amount of time in (and looking for the) polizia station, we were on our way to our hostel… except the buses to get there were shut down for the night and it was 30 miles away. We finally managed to get close to the hostel, but when we called to ask for directions from the intersection, the Italian speaking host tried very hard to convince us that it was imperative that we “stay;” he came to get us. Our later couchsurfing host, Christian, told us that the place were stay at was known for it’s high crime rate. We were there at 1:30 am. Oh bug.
Trevi Fountain
Needless to say, we survived, but Rome had a few more tricks up it’s sleeve. After being silly and running around, pretending to be statues, I carelessly ran across what I thought was a one way street only to find out how wrong.
Biomimicry at it's best.
I now know that life does not flash in front of these eyes when death comes a knockin’. Okay, it was not life or death, but I did get hit by the car and I am still amazed that there was no real damage (save a tire mark on my leg). Oh well, we pressed on to day two.
The skylight of St. Mary's Basilica. It made delicious designs on the timeline laden marble floor.
There wasn’t a lot of damage done on day two… until I decided to follow Mariah up a stick infested hill as opposed to taking the more sturdy stair route. I think the scar that is engraved on my leg might disappear in a year or so.
Proof that Ancient Rome was better than the 2.0 version.
The sights of old Rome helped to heal the wounds, but I can only dream about what it would have been like to see these places on their own time.
Made for Mariah.
I wasn’t the only one to cave under Rome’s pressure. The fellow tourists sure got a show as Mariah tripped and tangled her way through the Vatican City Museums. I saw this sign just before we made it to the Sistine chapel… and just as Mariah’s feet decided to take another step without the rest of her in tow.
The Wrath: The Complete Series
Adonis and Evelyn? Either way, they messed up.
A favorite.
Even the Italian metro systems were covered in art!
The third day in Rome was much better and I almost got out scathe -free. The curb just popped up out of nowhere and attacked my ankle! At least it helped us to decide where to eat: I fell onto a restaurant patio.
Pocket-size-Ryan even got to join us on our adventures!
Keep your panties on, and welcome to the Pantheon!
We learned some valuable lessons in Rome like ignore those who stare, ignore those who talk at you, ignore those who are rude… Oh, and that the Pantheon was created 5,000 years ago and survived the times because it was a pagan temple before Constantine altered the religious sway.
Raphie's resting room.
At least I didn’t fall to the same fate as Raphael while in Rome. Rumor has it, the city was only trying to sabotage my stay because it wanted to keep me there (albeit six feet under…).
More Cow Bell!
And here we arrived. In beautiful Geneva, Switzerland. The locals we so friendly and our couchsurfing host, Jullianne, was incredible. She fed us and kept us occupied as we explored the city. This was my first experience with couchsurfing, and I couldn’t have had a better host. On the first morning, we ate at the bakery where Julianne worked (delicious apricot cheese danish and some fresh fresh squeezed orange juice… yum!), and then headed into explore the city. Luckily, we were staying in the countryside, so we had a nice little walk to the bus stop on which we met these lovely ladies…
Cows. Bells. Switzerland.
The wine vineyards just behind Julianne's apartment in the countryside. We never got to try any, but rumor has it that it's wonderful.
On the last night, we got to take a walk with Julianne and Athos (her little Yorkie dog named after one of the three musketeers) and saw a beautiful lightning storm rolling over the Swiss Alps. The clock below was one of several dozen we saw in the city. Some were sun-dials, some were brick, stone, yellow, black, artsy, expensive…
The world famous flower garden clock in Geneva's city center. It took us three passes before we finally found it. Turns out, all we had to do was look for the Chinese people. They gathered there in clustered hundreds, stealthily wielding cameras and making peace signs.
This is the Chateau de Chillon just outside of Montreux. Historians say that the beginnings of the castle date back 1,000 years, but it's prime was in the 1300s. Lord Byron made this famous in his poem "The Prisoner of Chillon."
Me and Mariah on the bridge that leads to nowhere... but is connected to Chateau de Chillon. It doesn't look perilous, but the water was cold, the bridge was narrow, and we all know that I am less than graceful.
A vista of the quaint little city of Montreux, Switzerland.
This gem of a tree lined the streets of Geneva. This isn't photoshop... it really looked like this.
A hidden square in the city walls. We only found it because someone opened a door and we were rubbernecking.
A mob of Laotians outside of the United Nations protesting government hostility.
These are the flags of Geneva, Switzerland, and the Borough in which Geneva is situated. They span across the Mont Blanc bridge.
A beautiful view of the Swiss Alps as we rode the train through the mountains, across switzerland, and into Italy.
Sadly, we had to say goodbye to the idyllic, peaceful country of Switzerland, the witty, playful sarcasm of Julianne, and began our venture into the land where time has no meaning: Italy. Let the adventures begin.
A Slice of It 