The Girl and Her Dog

One of the best parts about traveling in a foreign city, especially one as old as Rome or Florence (or really, most cities in Europe) is simply walking around and admiring the architecture. The buildings are nothing like what can be seen in America; even the oldest monument here in the States–the Tripoli monument at the U.S. Naval Academy–can’t truly compare to what Europe has to offer.

Italy obviously has a number of tourist hotspots, including the Colosseum in Rome and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, both of which we were lucky enough to see. And while touring all of the must-see highlights in each city was a necessity in my mind, it was often the stumbled-upon places that we found to be the most entertaining.

Some of our favorites: a photography exhibition of famous controversial photos at the Alinari National Museum of Photography in Florence and Mayday Club, a casual cocktail bar with delicious drinks (and some non-alcoholic ones too, for my prudish self), also in Florence.

Outside the Alinari National Museum of Photography.

The Colosseum is nuts.

Josh's absinthe-infused cocktail at the Mayday Club.

Walking through the Roman Forum.

I returned early yesterday morning from a weeklong vacation in Italy, and one thing I learned while there is that Italians definitely know how to eat. Luckily for me, pasta, pizza and sandwiches–all Italian staples–are among my top five favorite foods. While I thoroughly enjoyed our carb-overload, I’m equally happy to be back in the States where fruit snacks, cuties (clementines) and peanut butter are my staples.

Pasta arrabiatta-simply delicious

Wine I actually liked, to go along with said pasta.

Pistachio gelato, one delectable treat.

Somehow coffee just tastes better in Italy.

It seems that too often Americans earn themselves a bad reputation when traveling abroad. Loud, obnoxious, rude–not the kindest words. So in an attempt to fit in more with the Italian culture next week, I’ve spent the last few days taking Italian lessons via an audio CD whenever I’m in the car.

The end result? I’m leaving tomorrow and I only really know how to say “I only understand a little Italian,” “I’m an American,” and “Do you understand English?” But it has reminded me how much fun it is to learn a new language. Ciao for now!

If you’re interested in learning a new language, be sure to check out your local library for language lessons on CD. I used the Short Course in Italian from the Pimsleur Language Program.