Spring Break!

I want...10 days + 5 cities + 4 countries + 3 friends + 2 tired legs + 1 backpack = 1 European Combo Spring Break...Oh, and hold the hassles and sardines with that order please :)

Not my strongest introduction, but there won't be a lot of writing in this post, so don't worry. I was surprised by how much 80s music I heard in nearly every stop; I guess Europeans are preserving the "Golden Age" of music...or they just like the catchy songs...I noticed also that it's funny how most Europeans that we interacted with thought that all Americans go crazy at the beach on Spring Break. I wonder where they got that idea??? Anyway, I can't explain everything about my trip, you'd leave your computer after my first story because there's so much. But I hope you enjoy my pictures (and some snarky commentary) of my stops along our mini-backpacking trip through a tiny slice Europe...

Nice, France - A taste of the beach for spring break

Port of Nice...Yup we're right on the water :)

Nice, it's Nice!

Coast along the Bay of Angels

Two turtle doves...

Omelette ratatouille...with free bread and salad!

Paris, France - An American living on the Left Bank of Paris...how original :)

You're in Rome at The Pantheon? I thought you said you were in...

Oh, right there's the Eiffel Tower.

Wait?! Where'd it go????

Oh there it is, phew :)

Batman's Lamborghini on Champs-Elysee... 

Florence's locks got nothing on this bridge!

I took a quick stop over the blue bridge from Beaver Falls to East-vale real quick...

Just kidding, still in Paris :)

You know I got my crepe on...

My favorite church and gothic architecture in one shot...Notre Dame

Hey there I am! Saint Chapelle, gorgeous stained glass. Loved it...

Best street performer yet - freestyle soccer player by Sacre Coeur

Just some random burned sugar...or something

Brussels, Belgium - The capital of Europe...and chocolate!

Grand Place on the left. (Pssst. The steeple on the left is off-center)

Gold statue is doing his best Soldja boy - "YOOUUUU" 

If you want to start a revolution, make an awesome Opera...

Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.

Delicious 1 Euro waffle, whaddup?!

Bruges, Belgium - The quiet gem in Belgium

I went for the 360, windmill dunk in this city

Surround by so many cool "fleas"at this market

Watch out!!!

The Belgian army was actually the strongest in Europe because of its infantry of bear soldiers...

Two guys and some slabs of sugar.... 

And they made this!

Cannon to the left, Cannon to the right...and THUNDER!

 Madonna and child escaped from Italy!

Pizza Hut amid the medieval design of Bruges...

Amsterdam, Netherlands - An eccentric surprise

 A quaint diamond soup shop in the rough of the city

The water was full of pot.... just kidding ;)

Unique cab service, eh?

Floating flower markets that go on for miles!

Wait, what did I do?

Giving a new meaning to the phrase "breaking onto the scene"

 Number 7 - Skinniest house in the world, for real, no joking here :)

Forgive me for my cliche tourism, I know not what I do

I didn't get a picture of the Van Gogh Museum, but that was incredible in Amsterdam as well. Probably my favorite, most user friendly museum so far...

Yeah, so there's my Spring Break in a a few pictures. I obviously took more pictures than this, but these were some of the unique ones I thought you guys would enjoy. I think they're swell if nothing else...I have plenty of stories; if you're curious for a good one, I'll see what I can do. I was pretty wiped out after running around for 10 days, so it's nice to be back and rest comfortably in Rome. We have about one month to go, and it's going to be a great one. March Madness is starting, there's a new Pope - Francesco, and the weather's starting to warm up... Andiamo!

A Tale of Two Cities (more or less...)

Hey there! And we're back, live from Roma; welcome back to the action. Here's what happened while you (and I) were away on break this past weekend - Florence!

Florence is called a "man-sized" city meaning that it's small and easy to navigate. That doesn't mean there's still a lot of walking :) It has more of an old-town feel, and the pace of life is slower than in Rome. Also, there were a ton of American students there. You had a better chance of speaking English to someone than Italian. Who knew? As the great philosopher Will Smith would say from his throne in Bel-Air, "Yo, Peep this Uncle Phil"- Rome has 62 American study-abroad programs and has a population of 2.6 million people. Florence has 60 study-abroad programs and has a population of less than 1 million. Can you dig it?! To be honest, the other Americans weren't friendly and were kind of annoying because every time we passed one, they were either cursing or talking about plans for the night or how much money they spent, Yada Yada Yada...

Anyway, Florence is known for its art, architecture, the Medici family, leather, scarves, and is the birthplace of Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Dante. If you have lived on Earth at any time during the past 1000 years, I guarantee you've heard of at least one of those names. It was pretty sweet going to a city that was the heart of a lot of the early Renaissance.

Some of my highlights were seeing the Baptistry Gates of Paradise, a leather school, the Santa Croce Chapel (tombs of Dante, Galileo, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli), and bartering in the many markets for better prices on souvenirs. We also saw Michelangelo's David, which is about 15 ft high. Check this quote out from Giorgio Vasari - a painter, architect, critic and contemporary of Renaissance artists:  ‘Anyone who has seen Michelangelo’s David has no need to see anything else by another sculptor, living or dead’. Enough said.

I didn't get a picture because there was a lady crackin' down on photographers. I thought I snapped one real quick, but  I guess wasn't able to get one quick enough before I saw her. For the rest of the tale I'm gonna try a new technique - I'm going to mix in pictures with longer captions and thoughts rather than me just rambling. Let's see how it goes...

On the Ponte Vecchio, literally "Old Bridge", couples place locks to signify their commitments. Don't get caught though! There's a steep fine if you're caught putting a lock on the gate.

Site at the center of Piazza de Signoria where this guy Savonarola (?) was burned to death. He ousted the Medici's from power, but then they came back with a vengeance.

Inside of the Duomo of Florence. The dome, pictured below, is the staple of Florentine architecture and was done by Brunelleschi.

View of said dome from Piazzale Michelangelo.

Botticelli's Birth of Venus, who as the myth goes, was born as a fully grown, beautiful woman. There was also a tactile version right next to it for the "seeing impaired"...unusual, but how cool!

This is my proudest art knowledge moment to date. I spotted this Raphael from 100 meters away without even looking at the writing beneath it. Yes, it's in most textbooks and everyone has probably seen it, but I took a little pride in knowing how to spot one :)

A table with authentic leather tools and workstation at the leather school. Loved the smell of genuine leather...hmmmm

Michelangelo's humble abode. I went into the house dedicated to his family next door and saw some small Michelangelo sculpture that were in the works when he died.

If the Florentine people love Mother Mary the most, their love for Dante comes in at a close second as seen by this massive statue and his huge tomb. I also visited his house and church. The still love him like he's a king.

Ghiberti's gold carvings known as the Gates of Paradise: 10 OT stories panel the door. This one is Moses receiving the Ten Commandments. I was disappointed to find out that we only saw replicas. Te actual ones were in the Museo dell'Opera della Duomo in Florence.

Sunset along the Arno River was beautiful. Even though the sun was hidden behind the buildings, it was very restful and calming.

We got back by the fast-train again on Sunday and had the afternoon to chill because.....we went to an AS ROMA game on Sunday! What a great experience. It wasn't sold out because Roma is sitting in 8th in the league, but still was loud. We were surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke the whole time, but the stadium was chanting and willing their team to victory, so it was great. It was like being back at the Sons of Ben of Philadelphia Union, but on all corners of the stadium. Even the American Michael Bradley got some significant time because one of the starters got injured. If Florence is "man-sized", then Rome is "emperor sized." And if soccer, or calcio, is their new battle, then Francesco Totti is their general and emperor. I mean they love him. Born and raised in Roma, he's stayed loyal to them, so it seems fitting the adoration they give him. He had a memorable night as he scored his 225th goal in Serie A. Wow.

Goal line opposite from us, with passion pouring out of their lungs and souls. 

Forza Roma! They won 3-1, and Totti scored his 225th goal, which puts him at tied for second all-time in Serie A! I couldn't get enough of the chants: Francesco...TOTTI....TOTTI!!

Sorry if that was a long post, it'd been a while, and there were a lot of pictures for you to enjoy. I won't get to post before Spring Break, which is this Friday. What?!? Yup it has come that quickly. In class we've been reading some Christian mystics. Some of the stuff is pretty dense, but the crux of what they are getting at is huge: none of our knowledge, none of our words, none of our theology can fully describe God. He's unfathomable. The duality of Jesus as fully God and fully human and paradox of the trinity are a radical beliefs that seem like foolishness to the world. Do you really believe that, and understand that nature of what you believe? It is freeing to know that even though I cannot comprehend him, God still loves us, and he is still near. He instills in us a flame that ignites our souls and touches us with blesses that we are incapable of attaining on our own. He is not distant; He's OUR FATHER in Heaven. And He's the Almighty King who we will dwell with for eternity.