Florence

Florence

The accommodations were much better in Florence! We took the train from Venice and the 40 euro was well spent! The train system Italy is very reliable and the train is comfortable (has bathrooms). We stayed at this incredible family owned hotel called Hotel Europa. They were extremely nice and had a lift (not very common in hotels in Europe. The famous Statue of David (we could not take any pictures!) is located in Florence and the 10 euro was much less than we had expected to pay. The line took forever and would be something that you might want to book ahead of time online and just collect the tickets at the museum.

I wish we had another day in Florence and could have ventured off into Tuscany... Oh well, another romantic vacation I can take in the future. We did do a wine tasting at a small stand near our hotel and we were able to have small Tuscany experience minus the scenery! I suppose that Florence would be an art major's dream... However I felt that the day was well spent drinking chianti and eating Fettucini Alfredo-to each his own. While we attempted to find the night life scene, we settled for an extremely sketchy bar near the hotel that gave us an obscene amount of free drinks and played Rihanna. The idea of "going out" like what I might find in the states or even Ireland is not exactly the same in Italy. Friends tend to grab a table and sit with a bottle of wine instead. Florence was gorgeous, but not a must see for me... (don't hate). The wine was fantastic and the food incredible, but I'm hoping Rome will offer something different and more wine of course.

To view all of my photos from Florence, click HERE.

Venice

Venezia

Truly a city of romance, Venice was incredible. The streets are lined with old buildings and getting lost in the tiny alleys that cross small canals is a must for any visitor. I would not recommend staying more than 2 days, as you might find yourself drowning in gelato or vino. It is beautiful to look at; the Grand Canal lines a very crowded dock filled with colorful restaurants and people, but this would not be a city that would offer much more than you could see in 48 hours. We stayed 2 days and I'm not sure what we would have done on day 3. San Marco Square (think beginning of Italian Job... Past the hotness of Mark Wahlberg) and the Basilica are the most beautiful places to visit and you really cant miss them unless you do find yourself lost in the maze of streets.

San Marco Square

Views from the Gondola

Things appear to be much further apart then they actually are. Once you begin walking, the square is much closer than you originally anticipated. Public transportation was easy to use from the airport (ACTV bus number 5) will take you right into a main square where you can then access public water boats that take you to a dock that would be close to your accommodation. The entire journey from baggage claim to hotel takes about an hour and will only cost you ten euro. Much cheaper than 100 euro for a private water taxi. I can tell you where not to stay in venice. We stayed at a "hotel," however I think that just because you have a hotel shampoo label, does not give you the right to call yourself a hotel. Hotel Iris was a hostel, and it was not ok. It was advertised as a gorgeous, newly renovated hotel just 200 meters from San Marco square, well yea if you swim. And newly renovated - that is an opinion. The service was horrible and incredibly over priced. I would definitely do some more investigating next time and I can tell you it will not include Hotel Iris, unless i am writing a nasty review on Trip Advisor.

The actual city of Venice is very much its own little subculture and has a wonderful welcoming feeling. Rialto (area near San Marco Square) is a great place to shop and small boutiques along with high end shopping can all be found in Venice. We took a helicopter ride over the islands for 45 euro a piece - only 6 mins but incredibly worth every cent. The view was incredible and the perspective of the city completely changes once you see it from over head. Gondola tours are a must here, but be willing to pay 100 euro -we went with 2 other people and it made the cost much easier to swallow. We saw the home of Mozart (which will be greatly appreciated by my Gramps)! This city is definitely romantic, so bring your significant other, but please refrain from the PDA that most of the teenagers engage in here in Italy... Ciao!

To view all of my photos from Venice, click HERE.

View from the helicopter!

Gondola Dock




The tomatoes and pizza will be missed...

Belfast Weekend

Belfast was an amazing city to visit. Sights that you want to see are a little more centralized than Dublin (not hating - Dubling and I have a special relationship...), Belfast has everything you need to see in a smaller area. The City Hall is gorgeous, especially at night time and there is currently a Titanic Exhibit going on. By next April, there will be a huge Titanic Exhibit in its own building on the actual shipyard that Titanic was build on. The exhibit will include 3D movies among other things. The vibe in Belfast was very inviting (at least as an American), and it didn't take long for Mara and I to find the bar where you are aloud to drink outside! If you don't have alot of time to visit Belfast, you can definitely go for a day trip. Take the Black Taxi Tour - it is fascinating and definitely worth the 15pounds per person. Don't take the bus tour - the taxi allows you to ask questions and stop to take pictures. For breakfast, hit up "The Apartment" right in front of the City Hall. The have AMAZING scrambled eggs - I am not kidding... We went to the Crown Bar and Robinsons... and a few others we can't quite remember the names of! The band that played at Robinsons Bar dedicated their second set to "The lovely girls from Chicago" - they were awesome! Mara and I even picked up their CD. Below are some pictures of the downtown Belfast! A great little Cafe that Gramps would love - Rubarb - just because of the name!

City Hall at nighttime - What a gorgeous sight!

The Black Taxi Tour in Belfast

The World Famous Black Taxi Tours of Belfast

I thought that I understood the situation that Northern Ireland dealt with, however after my visit to Belfast I felt incredibly ignorant. The tension between Catholics and Protestants dates back to the colonization of Northern Ireland by England. In fact, problems existed long before then. I won't pretend that I am fully educated on this issue, so instead check out some more information on why religion has separated friends and even families in Ireland. If you would like to understand the conflict further, A History of Religious Conflict might also be helpful!

A very influential political figure for the IRA (Catholic side - it gets hard to keep everything straight!) Bobby Sands and the Hunger Strike

The hunger strike of 1981 was one of, if not the most influential periods in the IRA's long campaign to remove Britain's role from Irish politics. It not only thwarted Britain's plans to criminalise the IRA prisoners in the H-Blocks, but concentrated world wide media attention on the war in Ireland, paving the way for Sinn Fein's entrance into the political arena and the electoral successes that followed.


Ten men, ten Irish Republican volunteers paid the ultimate sacrifice during those summer months of 1981. Bobby Sands, Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh, Patsy O'Hara, Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Tom McElwee, Kieran Doherty and Mickey Devine.Their names are written on the hearts and minds of every Irish Republican in Ireland and abroad.

from: irishhungerstrike.com



What I did find fascinating about this tour was the fact that on either side, martyrs were celebrated as heroes. Memorials are created in rememberance of them on both the Catholic and Protestant sides of town. These people (on both sides) are murderers. They have killed 10, 20, even 30 people. Many of those killed are innocent bystanders, caught in the crossfire. In the pictures below of a Catholic Memorial, there is a 4 year old and a 5 year old listed. I would love to know what a 4 and 5 year old did to deserve to be shot and killed. I suppose no matter where you live, people will find a way to divide themselves over any issue. In the states, there is race; in Ireland, there is religion.





The Protestant Murals below depict different symbols (many whose meanings are kept secret) and celebrate Martyrs...

The Belle of Belfast City....

One of the many songs that I am learning in Ireland... Tell Me Ma... Belfast did not disappoint us! There was fantastic music and in honor of Belfast, you should learn this one!

My Class!