ROMAN HOLIDAY!!!! and other Italian adventures

So for those of you who have been deprived of the joy that is created by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in the fabulous 1953 classic film, allow me to fill you in: Beautiful princess feels suffocated by her demanding role as a royal and an International leader and desperately needs to break away, so she escapes the princess life to explore Rome and adventure ensues. Seeing the parallel here??? I desperately needed a break considering my royal training and all of the International Relations drama at the UN, so I took a page from Audrey’s book and escaped my equally demanding life and headed to Italy. Before you stop reading so you can just watch the movie version of this blog post, let me stop you and tell you that I improved Audrey’s adventures a little bit. I didn’t meet a hot Gregory Peck and have a romantic rendezvous (but let’s be honest, men like that don’t really exist and movie-type romance is over rated) but I did bring 6 other fabulous females with me AND we didn’t just stop in Rome. We continued on to Florence, Piza, Cinque Terre and Venice therefore making our Italian holiday complete. Of course in the end I had to come back to my responsibilities, but that 10 day holiday was pretty epic and filled with some movie-plot worthy stories. Here’s a peak into the adventure:

*Disclaimer: Before you ask "Where are all pictures you took of the things you actually saw in Italy?" realize that my camera was stolen during th e last few hours of our trip while we slept on the train :( My fellow travelers generously provided me with some of their pictures I was in so I could actual remember being in the country. But I assure you, I did see things while I was in Italy and it pains me that I can't share them with you. But use your imagination.


If only we knew the amount of time we would spend sitting in train stations. . .


and on trains. . . with or without seats. . .

and on buses. . .hopefully going the right direction

The Wild West resturant we ate at in Rome with a map of Utah over the entrance. The resturant was complete with covered wagons and cardboard Indians.

We are the Muses. Goddesses of the Arts and proclaimers of heros.

(I realize we are at the Roman Forum and Hercules is in Greece, but bear with me here)

Real Italian pizza. I made a point to try all of the classics and carefully documented each one. Unfortunately I no longer have my pic of my lasagna, spaghetti, calzone, pesto and gelatto (times about 10), but I think the Lasagna in Florence won.

I think we spent 4 entire days on the beach and I didn't realize how much I missed the ocean, or how much I didn't miss sunburns.

Waiting to see the Pope at Vatican City prior to the tour

Clearly, I am WAY off, but we had a grand total of 9 mins to see the tower between cities, 7 girls that need pictures and a monsoon falling from the sky, so this was as good as it was going to get.

Craziest rain of all time

The result of out 9 mins in the rain

Our tickets to the Uffizi. But the best thing we saw in Florence BY FAR was the David. Amazing

Florence dinner where The Lasagne was ordered SOOO good.

On the Bridge in lovely Florence

Vernazza, Cinque Terre

PERFECTION PERSONIFIED

Might as well JUMP!

Part of the crew.

Gondolla ride in Venice. I LOVE Venice

I told you I had more fun than Audrey.