Halftime: Italy

Rome and Florence.

Halfway through our trip, we visited two of the most tourist-filled countries in Italy. Known for their prestigious architecture and artwork, along with the extravagant shopping centers. But they include some of the most historical and beautiful sights, recommended by many travel agents.

Rome is probably the most historical city in Italy. The Vatican City is one of the most historic places in the entire world. It is where the Pope lives and addresses the world, leading the millions of Catholic followers in the world. It also is where Michaelangelo created the infamous Sistine Chapel. Which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful pieces of artwork that have been created.

When I walked into the Sistine Chapel, I was overwhelmed because I never really understood how large everything was. The people in the paintings are painted as giants which took me by surprise. The beauty of the entire painting is astounding and if I was able, I would want to stare at it for hours. Along with the painting, there is a church inside the Vatican that is unlike anything I have ever seen.

I grew up Catholic so being in the most influential Catholic church- St. Peter's Basilica- in the world made me extremely happy. When I walked into the church, I was in complete awe of how big and how detailed it all was. There were so many sections of the church that we were not able to see it all. But I did take the time to pay attention to the altar and it was the most amazing thing in there. The entire time that I was standing there, I just couldn't fathom how long it took someone to create all that was in there. Being in there gave me a new found respect for the people that created everything in there.

When we got outside and saw the entire building and the square, I had to take pictures. While we were there, they were setting up the square for the next day when the Pope was supposed to address the children in the city. The Vatican City was lined with chairs for the children, all facing the building where the Pope would come out. For me to have the opportunity to even see the building where the Pope was, was very special for me and I will cherish that opportunity for the rest of my life.

Along with the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi Fountain is another highly visited spot in Rome. We didn't stay long, but the fountain is much bigger than you would think. It was surrounded by many people throwing coins into it. This fountain has been used in many movies including 'When In Rome' and 'The Lizzie McGuire Movie'.

Lastly, in Rome, we visited the Colleseum. The Colleseum is so old that at one point it started to break down, and a brick wall was put on the end of it to make sure that it didn't start crumbling. When we were inside, you could see how old it actually was because half of the middle section is now concrete. But most of the original pieces are still there. An interesting fact that I did not know was that the gladiators actually did not fight till the death. So the killing that we see in the movies is not factual. It was massively beautiful.

When we got to Florence, we spent a lot of our time walking around and exploring. Down the street from our hotel was a leather market. We went there several days in a row looking at all of the amazing pieces of crafts that people created using this real leather. I even tried on an extremely expensive leather jacket- which unfortunately I did not buy. But I did end up buying a Louis Vuitton purse for twenty euros. Now I don't know if it's real, but that can be our little secret ;).

Also right down the street from our hotel was the Duomo. This is an extremely tall and breathtaking church in the middle of the city. It has a large dome on one end and is surrounded by beautiful architecture. And of course, I took several pictures which look like a 3D pop-up book, in my opinion.

We also had a game in Rome where we won, again! We seem to be on a roll and you can see the team chemistry building on the court. I am getting really excited to see where this team is headed and I hope you all are too.

Check back in again in a few days to hear about our two days in Lake Como!