I finally got my pics from my friend... They're awesome.. This is gonna be long, so bare with me..

THURSDAY

We arrived at Rome and it was sooooo hot!!! 33C (91F) or something.. The hostel was great, the receptionist was very cool: she and her sister are professional musicians: the other plays piano and the other sings opera.. After all the registering stuff we rushed to the showers...

I didn't get the other ppl at the hostel: when me and my friend went to the showers, we wore our towels and went into our rooms to dress and dry ouselves... There were ppl who dressed IN THE HOT, WET AND MOIST SHOWERBOOTH.. wtf.. There was another receptionist, a israelian guy who commented to my friend: "Everytime I see you, you're always wearing a towel.. You could take it off though.."

Me sitting at our room at the hostel:


The roof of our room:


The view of our window:


It was so cool: St. Peter and the vatican right next to us... Jeeezzz.

On that day we just hanged around..

FRIDAY

We visited the sights in rome..
Fontana de Trevi (my friend Liisa posing):


The Spanish Steps (no pics.. )

The Colosseum:


Villa Borghese Park:


From about 1 to 4 p.m. we had siesta, like all italians.. We found a huge tree trunk in the park and set camp there.. We could both fit on it, it was huuuuuge..
I'm relaxing, listening to aerosmith..


In the evening I had the crappiest pizza I've ever eaten: it didn'h have any tomatosauce OR cheese, just dry tuna and tomato.. ewww... It sucked... It was dry and horrible...

SATURDAY

Oh yeah... My favorite day...
It started off great: we went on this cheesy, expensive tourist bus, but it was worth it: we go to see all the major tourist attractions and we could have ridden the bus all day, so buying metro tickets wasn't necesary that day.. HOWEVER:

We were havin lunch near the termini, when a real backpacker looking dude came next to us and asked us how to get to termini.. We told him how and still he left to the wrong direction... "WHAT AN ASS!" we thought.. After about 10min, I couldn't find my bag anywhere.. When I realized it was stolen I just broke down and started crying in the middle of the street..

An english woman advised us to go to the termini police station, and so I filed a report, and we left to the hostel.. Ironically the 16 euro bus tickets were in my posession, so we had to take the subway... Great...

In my bag I had:

- digital camera (no pics of me at the coloseum or the spanish steps.. )
- my cellphone
-mp3 player I didn't know music meant so much to me until I had no chance to listen to it..
-plus a whole lot of stuff...

The thing that pissed me off the most, was the image of the bastards flipping through my pics, deleting them, and the fact that I had saved the first ever txtmessages from my boyfriend, where he first wrote: I love you..

The receptionist and all the other employees were really nice to me and cheered me up. The opera singer told us to go get the best icecream in rome. The place was just a few blocks from the hostel. She also told us to go relax next to the river and listen to some jazz..

There was this guy sitting on the bridge as Charlie Chaplin which was pretty cool:



Please take notice of the stricking difference between the color of my legs and face & hands..

SUNDAY

It was the last sunday of the month, so the Musei Vaticano was free! We waited 1½ hours in the blazing sun.. I was ruthless in line.. A real bastard, passing ppl, shoving myself into the tiniest space... I hate standing in line, plus there was this motherfuc***g iritating american dude, who went on and on and on and on about himself in a reaaaaaly loud voice.. Everyone in line was giving murderous looks at him, but he wouldn't stop...

The greatest thing about being finnish is that very few (if any) ppl know what Liisa and me were talkin about... SOOOO relaxing...

we toured the whole museum, my friend is an artist and we both love art.. My favorites:


BTW! These are not ofcorse my pics, I didn't take almost any at the museum or at churches, because Liisa explained to me whole flashes fade the true colors of the paintings and weaken their quality..

I was anxious to see the sistine chapel, because I wanted to see this one:

BUT!!!! haw haw, so funny... I FORGOT TO LOOK UP!!!!! fuck...

Famous stairs of the museum:


Me posing as Donna Ideale:


And I really hate ppl who had the nerve to chat AT THE CHAPEL!! WTF?! There were HUGE "Silencio" signs everywhere, the guards shushed ppl and there were announcments that told ppl to shut the fuck up BUT NO!!!! It really pissed me off. Show some respect, assholes... I got really ticked off with ppl who didn't dress properly for church also. Don't get me wrong: I think it totally ridiculous to cover ourself up in chuch and the whole chastity, but respecting ones wishes and rules is another whole deal... Some tourists are so rude!

Later we went to St. Peters Basilica.. We had been outside at the square every night, just hanging around, but now we went inside... And up!!

View from the roof:


View of Rome and the museum:


The altar:


MONDAY
We were happy to get out of Rome.. And left for Forli. It was a tiering 6 hour train ride.. We stayed at Liisa's godmothers friend Rosy, here with her husband Aldo:

The devil dog is behind 'em...

When we got there, we left for chinese lessons taught by a friend of the family.. When we got home, their dog attacked me in the face.. Lovely..
I got two bruises on my forehead, two cuts near my eyes and some scars on my hand.. I was horrible, Rosy and Liisa were totally panicked, and I cried in the bathroom holding ice on my forehead, cause I didn't want to cry infront of them.. I was so goddamned scared.. I really avoided the dog since..

TUESDAY
We toured Forli with Rosy and visited Castrocaro and Terra del Sole.

Here's me with Rosy in Forli:


In Terra del Sole with the girl who taught us chinese:


WEDNESDAY
We went to this quiet paradise.. It was a river, I can't recall the name.. We sunbathed the whole day and swam... Just lovely...

Liisa at the river:


Me and Liisa posing:


The water was freezing!!!


THURSDAY
VENICE DAY!!! I don't have any words to describe how amazing venice was.. The only shitty part was that it was full of those goddamn tourists..

Anyways...

Feeding pidgeons at Piazza San Marco:


Venice is sinking... Water around the St. Mark's Basilica:


At a waterbus:


Venice canals behind me:


Gondoles and Vaporettos:


FRIDAY
We visited Faenza and in the evening Bertinoro, where this weird guy started following me and didn't leave me alone, eventhough I didn't answer his questions and constantly said: no, no, no, NO! It was nerve-wrecking..

SATURDAY
We went to the beach.. Amazing..

SUNDAY
We left Rosy and Aldo and went to Perugia.. It took us hours to find the hostel, and we were tired and hungry and dirty and angry when we finally got there and almost has our FIRST FIGHT with liisa... It didn't escalate or anything, but almost..

Me chilling at our window:


MONDAY
We toured the center of Perugia and went SHOPPING!!!! We bought matching shoes:

My feet are the more tanned ones..

Eating icecream at Perugia:




TUESDAY
We visited Arezzo, to see the "History of the True Cross fresco" by piero de la francesca.. It was really beautiful.. We had our last proper meal: a three course dinner with bruchettas with tomato, asparagus and tomato risotto and veal in mushroom sauce with eggplant and zucchini...

We eve got a few euros discount of the meal, because we were so lovely and it was our last night..

The only thing which really bummed me out was that while I was using the bathroom at the railwaystaion, suddenly someone started banging on my door aggresively.. I got scared when I realized it was a junkie who wanted to use my stall to shoot some iv-drug.. I got really sick about the idea, and we quickly left the station...

WEDNESDAY
Back in Rome.. We ate our last icecreams from the best place in Rome... I miss those flavours... My favorite: yogurt, ananas e fragola..



THURSDAY
I almost fainted at the airport, I still don't know why.. Maybe I was exhausted and stressed or something..

On the train on our way to Fiumicino:


Our flight left at 7 p.m. Here's picture that best describes my feelings at the airport:



I you've read the whole thing, which I doubt, thanks.. I loved sharing and writing it... It was the best 2 weeks of my life and eventhough some shitty stuff happened, it only strengtened my love for Italy...
[Edited 8/19/07 15:11pm]

Girl, you are so fine.

Imago said:

Thanks, baby..

those are amazing pictures!! wow!! you look great! i want to take that same trip!!

Mushanga said:

I took my mom on a bigass 3 week vacation to Europe this year. She apparently liked it so much she now wants me to take her to Italy and Greece.


This pictures have inspired me to a great deal. I love the artwork in your pictures.


Paris was like a wet dream for me artwise.

Mushanga, that was too long for me to read, but I the photos!!!!! You are so cute

CHIC0 said:

Thanks.. I really hope you get to travel too.. it's the greatest..

Oh and I like how you put Incl. bikinishots in the title

Imago said:

3 weeks.. My wet dream... What places did you visit? italy is so awesome... I like the big tourist traps, but the best thing about the place is to get some icecream and chill out.. Or then circle through the long and endless streets.. Venice was great for that!

You should definately visit the vatican museum.. I got an art-overdose..

jess555ja said:

Thanks for your comments jess..

I put the bikini thing yeah... Just to get more views...

Mushanga said:

ITALY is one of the places i'd love to visit. i was the once...but on for about 3 or 4 hours though

CHIC0 said:

awwwww... that's too bad... Did you change flights or something? Get your ass to italy, you won't regret it, honey...

Wow that was a wonderful trip and great pics! Thanks for sharing! I have always wanted to visit!

MoniGram said:

You read the whole thing?!

Thanks moni.. And please visit italy, it's worth it..

Mushanga said:

Someday I hope to visit Italy...someday! until then, I will live threw others.

Mushanga said:

Englad ( Ely, Huntindon, London, Stonehenge), Germany (Garmisch, Munich, Padderborn), Austria (Salzburg, Halstatt), and Paris France.

MoniGram said:

Oh by the way...I did read the whole thing. I do have one question..that dog, had it's rabies shots right?

This makes me want to go back to badly.
I really adored Italy. Looks like you had a wonderful time!

MoniGram said:

Wow..

Yes it did, and I had my tetanus shots and etc.. Good thing that it was their own dog, though and not some streetdog... The only thing that worried me, that if the dog had something on her teeth, but the cuts healed in 2-3 days.. They were tiny thankgod..

Imago said:

Wow, that sounds really great.. Now get started on planning your trip to Italy.. I have loads of recomendations..

CarrieMpls said:

I had an amazing time... I hope you get to go back!

Excellent!

WOW. What a great trip, Mushanga.

And such fantastic pictures! Those bikini shots are fiiiiine

I can't even remember the first time I've been to Rome. Personally I don't find Rome/Vatican that exciting anymore. Italy was for a some time my second home. Collectively, I think I lived there for two years or so. I've been up North in the Dolomites, down South in the Sicilly, West on Elba and Sardinia, and Center: Rome, Padova, Florence and that little place in Toscana name of which I can't recall right now.

From all the Italian cities I've seen I liked the most Florence (If you're a fan of Boticelli you should def. go there and see the Galleria Uffizi), Podova (unique architecture and great customs) and Verona (very old and well preserved + you can visit the supposed home of Juliette Capuletti) and last but not least
Assisi (very picturesque and quiet; you can buy there a traditional cake, whose name translates into "The corpse of Saint Francis", not very tasty, go figure;). I highly recommend you these places next time you visit Italy.
[Edited 8/19/07 16:10pm]

rushing07 said:

Thanks..

Rome is probably great for a few times, I agree.. It truly has it's ugly side.. But I could sit for hours and hours and watch the traffic flow by next to the colosseum.. Turist travel hundreads of miles to see these places, but to the ppl who actually live in rome, they're plain ordinary..

The thing that I love most about Italy is the totally different sceneray and environment compared to finland.. The narrow, long, rambling streets, red-brick roofs, marble.....

I went to Florence last year, but Liisa had been to the Uffizi a week before I arrived, so I couldn't visit it.. I love Botticelli..
We were supposed to go to verona and assisi, but we ran out of time.. We went past the assisi station, and had to make a decision between assisi and arezzo.. Wish we'd picked assisi..

Muse2NOPharaoh said:

Great pictures!!! thanks for sharing
[Edited 8/19/07 16:47pm]

Mushanga said:

Thank goodness the cuts were small, that was they won't scar. So besides the purse, the dog, and all the other odd things that happened to you. It sounds like it was a trip to remember.

Mushanga: nice pics thank u for sharing!

NICE!! I so wanna go to Italy!

i liked the whole thing. hard to get thru but very cool. now i wanna go to italy!