My Italy/Switzerland adventure - Part one: Italia

Snow has lightly dusted the rooftops here in Zurich this morning. I have school tomorrow. I am overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions - I have meet new people, made new friends, experienced the beauty of natural landscapes, the magnificence of infrastructure that has survived hundreds, or even thousands of years. I have learned about incredible people of vision who left behind them legacies many are still enjoying the benefits of today - Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Gallileo, and countless other Italian artists and poets; Alfred Escher, the man whose vision led to the establishment of the Swiss railway system, and the Swiss bank, without both of which Switzerland would likely have not survived. It fills one with awe to see such abundance of talent and history in one location but more and more I realise mindset breeds talent. I have developed a great admiration for the Swiss, for their value on quality and deep sense of integrity. Nothing is ever rushed here, every decision takes time and involves robust discussion until a general consensus is met. I did not know such pure democracy existed, and the politics of it all is fascinating. 

 

 

Anyway, enough on that - highlights:

• Rome. Words cannot communicate how enriching a trip to Rome is. The magnificence of the Roman Empire is a must-do for everyone, you need to experience it! Some of the buildings dated back as far as 800BC. The Coliseum is incredible, and it is well worth paying the extra for a guided tour of the Vatican City. The detail in the paintings on the roofs, the stories they tell, and the history of how they came to be is nothing less than astonishing. It is the kind of place you need to hear the stories behind what you're looking at rather than wandering aimlessly. Trevi fountain also, so beautiful.
  
  
  
  
  
• Florence. Oh my goodness. There is this one street you walk down with sculptures of famous Florencians and you are overwhelmed by how much richness can come from one centre, and mostly all around the same era. The artistry of all the Renaissance maestros is in one place, and the city surely shows it! Also exploring through the markets is well worth the time.
  
  
  
  
• Venice is a sight to behold. As you travel towards it, you understand why it is called a floating city, with buildings from one end to the other, surrounded by ocean. Every bridge you cross is to another island. 

The churches are beautiful, and many. The mosaics and the paintings reflect storyboards, usually of the Bible, but also of other events. St Mark is the patron saint of Venice, and there is an incredible story of how some merchants from Venice went to Alexandra to steal back his body. They put his body in a basket of flour and covered it with raw pork. Alexandra being Muslim, and pork unclean, they would not touch it, so the merchants were able to smuggle St Mark's body back to Venice, where it is now buried.

So there is a beautiful mosaic depicting the story outside the Cathedral.

I also took a gondola ride, which my friend negotiated from 80 euros down to 40 for me, apparently that's the price you should pay according to the tour guide. It was an experience I'm glad I did, but I probably won't do again!