We can't believe how quickly time is passing!! Our adventures in Rome were great and we were sad to leave. Since we wrote last, we've done so much! Last Sunday in Rome, we went to a huge flea market in Porta Portese. We'd never seen so much stuff in our lives! There were all kinds of vendors, from food to clothing, jewelry and everything in between. We wandered around and were completely overwhelmed by the number of people there. Kara got some good deals and bought 2 scarves for 2 euros, as well as some gifts for a few friends. It was cloudy, but it was a nice contrast to the hot sun we'd had earlier in the weekend. We wandered around with Julia and Kara and got to see some more of Rome. We also had some amazing lasagna for dinner and had more gelato (of course).
On Monday we went to the Vatican. It was so surreal to be there and see everything, from the Basilica to the Sistine Chapel. We climbed 551 steps to get to the top of the Cupola (dome) and the view was breathtaking (quite literally). We wandered all over the Basilica and tried to take good mental pictures since the lighting wasn't great for the cameras. We had pizza for lunch and then went to the Vatican Museum, where the Sistine Chapel is. It was absolutely beautiful, but we had a bit of a neck-ache after looking up for so long. The day was made complete by more gelato and some souvenir shopping.
We left Rome on Tuesday and were sad about it because we wished we could stay longer, but then we were on our way to the third part of our adventure-Holland! We are staying in the city of Leiden, where Julia is studying this semester. The town is beautiful and is a perfect example of what you think an old European or Dutch city would look like. There are lots of canals and windmills (both old and new). On Wednesday, we went to one of the weekly markets and wandered around the city. The weather was nice (sunny, but cooler than Rome) and we had tea on a boat in one of the canals. We also had the opportunity to try a Dutch specialty-pannenkoeken. Picture some kind of hybrid between a pizza and a pancake with stuff on top and that's what it was. Because they were so big, Julia and Kara split two-one with bacon and cheese and another with apple and pineapple. They were AMAZING!! Yesterday, we ventured into Amsterdam, which is about 40 minutes from Leiden. Although we really didn't do anything concrete (tours, museums, etc.), it was nice to wander around such an interesting and diverse city. We had a nice long lunch at a cute little bar/cafe and did some souvenir shopping. We also had Amsterdam fries-apparently a big deal since they're everywhere!! Kara even discovered that she likes mustard on her fries!! :)
We've had a great time in Holland and it's amazing that time is flying so fast. Today, we'll be on our way to the last leg of our epic European adventure-Ireland!! We'll get in late tonight, but we'll be ready to do some exploring tomorrow and see what all the Land of the Irish has to offer. We miss everybody and hope you're doing well. As always, stay tuned for more!
-The Flats
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