The following journal excerpt is from July 29, 1998:
This morning we woke up early to avoid any lines at the Duomo. We ended up getting there around 10:30 AM, and waiting in line anyway. Eric, Sam, and Dave had to wait at the train station to reserve a spot on the train to Barcelona which ended up being full or too expensive anyway. So they're going to Nice at midnight. Meanwhile, I booked two nights at the Ostello Archi Rossi for 70,000 lire. The inside of the Duomo is not as spectacular as the outside. Dave and I went into the crypt, but it wasn't that interesting. We also climbed up 463 steps to Brunelleschi's cupola. The climb wasn't nearly as dark and tedious as the one in Prague. The view was beautiful, as was the architecture of the cupola itself. The view was definitely worth the cost. I don't know why Sam and Eric weren't willing to pay the 10,000 lire ($4).
I bought an erasable pen today. Hopefully, I'll be able to extend each Eurorail day by two to three times. Since I decided to skip Greece, I should be in good Eurorail shape. After Florence, it is on to Rome for three nights, then Venice for two to three nights. That will put me in Italy for two weeks. I think it will be a lot easier for me to do things by myself. And, once I get into a comfortable groove, the trip will go much smoother. The downfall, however will be a lack of company, and increased security concerns. I am planning/hoping to meet more people though. And if I can do that at hostels, I might pick up someone to travel with and/or go out with at night. Either way, I'm looking forward to sitting outside in the afternoons, watching/listening to the city around me. That is what I'm doing right now at the Duomo.
We split up for a couple of hours, and I went back to the Ostello Archi Rossi for an hour. There I met an Italian student who I talked to for awhile (later I find out that he had probably been high during our conversation which explains his craziness). The language barrier was there, but he knew English well, and I nodded a lot. It was cool that he mentioned Pennywise, NOFX, Bad Religion and Fugazi when I said I liked punk music. He reminded me (physically) of a friend of mine from college. I also went to the Palazzo Vecchio. It was a bit expensive for what I saw. Once again, there were a few giant rooms with amazing ceiling paintings and gilded frames. There was a sculpture by Donatello in bronze, "Judith and Holofernes." There was also a cute sculpture of a "Putti with Dolphin." I've grown to love the putti (angels). Therefore, I've begun photographing the ones I like.
We got back together and ate a bad dinner at a self serve place. Then I returned to the hostel where I met two more of my roomies, and started a load of laundry. My aim is to resurrect my stinky socks. I said good bye to Sam, Eric, and Dave. I'll survive, and have fun, but I'll miss them (double-edged sword). I am looking forward to the freedom.
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Read more of Backpacking in Europe, or see the pictures on Flickr.
So we're on a train to 
This morning I woke everyone up to go to the Uffizi (museum). When we got there, the wait in line was about one hour. (which wasn't bad at all since it was in the shade). Outside the museum were several copies of important sculptures (as well as originals like the Neptune Fountain), the most famous being Michelangelo's "David." I didn't spend much time looking at it, probably because it was a copy, and a detailed look would be inaccurate. It was the same way with the "Gates of Paradise" on the Baptistery. Inside the museum, I recognized many of the artists, but few of the paintings from my (art history) classes. "The Madonna of the Goldfinch" by Raphael was noteworthy, as several by Leonardo da Vinci. There were also several portraits that I recognized, including that of Bia Medici. She was portrayed beautifully against a blue background. "The Venus of Urbino" was there too. The museum itself was also decorated with ceiling frescoes. The two main hallways were lined with sculptures and busts.
We reached Como after a mad dash at the train station in Milan. As it turns out, we didn't even have to leave the train we were on originally. Since we didn't know this, we got off the train at Milan, went to the Information/ticket booth, waited in line, and then found out. This resulted in us running around the train station with our packs bouncing back and forth. When we got to Como, it was a twenty minute walk to our hostel. Once there, I found out that I was the only one with a Hostel Card, thereby getting the cheaper rate (15,000 lire instead of 21,000 lire, or $2).
We arrived in Menaggio, and immediately went to the hostel that was nearby. Unfortunately, it was booked for the night. We wandered past 4 star hotels and even a cinema and mini golf place, before finding a place to stay at a campground (Campaggio Europe). All except Bill waited till a bungalow was free (30 minutes), and then we moved in for the night at 75,000 lire for four people. Bill had decided earlier to go his own way (till 6:30 PM). Meanwhile, we went swimming in the lake, and hung out at our bungalow.
Charades 
After this burden was lifted, I led the group to the Accademia which housed 15th-18th century Italian Art. The place wasn't air conditioned, like I had expected. Therefore, I continued to sweat buckets while viewing the artwork of Carpaccio, Bellini, Tintoretto, and Giorgionne, among others. Though the "Tempest" was there, it didn't seem as impressive as its legend/history. The altarpieces were amazing to see up close. The glow of the gilded paint is definitely something that can only be appreciated in person. "The Feast at the House of Levi" was there too, and it covered the entire side of a giant room. Such a giant magnitude isn't even comprehendible from a slide or book.
We reached the beach after a one hour ride. Lido's main street had pink marble sidewalks from end to end. The street was also lined with gelaterias (ice cream stores) and pizzerias. We arrived at the beach a little before noon. The sky was cloudless, the sun hot. It was at least in the mid 90's. I knew I was going to have to be extra special in protecting myself from the sun. For this reason, I wore my hat (with 360 degree rim) at all times, except when in the water, my prescription sunglasses (in the water too), and plenty of sun block. When we left around 3 AM I had managed to survive the hottest part of the day with patchy sunburns on my face and legs. Except for a painful burn on my right ankle, I felt very lucky and confident. I don't think anyone else brought sun tan lotion.
Then we got back from the beach, we showered. There was a bathtub and detachable shower head, which only reached to the chest level of one's body. I showered kneeling down, and tried to get the hang of such a method. Eric had gone in before me and had sprayed the entire bathroom with water (he tried to shower standing up). The sink had a foot peddle you used to control the water. I assume this is so you don't have people turning knobs with their recently soiled hands.
It'd been several years since I saw my college friend Andrew (see Breathingplanet in my blogroll), and we had recently reconnected via MySpace. Since he was living in Brooklyn, I called him and we made plans to meet downtown. We ducked into Local 138, a random bar near the cross street we had picked. I ordered a couple of Strongbow ciders, my brother and Andrew beers, and we got into a variety of conversations as we caught up on the past few years.
