Contiki Florence

EuroTrip Day 10- August 4, 2006

After an exhilarating time in Venice, we’re ready to check out what Florence has to offer.On the coach to Florence, Pete and the rest of the Contiki staff make a surprise announcement- we’ll be stopping in Pisa and seeing the famous leaning tower.The entire coach becomes overtaken with excitement.

We arrive in Pisa and immediately take notice of the many street vendors and shoddy souvenirs offered that they offer.Pete then announces the world-famous Crappy Souvenir Contest, the quest to see who can pick up the crappiest souvenir for no more than 2 Euros.I accept the challenge and head on my way.

Here at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you’ve got to take the photo.Don’t give me that, you know what I’m talking about, the famous “I’m holding up or pushing down the Tower of Pisa” photo.And yes, I did take the picture, I had to.I take several pictures including one with me pushing down the tower and another with me pushing K-Chang into it.

After taking the pictures, I search for a really crappy souvenir and find it the form of a Pinocchio puppet purchased for 1 Euro.We all get back on the coach after an hour in Pisa and show off our souvenirs.

We arrive in Florence early in the evening and check-in to our hotel which is right in the heart of the city.Liz then takes a group of us to her favorite restaurant in Florence.Frankly, I feel that Liz is hyping up the restaurant to be some otherworldly experience.There is no hype however, because it is.The restaurant is small and elegant, we sit at a nice round table with beautiful lightingWe each make our orders, I order roasted chicken and everyone else orders pastas.Before the entrées come out we are presented with a delicious appetizer platter that is “on the house”.Everything is delicious, but it is nothing compared to the entrees.The chicken was the best I’ve ever had and the pasta was godlike.I was seriously “oohin” throughout the meal.Jeffery couldn’t help but make orgasmic noises next to me.

After eating one of the best meals of my life we meet up with the rest of the Contiki crew and head over to a local bar called “Red Garden”.Here we are given a giant pitcher of Long Island Iced Tea and plenty of karaoke.During the course of the night, a loud group of Australian men enter the bar and take off their shirts on the dance floor.It is at that point that several of us decide to leave.

We walk through the streets of Florence and check out the amazing beauty of the city.We eventually come back to the “Red Garden” only to leave again and head to another bar right next to the Duomo.Here everyone starts getting tired but I meet some American girls who keep my energy up.While the rest of the Contiki crew heads back to the hotel, I head to a disco with the girls from Wisconsin.The disco is really amazing with interesting lighting and plenty of dancing.Eventually, I say goodbye to the American girls and make my way back to the hotel.

Walking alone in the streets of Florence at 3 a.m. isn’t the best idea in the world, especially when you’re intoxicated.The problem isn’t necessarily the walk; the problem is not being able to find your hotel and circling the same block for about an hour.I almost give up and sleep in an alley(seriously) but somehow I notice the bright neon sign of the hotel and manage to make my way into my comfortable bed.Only in Florence!

EuroTrip Day 11- August 5, 2006

We start off the day with a leather demonstration; Florence, after all, is the leather capital of the world.Next we are given a tour of the city by a very nice Italian man who has a very stereotypical Italian accent.After the tour K-Chang, Megan and I are on the search for adventure and we find it in the form of eating meat and cheese.We go to the grocery store and get some quality Italian salami and enjoy it in one of Florence’s many plazas.

We see the entire city throughout the day, checking out the Duomo and many other beautiful buildings.Several of us decide that it would be a good idea to rent mopeds and cruise throughout the city so we head to the moped shop.After unsuccessfully renting a moped because they are out of stock, Kelly Cover and I decide to wander around the streets shopping and sightseeing.Eventually, what began as sightseeing turns into another lost expedition through Florence.Luckily, we make it back to the hotel and change in time for our dinner.

Before dinner we head to the top of Florence for a Contiki group picture.The view from here is gorgeous and you can see the entire city in beautiful clarity.After taking several photographs we have dinner at one of Florence’s finest restaurants.This dinner is a lot of fun and very classy.Not only does the restaurant offer several courses and an unlimited supply of wine, they also have an opera singer and ballroom dancing.This, along with Paris and Switzerland is one of my favorite dinners.

Part of the fun that night was the other Contiki group that was present at dinner.They had been traveling Europe just like us and we got to talk to them throughout dinner.Luke and I were the first ones to approach the other travelers by asking some very cute blondes to dance.They said yes and we had a great time.After some successful banter and cheek kissing with my dancing partner, I decide to ask her to dance again, and she says yes.A guy taps me on the shoulder and asks me if he can cut in.It turns out that this is a guy she’s been seeing on the trip; I politely step aside and ask some of my fellow travelers to dance.I dance with a lot of people that night including Jessica Barrow everyone, Jessica Barrow.

After dinner we head to Space Disco, a trendy two-story nightclub in Florence which has a huge dance floor.Being very tired from an exhausting day in Florence, I hang out there for about an hour before heading back to the hotel.