After bidding farewell to Budapest and the first half of my traveling destinations, I prepared myself for an early wakening to catch a flight into Italian territory.  Let the second half of the marathon commence!

Days 6 and 7 (October 26 and 27, 2010)

MILAN

Milan was nothing like I expected.  Being the industrial capital of Italy, Milan reminded me more of an American city than a historical landmark of Earth.  But, don’t doubt the power of the nightlife. 

Here are a few points about the Zebra Hostel.  The rooms are extremely small (at least if you request one room with 6 beds, where you will receive 3 bunk beds, a nice locker for your stuff, and about 4 feet of room for movement.)  But still, it felt like a great place to stay.  The price was relatively expensive, but maybe that was more of Italy speaking than the owners.

There was really only one attraction that I was able to see as a tourist in Milan, Piazza del Duomo.  Great little spot with a huge shopping galleria next to it, Duomo is a decent spot to relax and hang out with your buddies.  One of the finest restaurants that I have ever been to in my entire life is Al Porto, located on Piazzale Antonio Cantore.  The seafood was to die for, and the service was the best I have ever received anywhere in the world.  The wonderful host, knowing we were tourist and taking full advantage of it, came up to our table, laid out a beautiful list of starters, pastas, and main course items we could choose to receive for a full Italian experience.  With our mouths open, eyes wide, and drool running, my buddies Tim, Dima and I said hell yes to everything, “Plus bring us some oysters!”  Now it was Tim’s birthday and to add a little something special, we decided to order a nice bottle of Cristal.  It’s safe to say that the end bill was much higher than I would normally ever allow, but hell I was in Italy and I wanted to have a great time.  I highly recommend if you’re ever in Milan to go to Al Porto, but make sure to make reservations and bring your savings.

The nightlife…. Oh the nightlife.  With our first stop at a club titled “Hollywood” we felt cheated on the great things we heard.  But then, with a little help from our friends, we met the nightclub we had been waiting for, “The Club.”  Continuing the celebration of young Timmy’s birthday, we got us some bottle service and enjoyed the night ahead.  First let me just say, if a nightclub hires 4 amazing dancers to put on an epic roman empire type battle/choreographed dance for you, with two of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, the club is a great pick.  Now throw in the fact that on every television screen they were playing “From Dusk Till Dawn” I thought I had finally just died and was in the best kind of heaven there could be.  Again, this place was not easy on the pockets, but it was one of the most memorable nights I had on my time abroad.  Milan, thank you for showing me a great time and putting me into debt.  Also remember, whatever happens in Milan, will F***ING stay in Milan.  Finally the time had come and we had to catch our flight to one of the best stops on the trip…

Days 8 and 9 (October 28 and 29, 2010)

ROME

It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when you roam around Rome (tehe) and see landmarks preserved to the state it was in hundreds and hundreds of years ago.  The hostel that accommodated us was better than I could’ve imagined (Thanks Tim for finding an awesome place).  Not to mention I was the only one of 5 occupants who did not get myself locked in the bathroom (Tim, Hannah, Ola and Elaine, shame on you for letting the bathroom win). 

This was the only city that I actually paid for a certified tour.  Taking the red bus tour early in the morning, and sitting atop the Double Decker automobile during a beautiful breezy day was the right decision.  What did I see?  I’m not going to list everything I saw because that would just be ridiculous.  But I saw Rome and after taking tour bus, walking on foot, and riding on the back of a scooter with two wonderful drivers, I still feel like I wasn’t able to completely take in the beauty of the city.  I am 100% sure I will go back to Rome (next summer anyone?) and see everything I’ve seen and more because that’s what its going to take to fill the void the city left in me.  Oh, and this time I am so getting my own scooter.  When in Rome …

After two wonderful days of seeing one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it was time to capture one last day on this epic traveling marathon in another city that is arguably the most romantic and beautiful Earth has to offer.  But first …

Trainitalia ride of hell!!!!  Taking the inner city train from Rome to our next destination was the most uncomfortable, smelly, sleep-lacking experience I’ve ever had.  I felt like I was in a carriage in the Hogwarts Express without the magic and half the room.  Not to mention Italians speaking Italian throughout the night.  That’s right I took the night train when people are suppose to sleep but nobody thinks of it while talking about pizza and pasta (I don’t know what Italians talk about) until the morning.  However, after the awful night of no sleep and no room, we reached our final destination in …

Day 10 (October 30, 2010)

VENICE

Ever wondered what a perfect moment is like?  Besides strike 3 in the bottom of the 9^th in game 7 of the World Series where the Cubs become world champions after 100+ years?  I have also, and I found it.

We arrived to Veniza at approximately 5:30 am with no sleep, and a shit load of luggage that no one was going to carry around the whole day.  So we patiently waited for the secure luggage check in counter to open at 6 am so we can go on our merry way.  We went outside into the dark abyss, where it was freezing beyond freezing and waited for the metro/boat ride to pick us up.  We hopped on and headed for the famous Piazza San Marco.  Now here comes that perfect moment.  Everyone packed inside the boat to keep warm, but not I.  I went out to the front of the boat, outside in the cold, darkness of Venice and just let it all in.  The rest of the crew joined in the front and we just watched as slowly … the sun rose over the entire city of Veniza.  The scene was breathtaking, and once your breath was taken away, it would again be breathtaking, leaving you dizzy and high.  No matter how hard we tried to capture it on camera, it was impossible.  This was a moment that no one can keep in a digitized format, or even a memory.  It was a moment that you had to encounter, and then soon lose, regretting the fact that you ever encountered it in the first place because now all its going to do is haunt you until you are able to experience it again.  I found the perfect moment, and now I hate myself.

San Marco square was a great stop.  And no matter where you walked you enjoyed the fact that you were walking around in Venice.  Shopping occurred among the women, and some for the men as well.  We made a stop at what some say is one of the most famous café shops in the world, but shit I don’t even remember the name.  Florian?  Florida?  Flomon?  Whatever, but it was exquisite.  We went to some tourist spots, including Rialto Bridge, and the day was exhausting, but most satisfying.  Finally, we were near the end.  It was time to hurry to the train stop, grab our stuff, and figure out how the hell we were getting to the airport.  This seemed to be a recurring theme during our time in Europe, making the trains and planes in the last possible second ever.  But hey, at least we got to see the small town of Treviso, Italy before heading out.  Anyways, this is by far the greatest experience I’ve had in my young life, but I don’t know what it will take to top this.  In 10 days, I traveled and saw 6 gorgeous cities that most people aren’t able to do in a lifetime, and I am grateful for it.  Thanks UT for the opportunity, Thanks FAFSA for the funds, and Thanks Mom and Dad for all of the above.  Thus ends, the Traveling Man’s Marathon.

Day 1 went to a lot of rest and little sightseeing.  But Day 2 was full of wonders.  It is best to see the city on foot, with many cathedrals, Volksgarten, the Imperial Palace, museums, and an amazing military site.  I have no expertise on the night life of Vienna as I just relaxed and went to a couple of local bars.  One of the highlights of the trip included a concert/opera on the compositions of Mozart and Strauss.  Listening to classical music is one thing, but watching the performance is simply breathtaking.  I never thought an opera would be much enjoyment for a person like myself, but I literally felt chills when the voices of the performers echoed through the concert hall.  Monday morning, I had come to the conclusion that Vienna had more historic sights to see, but Prague was a natural beauty on its own.  Now, it was time to board the train and head for the last destination on the first half of the trip, with the destination of…