Florence and Zurich

July 12, 2005
We woke up around 5am and had the hotel call a taxi. He was a terrible driver. Although, he did fit in with the rest of the terrible Italian drivers…

We got on our train to Florence. We left around 6:15ish and arrived in Florence around 9:30. We got off the train and went to the bathroom. Kelsey and I changed our clothes, washed our faces and brushed our teeth. We checked in our luggage and decided we were going to try to find the museum with Michelangelo’s David. We got a little lost but found it eventually.

We stood in line and Dustin and Kelsey went to find an ATM. Then, when we were about ½ way through the line, Amber, Kelsey and I went to find gelato. We gave Dustin directions but he got lost and took about 45 minutes to come back. We finally got into the museum after a two-hour wait and saw the David (very impressive). We also saw other statues including a copy of the “Rape of the Sabines.” They had strange section of artwork called “Impressions of David” that was modern art “inspired by” David. I didn’t really like it much though.

After we left the museum, we went to lunch. Kelsey had pizza, Amber had lasagne, and Dustin & I had ham and cheese tortellini. It was REALLY good (although, not what I thought I had ordered).

After lunch, we went to the Duemo di Santa Maria del Fiore. It was really pretty and I took several pictures of the prayer trees inside the cathedral. I bought a couple shot glasses for my friends and a gift for Meagan. Then, we walked to a square where they were supposed to be having free concerts all night.

We sat and listened to the music for a while and found some food to eat. Amber, Kelsey and I needed to use the bathroom, so we wondered around till we found one (and it was free!). We came back to the square and listened more. Before we had to leave, we decided to get gelato because it was our last day in Italy. Kelsey and I had waffle cones; Amber and Dustin both had dishes. When I went to pay, I was shocked to find out that my cone cost €12! I paid for it and I definitely ate the WHOLE thing.

We needed to find an Internet café to e-mail Ryan, Siobhan and Markus to make plans to meet them in Paris. We found a place on the way back to the train station and Amber e-mailed them. Then, we went to the station to change and get ready for our night train.

We figured out where our train was supposed to be (i.e. which platform) and waited for it. When it came, we got on and found our compartment. Kelsey and I wanted the top bunks, but when we got up there, it was SO hot we didn’t think we could get to sleep. Also, (strangely enough) on this train, the windows didn’t open. We asked the man who had taken our tickets if there was anyone else joining us in our compartment. When he said no (Thank God!!!), Kelsey and I moved down to the middle bunks. I wouldn’t have wanted to sleep there, much less make anyone else sleep up there. After moving, I fell asleep right away.

July 13, 2005
We arrived in Zurich around 9 and had to get money right after we got off the train. They use Swiss Francs. Kelsey and I went to the bathroom, changed, washed our faces, brushed our teeth and did our hair.

We paid for two large lockers in the train station and then went to the tourist information office to get a map and a list of the sights to see in the city.

We left the train station and headed across the bridge. We stopped in a tourist shop and I bought a shirt. Amber and Kelsey purchased Swiss army knives. We headed up the hill towards a church, then went to a museum where we saw 4 exhibitions and to areas called “The Masters” which consisted of older paintings. I didn’t really like the exhibitions very much. After we left the museum, we walked down the hill to two more churches and saw them. We walked across another bridge toward the train station and found a nice little park.

We decided to get some food and looked at a shop in the park. They only had plain meat cooking and it didn’t look appetizing to me, so we walked across the park toward the river. We found a vendor selling hot dogs (which I could handle eating) and I got a hot dog. Kelsey and Amber got some sort of big hot dog with no bun and Dustin bought a bratwurst (also with no bun). Mine was good, but I had no desire to try anyone else’s lunch.

There was a free bathroom by the vendor’s station, so everyone went there and we decided to follow the street down the river. We walked through a park where there were a lot of people sunbathing in the grass. Then, we turned around and headed back to the main shopping area. On the way back toward the train station, we found a Swiss chocolate shop. It looked SO good and I spent WAY too much money there.

Later in the afternoon, as we were walking through the shops, I bought presents for Kyros, Abby and Drew and then we headed back to the main train station. We bought dinner at the market place in the station and I tried to take a picture of the same store where we had purchased our Swiss chocolate. Sadly, they said it wasn’t allowed. All the women working there had matching teal outfits. It would have been a really cool picture. We mailed a few stacks of postcards home and decided to head back toward the river to sit for a while before our train came. We stopped at another chocolate store and I bought a penguin chocolate from another store. They let me take a picture of the inside of the store. It was really cool!

We got back to the river and sat around talking for a while. It was nice and relaxing. We walked back to the train station and got ready for our LAST night train (woohoo!!!).

When we got on the train, we immediately opened the window and Kelsey and I slept on the top bunks. I got all my stuff put away and was almost asleep when they came to pick up our tickets and passports. I gave him mine and fell asleep shortly after.

I woke up in the middle of the night and had to adjust my sheet and scratchy blanket because I was cold. The sheet was sewn on the bottom and up both sides past my waist (which doesn’t work well with the way I normally sleep) and it was only about two feet wide. The damn thing made me feel fat! After I fixed the stupid sheet and blanks, I went back to sleep.