Murry's Travels: Backpacker's Lesson #4: Avoid the tourists.

I'm not kidding. Avoid them. "Wait...aren't you a tourist, too?" No. Well, technically yes. But I like to think not--there's a reason I stay at a hostel; it's because I'm a cheap college student that can't really afford to pay for a hotel. So no, I'm not a tourist. I'm a backpacker. (Let's just avoid the technicalities of this, okay? Great.)

My Italy trip was the second (and final) trip that I made solo. I spent my first day in Rome, checking out the Vatican City. Like a true, uninformed tourist--er, backpacker--I took my passport with me. I was going to the world's smallest country; I wanted a stamp to prove it!
Yeah, that didn't happen. You just walk into St. Peter's Square with the rest of those camera-lugging fools. That doesn't mean it isn't worth it. You can feel the significance of this place, just standing in the square. The occasional monk or nun walks past, intent on their work. And the basilica is really beautiful. I have to say, it (obviously) follows the traditional model of a Catholic church, so I didn't find it just breathtaking. I made it to the Spanish Steps, as well. Lots of photos to show you my point of view!

The exterior of St. Peter's

Michelangelo's Pieta

Angels and Demons, anyone?

Here are the Spanish Steps. Note the ridiculous crowds.

One of the shots I've taken from the top of the Spanish Steps. Beautiful place.

Here's where my problem starts. In all of these places, I was never alone. I never felt isolated, immersed. Why? Because along with the devoted, cultured backpacker (that would be me), there are thousands (and no, I'm not exaggerating) of the dreaded tourists. They make lines ridiculously long, they get in ALL of your photos, and they keep you from living the Italian life. And THAT'S my real issue. It's hard to soak up a little bit of the culture when you're caught in the midst of a giant tour group, led by a woman carrying a metal pole with a flag tied on the end.

Rant aside, here's a quick rundown of the rest of my day. A stop-off at the hostel, then back out to find some pizza (not worth describing, unfortunately.) Stumbled upon the Piazza della Repubblica, then eventually made my way to the Colosseum. Called it a night, and made my way back to the train station to buy my ticket to Florence.

Ah, Florence. A beautiful city with fewer tourists! My first day in Florence was spent pretty lazily, to be honest. And in the interest of full disclosure, I hadn't really done as much research about Florence as I should have. So I got my handy dandy map from my hostel, looked at the landmarks, and set out. The weather was beautiful, warmer than Madrid, so I laid down in a park and soaked up some rays. I'd show you a picture of my incredibly tan skin, but the reflection might hurt your eyes.

After a delicious gelato, I set off to explore the city a bit, and happened upon the Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral of Florence. Luckily, I chose to hop in a random line (made even longer by those horrendous tourists. How dare they get it in this backpacker's way?) that took me to the top of the dome. Yes, Brunelleschi's dome. Or should I say dome inside a dome. I'd explain but I think Wikipedia does it a little clearer. By the time I made it inside, and climbed all the way to the top, I was so thankful that I decided to trek up. Incredible views of Florence were my reward:

The inside of the dome. (A visual for you, in case you read the Wikipedia page)

After a quick pizza lunch, I did some more exploring, spending some time in the piazza where Michelangelo's David originally stood, along with dozens of other statues, all faithfully preserved in Florence's world class museums. As the sun went down, I made my way to Ponte Vecchio, a bridge lined with world class (and by that I mean super expensive) shopping. I grabbed a nice bite to eat in one of those places that are obviously for the suckers that don't know any better (Is it just me, or am I sounding more and more like a tourist, less and less like a backpacker?). I made my way back to the bridge just as the last bit of sun was slipping over the horizon, listening to Italian songs, bringing my day to a close. I walked slowly back to my hostel, seeing the city, changed by the night.