Ciao Bella!

I can't believe it's been three years since I had the awesome opportunity to travel to Italy with some great friends on an International Business trip for school. This trip was my first outside the United States and definitely worth all of the jet lag and showerless first day!

My favorite city was Venice. It is absolutely unlike anything I could have imagined. First, you have to take a ferry to get there. In case you didn't know, Venice is known as the "City of Water" and "the Floating City". The city is stretched across 117 small islands along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The city is connected by 409 bridges and formed by 177 canals. The island is home to more than 60,000 residents. The Piazza San Marco, or St. Mark's Square, is the public square of Venice. A visit to Venice is not complete without a gondola ride through the Grand Canal!

My favorite attraction was the Colosseum in Rome. It is one of the most breathtaking pieces of architecture. The Colosseum was the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire with construction of the famous landmark starting in 72 AD. The colossal structure seated 50,000 spectators and was used for gladiator contests and public spectacles such as executions and re-enactments of famous battles.

One of the most unique cities we visited was Pompeii. The city, along with Herculaneum, was destroyed and completely buried during a volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius that spanned two days in 79 AD. The city was buried under 4 to 6 meters of ash and pumice, and was lost for almost 1700 years befor it was accidently rediscovered in 1749.

One of the weirdest structures I've ever seen was the Leaning Tower

of Pisa. It is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral of the city of Pisa and sits just behind the cathedral. The height of the tower is 183 feet from the ground on the lowest side and 186 feet from the ground on the highest side. Prior to restoration that took place between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at a 5.5 degree angle. Currently, the tower leans at an angle of 3.99 degrees. It took 177 years to build the tower, starting in 1173. The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the second floor in 1178 due to a thin foundation set in weak, unstable subsoil. Because of continual battles for a century, building was halted. It was announced by engineers in 2008 after the removal of 70 metric tons of earth that the tower was stabilized and had stopped moving for the first time in its history. The tower is expected to remain stable for at least 200 years.

Other cities we visited include Verona, Florence, Assisi, Sorrento, and Capri. It was such an amazing trip!