France and Italy

Day 1:

We arrived in Paris at around noon. We figured out how we would get out of Paris, and that was by train. The train was not only cheap but pretty fast as well. Since we would not join our tour group until tomorrow, and we didn’t book a hotel yet, Mom and I searched for hotels. We got one with a good location, right by Notre Dam and 10 minutes from the Eiffel Tower. We were south of the Seine River, so we hopped on a bridge and visited the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower. However, when we got to the Eiffel, the wait was too long, and it started being late. Instead, we went to a rooftop bar to see the Eiffel and have some food. We then Ubered back to the southeastern side of central Paris and returned to our hotel, where we visited Shakespeare’s bookstore; however, it was closed. 

Day 2:

Today we woke up at 7:30 as we needed to be at Place d’Italie, about a 10-minute drive south of our hotel, to meet our tour group. Mom and I ate breakfast at a small cafe, where they served nearly no vegetables. After we asked the chef to stir fry some vegetables, did we see some green on some table? Take note, as the greens were highly flavorless and essential,

a trend I see throughout my day. Afterward, we met up with the group. First, we headed to Djion. Dijon is a gothic-style medieval town. The most famous dish there is white Burgundy beef braised in wine. Mom ordered that and the escargot or snails. Originally, escargot was only to get rid of snails as they were pests, but due to modern popularity, they have become a staple of French cuisine. I ordered a steak and some pommes or fries. I would say the wine taste in the Burgundy beef is robust, and the steak had a considerable lack of seasoning. However, the fries were very flavorful. Also, the escargot tasted weird. The snails had a good taste but a very slimy and extraterrestrial texture. Suffice it to say; I did not enjoy it. Finally, our dessert was a caramel ice cream with some macaroons.  I wanted the ice cream; it wasn’t too sweet, and the flavor wasn’t too overbearing. For the rest of the day, we went to a wine tasting place. Me, a minor, couldn’t have any wine, but mom did. The wine was stored in an almost basement-like cellar that was huge, it was almost like a big basement. When you pour some wine, first you check it. Take the glass and shine a light through the other side to make sure the light shines through. Then, make sure you hold the wine glass on the bottom part like a frisbee so you don’t heat up the wine with your hand. Finally, waft the smell of the wine and enjoy. Some tips, drink red wine with red meats like beef and lamb and such and white wine with chicken and such. Also, red wine is made with the peels of the grapes, giving it the color. The term “Burgundy Red '' comes from the color of red wine. Finally, we left and went to Chateau de Gilly, which was an old castle converted into a hotel. 

Day 3:

For our breakfast, we had a lovely French buffet. The buffet had some very nice pastries such as a Pain in Chocolate, like a croissant with chocolate, and some madeleines, like sweet bread. We enjoyed the pies with nice fruit nectars, peaches and nectarines, and sausage. Afterward, we were on our way to Colmar. Once we got there, we were dropped off at a statue of General Jean Rapp. He was a general under Napoleon and was commemorated by this statue. The city is located in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, heavily influenced by Germany. The whole town smelled of pig feet and sauerkraut. We had about two and a half hours to travel around town, so I found a museum about chocolate and went to it. The first thing is that there are three types of Cocoa beans. Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario. Forastero was found in South America, then Portuguese colonizers brought Tobago and Western Africa. Criollo was found in Mexico and brought to the Philippines, India, and Madagascar (Eastern Africa) by the Spanish and French. Trinitario is an African variant descendant of the two beans, as mentioned earlier. Cocoa is mainly produced in Coté d’Ivoire. The Cocoa pod is opened, and the beans are extracted, dehydrated, and cooked. They were mixed with sugar to make a paste then milk was added to make chocolate. I then made chocolate-dipped things. We dipped marshmallows, fruit candies, and fudge in our chocolate workshop. Here are some essential tips: don’t use too much chocolate, then it starts getting your station all messy. Also, immediately add toppings to the chocolate so they stick. In a minute or two, the chocolate will dry and solidify. Finally, we made chocolate bars, where I experimented with different designs. I think that the production of cocoa and chocolate are both very cool, and I will look into it. Finally, we left France and entered Switzerland. In Switzerland, the population is split between the Italians, the French, and the Germans. In Zurich, which is not the capital of Switzerland, there were a lot of statues of religious figures that spoke out against the church and lots of churches. 

Day 4:

In Lucerne, there’s a very famous carving of a lion. Mark Twain once called it the “most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.” A dead lion is lying over a French shield, shielding it. Its story is that the French royal family hired Swiss mercenaries during the French Revolution. While the French national guard joined the Jacobins and the revolutionaries, the Swiss stayed loyal to the French and fought till the end. In Switzerland, another important artifact is the cowbell, as a “leader cow” will wear it, and the other grazing cows will follow. Also, the national animal of Switzerland is the lion, and France is the rooster. This is because the original people living in France were the Gauls, the Roman word for rooster. Also, Asterix is a French cartoon featuring two Gaulic people in a cartoon, having them defeat the Romans in every episode. We then walked around town, taking pictures and admiring the surrounding view. Unfortunately, it was raining, which made everything wet. After we took some pictures, we got on a train to Interlaken. The train ride was even slower than a car ride, but it was more scenic along the lakes. The name Interlaken stands for ‘between lakes’ which is true because it sits between Lake Thunersee and Lake Brienzersee. On the way to Interlaken, about a two-hour ride, I started writing these entries. Once we got to Interlaken, the tour guide took us to Lake Brienzersee, and we took many photos. However, the mountains were concealed due to the rainy conditions, and we couldn’t see them. Out by the shore, we saw a swan, but we had no food, so the swan left quickly. My mom asked me, “Would you rather be a swan or a duck? The swan is beautiful but has no friends, but the duck is average and has plenty of friends.” I said, “The duck, of course. The value of friendship vastly outweighs beauty and personal glory.” Once we left the lake, we had nothing much to do. Since there were no good hotels in Interlaken, we traveled to Thun, a town on the other side of Lake Thunersee, and named it after it. I walked by the Aare River, which flows through the town. The town is pretty big and has a lot of stores. The river was also very rapid. The town has a castle, Thun Castle, which is a medieval-style castle that has a good view of Thun. However, the castle closes at 5 pm, so all of this information is taken by research. I walked from the north side of the Thun to the south side, back to the north side, and walked in one big circle. The scenery was nice, and there was little to no rain. I had a view of the castle and the surrounding mountains and took the time to appreciate the environment. 

Day 5:

On May 14th, 1800, Napoleon’s army crossed the Appalachian Mountains. Today, we went up one. In the morning, we went to Engelsburg, which, in English, translates to Angelsburg. It was about a two-hour drive from the town; I could already feel the altitude rising. I had to prepare considerably this morning because it would be cold 10,000 feet above sea level. I wasn’t wrong; it was frigid. We went up on a tram and got up to the highest building. It had five levels, and on its fifth was the mountain peak we were on. While I walked up the stairs, I wondered, “How did they build this?” I never got that question answered. On the fourth floor, there was a selfie station with a few options given to you. I still don’t completely know how you take the selfies, but I think that’s fine because the pictures still look good. On the fifth floor, the floors are slippery because much of the foundation is ice once you go outside. They have ropes out for you to hold, but the area is not only crowded but still holds the risk of slipping. I know from experience. Also, the biggest problem today was the clouds. Due to yesterday’s rain, the clouds were still here, so we couldn’t see anything on top. After we ate some 24 euro chicken, we rode the tram back down. On the way back, the clouds started to clear up, so we could take a few pictures. The view was breathtaking as we were so high up, but not as high as we could’ve been.

Once we got down, we made our way to Italy. The general rule was that we wouldn’t use the public bathrooms, by the highways, in Switzerland because they are never free. We made a beeline to Italy; once we got there, I woke up from my nap and felt how warm the weather was. This is because, in Switzerland, the Alps block the warm Mediterranean air. They use euros in Italy, unlike Switzerland, which has a strange currency. Once we got to Milan, we went to our hotel. The hotel was unique. It’s called “Voco,” and its elevators don’t have buttons. You scan your room card, and then it automatically detects what floor you’re located on. I find it cool, but it’s hard for people to know how to use it. Other than that, I find the modernity and technology of the building very cool. After we put our stuff down, we headed downtown.

I looked online for AC Milan soccer matches, but the closest one was the day after, so we couldn’t. We Uber downtown and were dropped off at the cathedral or the central plaza. The cathedral was enormous, I was not expecting that size. By the cathedral is a statue of Victor Emmanuel II, the unifier of Italy. In 1860, he unified the country and 1861 proclaimed the Kingdom of Italy. We ate at an Italian restaurant, which charged each person for their seat ($8 per person), but the food was good. After we went around most of the central plaza, we returned to the hotel and went down the sauna. One of the grandpas and I were talking about soccer the whole time. We went from the World Cup to Riquelme, from Van Basten to the Champions League. 

Day 6:

This morning, we went back to the Milan Cathedral. However, we went on and inside the Cathedral. You might be curious about what I mean by “on.” You can buy tickets on the rooftop terrace, with an amazing view. From what I learned, the cathedral was ordered in the late 16th century and completed in 1965. Throughout the 17th century, construction was extremely stagnant due to arguments and debates on the style of the church. When Napoleon occupied Milan, he finished building the cathedral in around eight years. However, the extremely fast pace led to extremely shoddy work, which meant the top terraces of the cathedral were crumbling. The Kingdom of Italy ordered the fixing of the cathedral, and it was mostly completed. In World War 2, bombs were dropped on Milan, and the cathedral was partly damaged. However, the building stayed in shape. Finally, in 1965, a big bronze door was added to the cathedral, marking the end of its almost 400 years of construction. The giant bronze door has all the different stories of the cathedral’s construction engraved into it, such as the order to construct it and more. The view was beautiful, but the area was very crowded. We still had 30 minutes to explore Milan but didn’t know what to do. So we first rented and biked over to Sforzesco Castle then biked over to Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie, where Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is held. However, all the places were booked, so we had to leave. After we left, we went to Verona. Verona is the place where Romeo and Juliet were held and has fascinating traditions. When you get to the courtyard where the famous scene happens, you’re supposed to touch the breast of the statue of Juliet.

In Verona also lies a statue of the famous poet Dante Alighieri. He is well-known for writing in Italian rather than the upper-class Latin so that all could read, and he wrote the Inferno, Purgatorio, and the Paradiso. He mixed literary expressions with theology and created books such as Divine Comedy, thus creating three fabulous novels. After we headed back from Verona, we drove to Venice. Mom, Soccer Grandpa, Soccer Grandma, and I went to a pizza store at night. While the walk was long, it was worth it. The exercise made us even more hungry, so the food tasted extra delicious. The waitress was nice and gave us free bread. She said that pepperoni in Italy isn’t spicy sausage, but rather bell peppers. After we finished eating two pizzas with a lasagna, we walked back and spent the day.

Day 7:

Today, we had a new tour guide. He was nice, and his name was Huang. He knew a lot about Venice. He took over as a new guide once we got to Venice. The main part of Venice is on an island. The original island is about 7 kilometers squared, and after World War 2, 2 more square kilometers of island were artificially added. We started on the westernmost side of the island, or the artificial part. We hopped on a boat to travel to the bottom part. On the southern region, was San Marco Plaza. There was a lighthouse and Saint Mark’s Church on San Marco Plaza. We went to the Lighthouse, where we had a fantastic view of Venice. However, we didn’t go to the church because the line was at least a half-hour wait. There was a nice cafe nearby, where each seat was $6.

Additionally, the food was super expensive. A cappuccino was $12, and a sundae was $20. In general, everything on Venice Island was extremely overpriced. This is because Venice Island has no cars, so they have to ship the food and then cart it into the restaurant. While walking, I saw two buildings with a small canal flowing between them. It's nothing strange, considering there are many canals like this for gondolas, but a bridge connected them. The building on the left was nicknamed Heaven and was a court of law. The building on the right was called hell, a death row inmate prison. You'd cross over to hell on the bridge once you were sentenced to death in the courtroom.

Venice’s main symbol is the winged lion. There’s a statue that shows the two different outcomes of battle, victory, and defeat. One represents the victorious French, and one describes the defeated Venetians. To formally enter Venice, you must enter two big pillars leading to San Marco Plaza. After exploring most of Venice, we got on a boat and went through the river that splits the island. On the way, we saw so many different buildings and architecture. You definitely could tell the old buildings from the new ones. There was this one building that no one could enter, as all its owners died during the Bubonic Plague.

Day 8:

Today’s special is Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is a trendy tourist destination comprising five separate villages. It was about an hour north of our hotel, and then we had to take a train to get inside the village. We got extremely unlucky, and all the boat tours were booked. After doing nothing but photos, we took the train to the second village. The second village was much prettier. Keep going forward after you get off the train, and you’ll reach the cliffs. If you keep hiking up the mountain, you’ll have a fantastic view of the village and the sea. However, we again couldn’t get a boat tour booked. This time, we were beaten by 5 minutes. Extremely unfortunate, but we had to move on. If you don’t want to do much climbing, don’t go to the third village. To get anywhere, you must climb many flights of stairs. At the top of the hill, I took an hour-long nap. I think Cinque Terre had lots of potential, but we didn’t plan and did nothing. If you ever go, definitely plan if you want to do something. Afterward, we took a train back to La Spezia, and drove to Pisa. If you want to buy souvenirs, buy them from Pisa. They’re cheap. We purchased tickets to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Again, I recommend getting tickets beforehand so you don’t have to wait in line for tickets. We ate dinner at Kavarna Vinarna with soccer grandpa and grandma. If you go to Livorno, definitely try it out. Use the Apple Maps location because the Yelp one is slightly off. I recommend getting their bread. It’s not free, but it’s delicious. 

Day 9:

Florence is the city where the famous sculpture “David” by Michelangelo is located. Today is the last day we have with Guide Sun. In the morning, we left Livorno to go to Florence. Florence also has good T-Bone steak and Chinese food. The group split up, and Mom and I went to the Dante museum while soccer grandpa and grandma, the other grandma and grandpa, and the guide went to buy tickets for the Cathedral. The Dante Alighieri museum looked good when we got there, but just as we were about to purchase tickets, the others told us to return as they had reached the cathedral tickets. If you ever need to use the bathroom, just go to a coffee shop and buy a coffee. Otherwise, they wouldn’t let you use the bathroom. In the cathedral, I recommend you bring some spare change. If you donate a coin, you may take a candle and light it. Besides that, the dome is very pretty, and the church is free. However, if you want to go upstairs, which we didn’t, you must buy special tickets. Besides that, Trattoria dall’Oste is a wonderful steak place with an excellent selection of meat and other foods. After lunch, we headed out to the shop and left Florence. We then headed to Rome and had a good Chinese dinner at Old Chengdu to end the day.

Day 10:

No Guide Sun anymore. We had a guide, Liu today. Also, the other grandpa and grandma were leaving. First, in Rome, you’ll see lots of fountains with running water in a park or somewhere. It may seem like a waste of water to an outsider, but it’s a water fountain. The water is drinkable and good, but make sure to bring a water bottle. The correct technique is to dump the old water and fill the bottle. Also, with these fountains, be careful of thieves. Wear backpacks forwards and keep phones in your hands at all times. We went to the Spanish Steps, named after the Spanish embassy in the region,, and then to Trevi Fountain, which is extremely crowded. Be careful there because many thieves will steal phones. Fortunately, Trevi Fountain has an excellent Gelato Store nearby. I recommend the watermelon and tiramisu flavors. Finally, Guide Liu brought us to the monument of Vittorio Emmanuel II. Yes, the same one we saw in Milan. Emmanuel ordered a statue of him in every major city. To the left were a few statues of Emperor Trajan and Caesar Augustus. This was the old side of Rome. The pre-renaissance and SPQR Rome. We then rode the city bus, which I recommend you depend with a learning attitude and with a notebook because I didn’t get much down. Once we got back to the hotel, I fell asleep.

Day 11:

Today, we went to the Vatican City. The Vatican was established in 1929 under Mussolini to separate the church and politics. When you have a ticket, I recommend you arrive 20 minutes before the recommended arrival time (usually 20 minutes before the appointment). That way, there’s no room for error and plenty of pictures. Once we got there, we were assigned our group, and we were in a different country. Everything is stra,ightforward and the guide should help you on your way. Make sure to follow the guide always and don’t get lost; they usually have a flag. Mom got lost and ended up not going to Saint Peter’s Basilica. Ladies, make sure to wear shirts that cover shoulders and pants or dresses that cover knees. Otherwise, you are forbidden from entering any religious territory. 

During the Great Fire of Rome, caused by Emperor Nero, most of the city burned down. Nero used this to build a luxurious palace, but when people blamed him, he diverted the blame onto the Christians. Back then, apostles Peter and Paul were in Rome, and killed during the persecution. Peter was a Roman citizen, while Paul wasn’t, so he was quickly beheaded and buried rather than slowly tortured and forgotten about. Ever since Constantine’s time, the Pope was the leader of Christianity, and in 324, Saint Peter’s Basilica was finished. After the Roman Empire fell, the Pope ruled Rome for about a Millennia before being defeated in combat and being a political figurehead. In 1349, an earthquake destroyed the Pope’s residence, so he built a new palace by Saint Peter’s tomb. In 1929, an agreement between the papacy and Mussolini led to the pope coming to the palace and making the Vatican. The first part of the Vatican Museum, the archeological museum, has nothing to do with archeology but rather recycling. The material was found and put together. One example is a portrait with the face of a man and the bottom part of a table. There is also a tapestry room with tapestries by Raphael showing Jesus’s life. The Last Judgement, the most important part, is extremely complicated and complex. I will just share some details, but it’s recommended to go with a guide to see it in person. I'm at the bottom left; there’s a little black square. This is because the ceiling was cleaned. Back then, they had to use candles to see, and the smoke would dirty the roof. They left a little square to show you how dirty it was. The saints are naked because of a dispute on whether or not being naked is holy or not. Being naked originally showed openness and holiness, but after the Renaissance, the church started reconsidering. Eventually, they added scarves to the genital area except for the saints to leave a little example. There are definitely more things I’m not covering. However, there are still lots to talk about. The Basilica holds the corpse of many popes. Only the most important ones are showcased on the main level. The Basilica is quite enormous, but our tour ended then. On the way back, we took the city bus and went to Old Chengdu again.

Day 12:

Today, we visited the Pantheon, Colosseum, Roman Forum, and the Mouth of Truth. First, the pantheon. On the outside and inside, the Pantheon looks extremely average. However, Vittorio Emmanuel II’s tomb is in the Pantheon. Also, the dome gets thinner and thinner as it goes up, causing no rain to come through. We then took a small detour to the beautiful Piazza Navona before eating a quick lunch and going to the Colosseum. For kids, you will get a free ticket inside. Just ask someone at the front of the line, and they will direct you to it. I again recommend getting tickets online beforehand, not only to skip the line but see the faces of the ones waiting in line. Once inside, I suggest you follow the groups of people. They have tour guides and know what they’re doing. If you didn’t get a tour guide, that's fine. They have little iPods for you to listen to when someone explains the Colosseum. The Colosseum was built under the Flavian Dynasty and was used for three different things. In the morning, humans vs animals. During noon, public executions. And in the afternoon, gladiator combat. Gladiators were cared for and trained to make the fight as entertaining as possible. If a gladiator surrendered, the sponsor, usually the Emperor, would see whether or not the people found the gladiator's performance amusing. If the people did, they would give a thumbs up, and the gladiator would be spared. Otherwise, with a thumbs down, the gladiator would be left no quarter. Sometimes, the stadium would be flooded with boats, simulating a naval battle. Additionally, the stadium has a set of trapdoors and pulleys that would work like elevators, almost like summoning animals or humans out of nowhere.

Finally, the stadium was separated into three main parts. The closest for the senators and the upper class, the middle for the middle class, and the furthest for the lower class and women. After we left, we went to the Roman Forum. Kids, do not throw away or lose the ticket you were given to enter the Colosseum; you need that to get in the forum. The forum contains Palatine Hill, where Romulus chose to build Rome, and where it all started. If you’re not in the mood for walking, climb some stairs up the hill. Not only do you get a good view, but you don’t have to walk around the forum to see some good views. Finally, we went to the Mouth of Truth. The Mouth of Truth is a funny-looking carving that is a popular tourist attraction. On the way there, I discovered that Ameretto Gelato is the best in the world.