Rome via Brooklyn

DOUBLE POST.

Moussa & I left our Rome apartment at five in the morning on Saturday and started our first-ever train journey through Europe. We were half-asleep, backpacks ready, & already forgot that we had skipped out on breakfast. After a few quiet hours on the train watching the Italian countryside roll by, we arrived in Pisa around 10 AM.

At first, Pisa felt like a place you stop through just for one photo. But the city turned out to have way more to offer than just the Leaning Tower. The buildings were colorful and full of personality, the air felt clean, and the streets were calm but alive. Of course, we took the classic tower photos (we posed like we were holding it up) but we also explored the surrounding area. It was peaceful, and it gave off a very different energy than Rome. Less busy, less rushed, but still beautiful.

After spending a couple of hours there, we grabbed another train and headed to Florence. We arrived at about 1 PM and jumped right into the city’s energy. First stop was a quick shawarma to fuel up, and then we walked straight to the Duomo. Somehow, we ended up being the last people allowed in before they closed the doors for the day. Inside, the Duomo was massive and detailed in a way that made your neck hurt from looking up so much, but you couldn’t stop. Afterward, we went to a rooftop bar for the view. We do NOT drink, but we wanted the view, and left without drinks before anyone noticed. From that rooftop, the Duomo looked unreal. The terracotta roofs, the bell tower, the perfect blue sky it all looked like a postcard but better because we were living it.

Florence was buzzing with people, markets, artists, and music. We walked through the leather market, saw Michelangelo’s David, picked up some souvenirs, and treated ourselves to a plate of osso buco. The food was rich, tender, and full of flavor. The day did not slow down. We hiked the steep hill up to Boboli Gardens. It was honestly one of the hardest walks of the trip, but once we reached the top, we had an insane view of the whole city. Florence stretched out in all directions, golden in the late afternoon sun. Before ending our night, we crossed the Arno River and wandered through the quiet backstreets. The buildings glowed in that soft early evening light, and every corner felt like a painting.

The next morning, running on very little sleep, we packed up and caught an early train to Venice. Both of us crashed hard on the ride, trying to recover from the nonstop walking the day before. We woke up just in time to step off the train into something that felt like a dream. Venice is unlike any other city. There are no cars, just boats, canals, bridges, and narrow paths. We headed straight toward the city center and arrived at St. Mark’s Square ready to explore.

We started the day with some pasta, then hopped into a gondola for the full experience. Floating through the canals with the sound of water gently echoing off the buildings was unforgettable. Every building looked like it had a hundred stories. The gondolier pointed out churches and old palazzos, and the views were even better than we imagined. After the ride, we explored the streets on foot slipping through alleys, discovering tiny courtyards, and admiring all the color and life that the city holds. We saw people in full costume and Venetian masks that made the place feel medieval, like we had walked into another time.

Venice felt like a perfect ending to the weekend. It was calm, beautiful, and completely different from the cities we had just left (Also was both of our favorite city). Every place we visited had its own rhythm, its own energy, and its own charm. In just two days, we saw more than we expected, walked more than we planned, and experienced something we’ll probably talk about for years.