The Best Vacation I Ever Had, Essay Example

The saying goes “work and no play make Jack a dull boy”.  I always dreamt of an excursion to a very faraway country, but I never had the opportunity to do so. Last summer my dream came true! My father came home one evening very excited. “Dad, you look so happy and excited today. Have you won the lottery?” my elder sister, Edita, asked my father.  Edita came crashing into the kitchen where I was helping my mother prepare dinner, and she broke the news to us. “We are going to Italy in three days time,” she shouted, panting like a dog. She could not hide the excitement.

A two weeks vacation to Italy is just what I needed. The four of us; me, my mother, my father and my sister Edita agreed to visit Rome, Pisa, Florence and Venice. But why visit Rome? Why do many tourists visit Rome and never desire to leave? Tourists always speculate on the “fatal spell” of Italy, which causes people around the world desire to visit Italy. Is it just because as the saying goes that,  “All roads lead to Rome,” or is it  because of the appeal of the most classical civilization in the western world having its origins in ancient Rome and flourished in the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque? I had mixed feelings of excitement and confusion of what lay ahead. What if the airplane was hijacked in mid-air? What if we crashed in the sea? What a wonderful experience it would be to travel in an airplane? However, vacations are vital for stress relief, health and productivity, and that is exactly what I experienced last summer. Studies have shown that a majority of people do not take vacations often enough while others actually take their work along with them. A vacation enhances creativity, enhances our general feelings of wellbeing, improves our family bonds, as well as improving our health (Elizabeth Scott, 1).

We boarded a Delta Airlines direct flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Rome, Italy. We landed at the Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome approximately nine hours later. The flight across the North Atlantic Ocean was an experience I will always treasure. I had never thought I could be a victim of thalassophobia. I had this fear that we would crash into the sea. The flight was perfect; the cabin crew was very friendly and personal, making the long haul such an exhilarating experience. I wished Rome could have been further away. The timing of the vacation was perfect since we were to spend our vacation at a time when Italy was generally sunny and warm. I was mesmerized at the beauty that beheld my eyes; Rome is such a beautiful city. Once in Rome you experience kaleidoscopic ambiance every day. From the airport, we took a taxi to the B&B Basilica Square. We had booked the hotel for four days owing to the fact that Rome was our prime interest in the vacation. I was hungry and tired. Once inside the Hotel’s restaurant, I chose a simple but delicious bruschetta for my appetizer that was escorted by an indigenous before-dinner drink. The English speaking waiter took time trying explaining to me what bruschetta was and it’s origins. It was an indigenous Roman lamb dish, the best of lamb dishes I have yet had. My father, who will eat whatever, excitedly tried several of the indigenous dishes made with innards. His choice was the veal trotter in a temperate vegetable salad. My mother stumbled picking the wine pouring hot stew on her elegant skirt but the waiter came to her rescue. Edita could not make up her mind what to eat. She settled for some bruschetta just like me, after gazing at how I licked my fingers clean as I enjoyed mine.

The first place we visited was the coliseum. It is considered as one of the superlative works of Roman architecture and engineering; a wonderful spectacle to behold. For the four days we stayed at the B&B Basilica Square, I could hear the lions roar at night as they fought it out with the gladiators! Or was it another dream?  We visited such wonderful places such as the St Peter’s Basilica. I saw the “Pieta” sculpture done by the famous artist Michelangelo between 1498 and 1500, Basilica di San Pietro, and the Sistine Chapel; which was painted by Michelangelo in the 16^th century. We also had the privilege to visit the Capitoline Museums founded in 1471, Galleria Borghese, the Pantheon that dates back to 27 B.C, Castel Sant’ Angelo, the Catacombs; where ancient Christians were buried. The ancient spa baths of Terme di Caracalla, the Piazza di Spagna, and the Piazza Navona. I had this funny feeling, like I once bathed in the spas in the ancient times. “I think I was here in the ancient times”, I told my Dad. He almost stumbled into the spa as he laughed out loud.

The tours could not be complete fun without visiting the ancient fountains, such as the Fontana dei Barcaccia, Fontana dei Fiumi, and Fontana dei Tritone. There are also the ancient palaces such as Palazzo dei Quirinale, and Palazzo Montecitorio that used to be the residences of kings and popes. Some shopping and visits to the famous fashion streets of Via Condotti, Via Borgognona and Via Frattina was our last tour in Rome.

We left Rome and headed to Florence on a train. We arrived at the Santa Maria Novella Station and took a taxi to the De Lanzi Hotel. Piazza del Duomo was our first tour destination. Here we visited the Florence Cathedral with the Cupola del Brunelleschi, Florence Baptistery, the Giotto’s Campanile, the Loggia del Bigallo, the Arcivescovile and Canonici’s palace as well as the Opera del Duomo Museum. We were lucky to visit the Uffizi Gallery at a time when there was an exhibition. My sister, Edita, was left behind admiring an ancient Leonardo da Vinci painting and got lost in the crowds. We found her an hour later in the lobby. Imagine a twenty eight year old lady crying like a baby. Florence has some of Italy’s finest museums, gorgeous churches and cathedrals, and attractive streets and squares with stylish buildings and shops. In Florence we visited the Santa Croce Church where we saw the Galileo’s Tomb and some of the ancient telescopes as well as Michelangelo’s Tomb. We also visited The Battistero; a huge gothic cathedral built in the 4^th century, the Boboli Gardens, and the Branccacci Chapel. However, the tour of Florence was not as captivating as the tour of Rome. I longed to go back to Rome.

From Florence we headed to Pisa by train. In Pisa, we stayed at the La Pace hotel. This hotel is located fifty five yards from Pisa’s train station and a mere fifteen minute walk from the Leaning Tower. Our first destination was the leaning tower. The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre Pendente) is in fact synonymous with Pisa. I found it difficult to comprehend how it has continued to remain in that position for over seven hundred years. In Pisa, we also visited the Holy Field (Camposanto) and the Knights’ Square (Piazza dei Cavalieri), which is abundant with medieval character. The Piazza dei Cavalieri can be said to be dominated by the Palazzo dei Cavalieri, which was initially the command center of the Tuscan Knights of St. Stephen.  There are a host of gorgeous monuments in Pisa and also several other towers that are not really upright. I found it a rather weird city but full of warm people.

We left Pisa for Venice on train as usual. Venice was our last destination in the two week vacation of Italy. We stayed at The Hotel Castello. Venice has amazingly beautiful waterfront locations. We had boat trips around the Venetian Lagoon and gondola rides down the canals. This offered us  a peaceful and trouble-free way to view many famous attractions. It gave me an opportunity to practice photography with a camera I bought in Pisa. It gave me memories of splendor  attractions, such as the Gloriosa dei Frari, Basilica di Santa Maria, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.

I could not imagine going back to Atlanta at the end of the two weeks. I should attribute this fact to the “fatal spell” of Italy that I encountered. We boarded a flight back to Atlanta via Frankfurt, an eleven hours journey covering a distance of 7900 km. What a vacation! What an experience! One can only travel to these places to know what it is like.

Works Cited

Elizabeth Scott: Stress Management the Importance of Vacations, For Stress Relief, Productivity and HealthAbout.com Guide. 2010 viewed 12 May 2010 from http://www.vacationbetter.org/content1213