This summer I had the privilege of traveling all across Europe with my family. My mom, dad, sister, and I began our trip in Rome, Italy. The first landmark we visited on our trip was the Sistine Chapel. There were hundreds of people there and we all had to squeeze into the museum to see the iconic ceiling. For me, the view was worth the wait. We spent a few more days in Rome, visiting the Villa Borghese and shopping for a large part of our stay.
Our next stop was Florence, Italy. We took a two hour long train ride to the beautiful city. Our first day in Florence involved exploring the city streets and traveling by bus to various landmarks. The apartment we stayed in was directly across from the Piazza del Duomo and the view was amazing. On our second day in Florence we rented a car and drove through the beautiful streets of Tuscany. We saw small towns throughout and explored little shops as well. Tuscany was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.
Venice was next on the trip. We took another train from Florence to Venice and stayed in Venice for only one day. However, the day was well spent. We went to the island of Murano, the ‘Glass Island’ of Venice. Once our day in Venice was complete, we boarded a cruise ship set for the islands of Greece. Our cruise was six days long and consisted of many Greek islands and the Croatian city of Dubrovnik. The beautiful cities in Greece were fun to walk around and explore.
Back in Venice, my best friend and student at Santaluces, Milica Markovic was waiting with her mom for my family and I to return. While my parents and sister flew back home to Florida, I stayed with Milica and her mom for around two more weeks. We stayed back in Venice for one more day and prepared for our plane ride and overnight train to Belgrade, Serbia. The train ride was around eight hours long; we left the station at eight o’clock in the evening and arrived in Serbia in the morning. We stayed in Serbia for six more days, filling our time relaxing in our apartment, shopping, watching movies, and walking around the park.
On our last days of vacation we flew to Paris, France; we stayed in Paris for around five days. The first attraction we saw was the Louvre, which anyone 18-years-old and younger can get in free with proper identification. Milica and I enjoyed the beautiful sculptures and paintings that filled the Louvre. Afterwards, we went to a carnival that was in town and sat by fountains to cool down. The shopping centers in Paris were huge, they filled the streets and allowed for hours of exploration. One of my favorite parts of the trip was traveling to Disneyland Paris for the day. Milica and I are big Disney fans and we were very excited to see an entirely new Disneyland together. On our final day, we sat underneath the Eiffel Tower in the evening.
My European vacation during the summer of 2019 was a life changing experience. I got to explore different cultures and immerse myself in them. I learned about different foods, music, and entertainment first hand. My family travels frequently but this last trip has been one of my favorites to date.
