Spring break!

So we had quite the whirlwind Spring break tour...Dublin, Venice, Florence, and Rome.  Dublin was absolutely amazing, despite the fact that it was kind of expensive.  It's got a more European feel than London, which seemed pretty American.  We did a day tour of the countryside (Wicklow and Glendalough), which was beautiful.  We went to where Braveheart and P.S I Love You were filmed and then had lunch at a carvery in Wicklow.  We also went to the ruins of St. Kevin's Monastery in Glendalough.  Pretty cool.  Here's a pic of Guinness lake...looks like we photoshopped ourselves in.  

Venice was cool as well--quite the experience only being surrounded by water.  It's definitely the most confusing city I've ever been in--we got lost quite a few times.  Our hostel was an old palace, so there were ornate wall hangings and paintings and canopy beds everywhere.  Plus we got free breakfast AND dinner--a great deal.  It's definitely the coolest hostel we have stayed in so far.  

Florence was my favorite city in Italy...home to the world's best gelato, aka Grom and Gelateria de Neri.  Per the suggestion of one of my friends who studied in Florence last semester, we went to Trattoria de Anita.  Honestly, the best pasta I have ever eaten--the waiter worked his magic with the cook and let us have the famous truffle sauce, despite the fact it's not served usually at lunch. 

Rome was great as well--we did a walking tour so we really got the history of the city.  The Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, the 

Roman Forum, the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica, St. Maria Maggiore....the list goes on.