Prague

From Venice, we flew to Prague where we stayed with two friends from UNCW who were studying in the city.

The Old Town Square in Prague, with the Easter Market. The Square was littered with food stalls that were built for Easter, selling street weiners, mulled wine, beer, chimney cakes, candy, and so much more.

One of the various street performers that we saw walking through the vibrant city.

The famous John Lennon Wall, where the Czechs have created Lennon-inspired graffiti since the 1980s when they were still controlled by the Communist regime. The wall was a source of bother for the Communists, and upon the fall of their power, the wall has become a symbol of Czech freedom, love, and peace.

The Cathedral in the Prague Castle, where the new democratic leaders live (like the White House). Since Prague was spared by bombing in both World Wars, all of the original architecture is still standing in its glory.

Venice

From Florence, we headed to Venice.

This was the view from our Vaporetto (water taxi) the first morning on our way from our hostel into the main part of town.

St. Mark's Square early in the morning when the fog was out, which kept tourist levels low. A good view of St. Mark's Basilica and Tower from across the huge plaza.

One of the many stores selling the traditional masks of Venice. The masks originated from the Venetian Carnival, and are worn at many occasions throughout the year at gatherings.

Looking down one the many channels, with the typical flat-bottomed boats. Many houses have doors that are directly on the canal so they can be accessed from boats.

Once the sun came out, the canals showed their true beauty. In residential neighborhoods, people strung their laundry out to take advantage of the sun.

This was the island of Murano, which is known as The Glass Island. Mostly a residential neighborhood, Murano also houses the workshops of the glass masters of Venice, who produce their famous Murano glass art. 

The Bridge of Sighs. This connected the Doge's Palace to the New Prison, and was named because the view through the marble shutters would be the last thing that convicts would see before imprisonment.

Another canal, but this time with the traditional Gondolas moving down the narrow canal. Gondola operators must make good money, as the minimum price for a half hour is $80!

A view of some of the lesser-known Venetian islands from the top of St. Mark's Tower. The views were incredible, and you could easily see all the hustle and bustle on the canals and in the streets as well. It gave a true sense of how Venice truly is an island.

In the late afternoon when the sun came out, the colors of the streets and the canal really started to pop.

Florence

After Naples, we took an overnight bus to Florence for a day. What I had expected to be a stop-through ended up being one of my favorite cities, with a very relaxed vibe and tight, neat streets.

The famous Duomo Cathedral's dome, which was built by Brunelleschi in the 1400s. It remains the largest structure in Florence.

David. This is the original marble statue by Michelangelo housed in the Academia, which was a museum built almost for the sole purpose of housing the statue. In person, its easy to understand why it is hailed as the most anatomically perfect statue ever to be sculpted. Very impressive and worth the entry fee for the otherwise bland Academia! 

The famous Golden Bridge, which is named for its jewelry stores that give it a golden glow. Every shop has a yellow/gold store window to display their jewels, and the bridge is lit up from either side, particularly on a grey day like this.

This is the view from Michelangelo's Plaza overlooking the city, where you can see all of the landmarks, as well as the river flowing through the town. From here you get a sense of the massive size of the Duomo. 

Capri

Naples is really very close to the island of Capri, so we took a day trip out to check out the island.

Views of some of the cliffs and the blue water.

Josh and our moped which we shared in order to get around the island faster. Driving a moped on the tiny streets was pretty hectic.

More views of Capri's limestone cliffs and perfectly clear water.

An overlook of the port and the town center, as well as a view of the mainland. The headland that is in view is Sorrento, which is the start of the Amalfi coastline.

Pompeii/Naples

After Rome, we took a quick bus to Naples, where we stayed for two days and explored the surrounding area and a bit of the city.

Some of the initial ruins in Pompeii with a view of Vesuvius looming in the background.

Pompeii is not so much a quick tourist destination as it is a city. Since the city of 13000 people was entirely buried and preserved, it sprawls out like any mid-sized town would today. The streets are windy and maze-like, and without a plan, it can be difficult to see everything that you want to see.

This is the large amphitheater of the city, where politicians and others would come to speak. The white stones are the original marble that was found in the excavation. The amphitheater has great acoustics.  

This is the original doorstep into one of the thousands of houses in Pompeii, and the mosaic depicts a dog and reads "Beware of Dog".

Some examples of the artifacts that are on display in a huge holding facility. The ancient anchor, statues, and carvings are very average artifacts for the area. 

From the famous "Garden of the Fugitives", where 13 individuals attempted to flee during the eruption and asphyxiated from the ash. The bodies were preserved, and these plaster casts were made during excavation of the bodies of the women and children. 

The chaotic and windy streets of Naples, the dirtiest city that we saw in Italy. A bit of a sketchy place, but was very unique.

Rome

After France, I flew into Rome and met up with Josh from UNCW, and we began 10 days of travelling through Europe. We had one day in Rome to explore.

Here you can see the remnants of an ancient aqueduct in the center of the frame. This photo was taken in the Roman Forum, which is an area of archaeological work that has revealed the ancient Roman Forums where politicians would stay and socialize.

This is the view from the Forum of the Coliseum, with a good view of the line to get in. The line was two hours long, so we didn't get to go into the Coliseum, but the views from the Forum were good enough for us. Since we visited on Easter weekend, the crowds were extra severe.

This is the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope, and the site of sermons to Saint Peter's Square, which is directly behind from where I took this picture. Once again, due to it being Easter weekend, security levels were high and crowds were massive, so we didn't have time to see the Sistine Chapel or the Basilica from inside.

 This is the Trevi Fountain, one of the largest fountains in the world, and the largest in Rome itself. Here, there is a large tradition of throwing coins over the right shoulder for luck, which generates about 3000 euros a day.

This is the Pantheon, which is the site of an original building from 27 BC that was rebuilt around 126 AD. It contains tombs of two Roman Kings and the builder Rafael, as well as functioning as a Catholic church.

Oh Franceee

For the first week of my 3 week long spring break, I travelled to Hossegor/Capbreton in the South of France for a week of surf and relaxation. Hossegor and Capbreton are two of the most prestigious surf towns in Europe, and have some of the most consistent and perfect waves in Europe. The area sucks in all available swell via a submarine canyon that funnels swell directly onto the beaches in the area. In the winter and spring, the surf can be wild and the weather awful, so we lucked out entirely with smallish waves and perfect weather all week.

This is one of the only pictures that I took of the 3 days of really good surf that we got, all the other times I was way too excited to take pictures. This is down the street from my hostel in Capbreton, at a spot called La Piste. Such a good sandbar.

Sunset on the first night of surf, looking towards Northern Spain and the Pyrenees mountain range in the distance through the clouds and rain.

The daily routine. French breakfast of baguettes, ham, cheese, cereal, and loads of coffee, then bike 2 miles down to Hossegor to go and surf La Graviere. La Grav sucked in all available swell (1 ft at 12 secs) and peaked it into perfect waist to chest high peaks. 

The view of the most chill hostel in the planet. Board and bike room on the left, outdoor shower, and the coolest aesthetic around. For $35 a night!

Little mural of the late Andy Irons on the back of a building in Hossegor town center. The town is steeped in surf culture, with WSL offices, European headquarters of every big brand, and a strong competitive environment. Hossegor lives and breathes surf.

A sunset over the bunkers at Capbreton on one of the last nights. The bunkers were originally built on the top of the dunes by the Germans in WWII after they had invaded and occupied France. Over time, the dunes receded and the bunkers fell into the sea, where they remain half buried and heavily graffitied.

Standing atop one of the bunkers looking South.

This is the most iconic of the bunkers, as it has managed to flip entirely and now rests pointing straight up. Many of the bunkers can still be entered and explored where sand hasn't filled entrances or exits.