Holidays and Roma!

Holidays! This week we had a one week holiday, and it's also week five, half way through my exchange trip....:(
On Tuesday we went to see my parents, who were staying in Rosenheim. We picked them up and went for a drive to Austria and on the way back we showed them around the area and then went back to Georg's house for Mittagsessen. After Mittagsessen we showed them around Georg's farm and the cow halls. We then went to a Cake shop called Wiklstüberl. The cakes there are massive and you can't eat the pieces in one sitting, but the cakes were some of the best I have ever tried before. We left to go back to Großkaro feeling full and a little bit sick, but it was worth it.

View from Kufstein Fortress

Wednesday we went to Kufstein in Austria. Once we arrived there we went to Kufstein Fortress. They are unsure when the Fortress was built but it was first mentioned in a document in 1205. The Fortress was conquered in 1504 as well as the city by Emperor Maximilian I. We had a look around the inner city afterwards and then caught the train back to Großkaro. That afternoon my parents were invited to Kathi's house for afternoon tea. It was nice and we all had a good time.

Thursday we rode to Kolbormoor to the Ice Creamery and then to Bad Aibling. The weather was cold and a little bit wet but it was a nice long ride. That night we went to Kolbormoor again with Georg's family, my parents and Kathi. It was my parents' last night in Rosenheim so we all went out to Wokparadies, a Chinese restaurant where you pay 15€ and you can eat as much as you want. You can choose some food and they will cook it right in front of you or you can take some of the already cooked food. It was a great night.  Leaving at about 2100, we dropped my parents at their Hotel and went back to Großkaro. Josh stayed at Georg's house that night because the next day, Josh, Georg, my parents and I were flying to Rome!

Altare della Patria

Friday... I woke up feeling excited and ready to go to Rome, but I had to pack first because I hadn't done so the day before... So after packing everything and having Frühstück we were all ready to drive to the Airport in Munich. After getting to the Airport, checking in, going through security and then flying to Rome, being driven to our hotel, we were finally there. That afternoon we all went for a walk. We first went to Fontana di Trevi, then we kept walking and saw, Tempio Adriano, the Pantheon, Palazzo Madama and then went on to see the Piazzo Navona. We had Dinner in the square there and then walked back to our Hotel passing all those sights again.
                                                                                                                        

Saturday we went to Vatican city. It was weird to see

Fontana di Trevi

another country within a country. Vatican has its own Police and own Bishop, being the Pope.  We had to go through security to get in to the city. Once we got there we had a tour around the Museum and then the Sistine Chapel, which is one of the most amazing pieces of art work I have ever seen, it was 'mind boggling' to see the extent of hard work and skill that went into painting it. Spending a good half an hour or so in there it was time to leave and go on to see St Peter's Basilica, the biggest Church in the world and it was big. I could have spent ages in there but sadly we had to leave because our tour was coming to an end. The tour ended and we headed back to our Hotel, then Josh, Georg and I walked around the area near our Hotel, later we went for Dinner. Sunday was our second last day in Rome. We went on a tour Bus around Rome. We went to places such as, Barberni-Via Veneto, Porta Maggiore, S. Maria in Trastevere, Fori Romani, Campo De' Fiori, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and the Colosseum. Everything we saw was amazing, mainly the Architecture made me so amazed. My favourite thing we saw that day was the Colosseum. It was a place I really wanted to go and it was awesome. The Architecture and the size of it was unreal.

Colosseum

Monday we left Rome and flew back to Munich. We said our Goodbyes to my parents who were flying to Frankfurt and flying back home on Wednesday and caught the train back to Großkaro.  We dropped Josh back home, because we have school again tomorrow.

Rome was a great experience, and we all had a great time there. I can't wait to go back there when I'm older.

Ciao, Matt