My first year in Europe came around to be a really interesting with finishing my first year of studies at the Royal Art Academy and joining my best friend Tobias and Michael on a road trip to Italy for the summer holidays. Planning for the trip started months before summer even arrived but nothing concrete was made or set till a few weeks till the day we had to leave. Like booking hotels, looking for camping sites and most importantly for us, the best place to find amazing food.

I was the first one to have free time on my hands after school officially closed for the holidays and had to wait two weeks by also doing some bartending work and a day before the scheduled departure, Tobias and Michael also got some days off work. With the boys free from work and some camping items purchased, we were ready to get on the road. Spent a few minutes packing a bag and my equipment (my camera and laptop) I was ready. Loaded all the things we needed into the car by midnight and we rested for the next three hours and we were on the road minutes after Tobias and Michael woke up.

After about forty five minutes of driving from Amersfoort, we were crossing the unmarked border between Netherlands and Germany. I dozed off at this point and woke up after a few hours. We continued the journey and around ten o’clock we had arrived in Basel, Switzerland where we made a stop for breakfast at McDonalds :) We continued the trip and I really enjoyed seeing the beautiful country that is Switzerland. The beautiful landscapes were breathtaking and Tobias suggested we took the bypass through the Alps rather than going through the tunnel and yes, that was an amazing suggestion.

We spent about an hour resting and taking in the freshest air and looking at the amazing landscapes around. I would love to see the Swiss Alps more and maybe do some hiking and capture some nature images - soon when I can afford it :p…

The journey continued and we arrived at our first destination, Vicopisano, just to spend the night in a lovely B&B, La Casa Del Castello. The next morning we were officially ready to explore Italy, a country that has left a powerful mark on Western culture. Home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, high art and monuments are found everywhere in the country. With limited time we picked places that interested me mostly and we tried to see all of them.

First we headed to Livorno, a port city on the west coast of Tuscany. It's known for its seafood, Renaissance-era fortifications and modern harbor with a cruise ship port. Its central Terrazza Mascagni, a waterside promenade with checkerboard paving, is the city's main gathering place. We decided to camp around Livorno as it became clear it was central to all the places we wanted to go to- so we found a camp site and put up our tents and set up a barbecue and later went for a walk along the coast. The sunset was one I had really missed came close to one of the best I had ever seen in Cape Town, South Africa.

It’s a Tuesday morning, we woke up to the sound of the beach, great weather and new energy to go sight seeing, or as I call it touristing :) We pulled out a map and decided to start our adventure in the city of Siena and as it was a hot day finish it off at the white beaches of Cecina.

Siena is a city in the Tuscany region, the fan-shaped central square, Piazza del Campo, and that is where we ventured off to first. The square was really packed with visitors who were mostly making selfies with the tower behind them and some taking a rest in the shade the tower had cast down. We grabbed a Tuscany famous panini we all have forgotten the name of since we were so excited to get it in our bellies but I think for me it was more for the fact that I mostly did not really get the pronunciations of the lovely lady’s Italian accent, so I repeat after her with my eyes solely fixed on the panini. Don’t blame me, I was hungry and I am actually terrible at remembering names :p

Made some pictures of the Palazzo Pubblico, a palace in the Piazza Del Campo which serves as the seat of the Republic of Siena’s government. We walked the square and also made selfies like every tourist and went on to see what else was in the city. The Duomo di Siena lies in a piazza above the Piazza del Campo, a great Gothic building filled with treasures by Pisano, Donatello and Michelangelo as well as frescoes by Pinturicchio. The exterior of the cathedral is pretty impressive, and since we didn’t want to spend a lot of time in Siena, we did not go inside and just enjoy the outside.

Taking a drive break in Volterra

Next on the list of places to see was Pisa, the city best known for its iconic Leaning Tower. Already tilting when it was completed in 1372, the 56m white-marble cylinder is the bell tower of the Romanesque, striped-marble cathedral that rises next to it in the Piazza dei Miracoli. It was a really hot day and we didn’t spent too much time looking at the tower and the Cathedral (was interested in going into the cathedral as the next available time slot was two hours away and I was particularly eager for our next stop). Oh and before I forget, There were A LOT of visitors here too and everyone was without seeing the image they were trying to make, awkwardly striking a pose that was hilarious. Me and Tobias gave a few people high-fives once their hands were up in the position as if they were holding the leaning tower in place. Personally, i found the architecture of the Cattedrale di Pisa most impressive.

Florence, capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. The Galleria dell'Accademia displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture. The Uffizi Gallery exhibits Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation.” All the sculptures my Art History teacher Ingrid had talked about and showed pictures of Michelangelo’s “David” status was right there and I did really appreciate the marvel of it. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was finally there in front of me and I will admit I never imagined the scale of it. By far, it is the biggest cathedral I have ever seen and the architecture was all a mixture of Gothic architecture, Renaissance architecture, Gothic Revival architecture, Italian Gothic architecture and no doubt, The "Duomo" dominates the skyline of Florence.