Hetal Chirag
During our final exams of mechanical engineering at McMaster University, Canada, we decided to go on a month long Euro-trip covering Switzerland, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands and Germany. I still remember planning the trip at 2 am while taking breaks from studying and searching for hostels and rental cars.
When I look back and think about how much fun we had in Europe, I am so glad I decided to go on that trip before starting the next chapter of my life. I urge all students to save some money during their college lives and explore the world. Travelling with a free state of mind during your student life can be a life changing experience. I don’t remember how many straight A’s I got in college, but I can never forget the crazy things we did in Europe.
After travelling through Spain, we rented a car to explore Italy. If you love art, history and architecture, you must visit Florence at least once in your lifetime. You literally cannot walk a few meters without coming across something with historic significance. It’s the only city in the world where you do not even have to step inside a museum or an art gallery to witness the beauty of the Italian Renaissance.
Even if you go for a casual walk around the city, you will come across carefully crafted fountains, intricately designed statues and colourful architectures filled with impressive details. You would need at least a few days to fully admire what the city has to offer. There is just so much to see, do and eat once you enter Florence.
When we were in Florence, we visited the famous Florence Cathedral located within the Piazza del Duomo. Before invention of modern building technics, the dome of this cathedral was considered the largest in the world. In fact, the Florence Cathedral is currently the fourth largest Cathedral in the world. We also went to the top of the cathedral to check out the fascinating view of the city. The ceiling of the dome is decorated with the paintings portraying the Last Judgement by renowned artists Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccaro.
