Couple of Guys with a Map: Florence + Venice Power Rankings

Arrived in Florence running on fumes and Magellan (Goose) explained, “Yep, just a quick mile walk to our hostel!” The trek was 3 miles of 95 degree weather and simultaneous near-vomiting and passing out into a river. Reached the hostel and it was closed, because when Italy/Europe doesn’t want to work, well, they just don’t do it. Or sleep. Will and Kinz immediately attempted to scale the hostel walls for access to no avail.

A half-hour later we were in to our lovely new abode where I instantly nearly ripped the doorframe off the bathroom door. Good times. Went and saw Florence, plenty of art, ate copious amounts of unfairly good food, watched Bruno Alves request a death sentence via a missed penalty kick for Portugal in a Spanish bar, and hung out on top of a mountain overlooking the city for the night. Pretty surreal.

Hostel – 5

Another misfire. After waiting for a half hr and getting let in only to find that we couldn’t check in, we changed out of our sweatiness in a dirty bathroom the size of an airplane lavatory. During Becca’s turn as the gentlemen awaited, the hostel manager standing by a window next to us let out one of the most barbaric displays of social incompetence of all time – this fart absolutely destructed our ear drums and nostrils simultaneously and got us all super pumped to be staying there that night. Lovely.

Food – 9.75

Ate panini’s cooked by Matt Dillon’s dopple-ganger and followed it with a calzone the size of a small dog. Pretty much couldn’t go wrong with that.

Thanks Matt!

Sites – 8

Probably weren’t there long enough, but after 3 days in Rome among some of the most amazing art and churches ever produced, the experience was slightly overshadowed. Sorry Florence.

Florence, brought to you by www.huskguys.com

Best Site – Statue of David – 8.5

Pretty epic piece of art, and David has so much swagger I can’t even stand it. He apparently decided he was going to slay a giant ravaging the countryside with just rocks and no clothing on. No armor, no clothes, just rocks. Power move.

I am an illegal picture SHARK.

Night life – 8

Again weren’t there long enough to experience but the Spanish bar Salamanca was cool, and spending one last night with all 7 here overlooking all of Florence was pretty fake life. I’ll take it.

A solid 39.25 overall.

Venice

Becca was incredibly close to pulling the “Guys, go on…I’ve found my place” line – the city is a romantic hotspot that every girl ever drools over. Definitely one of the most amazingly constructed cities ever. Magellan almost walked strait into a canal at one point when walking while looking at his phone (probably checking Twitter). Got lost for a couple hours and loved it, went out to watch the suave Italian national team take down Germany’s well-oiled efficient machine with some rowdy Italian locals and “celebrated” with about 29 normal BC kids studying abroad and 1 loser BC friend of mine, Matt Awkward. Good times.

Hostel – 7

Good location, but paying for WiFi was dumb and for some reason we slept next to some 4 year olds, which made us feel extremely perverted and awkward at once. “Quiet, don’t wake the little kids,” just felt weird.

Food – 7

Pretty much just tourist food because the general populace of Venice is made of retired tourists and Gondola drivers wearing awesome outfits. Tom and Will each had fish that we are pretty sure were caught in a nearby canal, thrown on the grill and just presented as such. The result:

Two different approaches here. Will savaged the intestines, Tom's ended up in the Prado.

Sites – 10

Can’t imagine how annoying it is to live in a city where a wrong turn leads you off a ledge into a canal, but for the casual tourist it’s totally amazing. Will declared this his favorite city and Becca her future home, so that pretty much says where we’re at.

Best Site – the canals – 8.5

Didn’t really do too many sites except San Marco, but we’ve already previously concluded that Italy really really likes God and every church there is better than America’s best church. Every time. The canal views were awesome every time though. I want to work as a gondola man.

Nightlife – 9

Watched Italy-Germany outside in a plaza which was gratifyingly rowdy, and the ensuing celebration for Italia was cool to be a part of. A big tradition at Madigan’s Pub is to write what school you are from and the bartender posts it behind the bar. Although BC already had 6 up and completely dominated the wall, my requests to take down and light the Notre Dame and BU signs were stymied despite my tip offerings, which, needless to say, was my main knock for the nightlife power ranking.