232_s1 본문읽기 15

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Who in Rome could miss out on a chance to visit Vatican City, the place where the Pope lives? It is known as the smallest state in the world. In fact, it takes only thirty minutes to walk from one border to the other! I was overwhelmed, however, by the collection of sculptures and paintings in the Vatican Museums. The Creation of Adam, one of Michelangelo's masterpieces, on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, still lingers in my mind. Although I knew photographs are not allowed, the masterpiece was so impressive that I almost took one. After looking around, we walked out to see many people lined up in front of a small store where green apple gelato was served. Suji convinced me to wait in line for over twenty minutes saying that it would be worth it. She was right: the gelato was out of this world.

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After a couple of more days in Rome, we headed to Venice. The seaside city was a lot more romantic than Rome, but a lot more humid as well. Suji said she had to visit a friend, so she suggested that I explore the city on my own for a few hours. We could meet up at the train station later in the afternoon.

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I decided to go to the Rialto Bridge first, so I started walking. Within moments, the winding alleys made my map almost useless. After some wandering, I was lucky enough to meet a group of tourists my age from Britain. They were headed to the Rialto Bridge too! The bridge itself was as elegant as people say it is, but I was more impressed by the beautiful view of the canal from the steps of the bridge. I said goodbye to my British friends and walked to St_ Mark's Square, one of the prime attractions of Venice. I had never seen so many pigeons in my life. They were so used to being around people that they would wait until people weren't paying attention and then steal their crackers! But what truly made me stop and stare in wonder were the beautiful buildings surrounding all three sides of the square. Along the buildings were shops selling beautiful glass pieces, gloves, and much more. After looking around for a while, I bought small glasses for my parents.

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My trip to Venice would not be complete without a gondola ride along the Grand Canal, which snakes through the city in a large S shape. I was disappointed to find out the fare to ride the Grand Canal by myself was so expensive that I could not afford it. The moment I was turning back, I saw my British tourist friends walking toward the ticket office. We shared the fare and we commented on the unique differences of the buildings along the canal. We had a nice chat, took some great pictures, and exchanged email addresses before we got off the gondola.

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My trip to Italy was definitely an experience of a lifetime. I hope my next trip can be to England to visit my British friends. People say that the world is a book, and that those who do not travel read only one of the pages in it. So far, I have read two pages. I hope I have opportunities to read many more pages.