Better Internet in Rome!

YAY for better interwebs!!!

Now for a post that is actually in the right order and without gigantic pictures.

Wayne and I arrived in Rome this evening and are surfing the webs at our hostel, Legends.  I love it for a number of reasons. 1) epic name 2) close to train station 3) no bridges to climb between train station and hostel 4) decent internet.  Though I did like having our own room at Hotel Bernaardi's in Venice.

Yesterday in Venice, we began with a tour led by an Australian girl who is living in Venice with her boyfriend who is studying modern art.  The tour started at Piazza San Marco and then went around a bit to the Rialto Bridge.  Kathleen took us off the beaten path a bit to the old Red Light district.  It was nice to get away from the tourists for a bit.  She knew a lot of the history for having only lived there a year.  What I found most interesting was the change in rule over Venice.  It flipped between Austrian and Italian influence.  Also, most everything in Venice is stolen.  You'll see proof in some pictures.

Afterwards, we had pizza for lunch.  It was good, but thin.  I think I've decided I like thicker crust pizzas.  As we wandered back over to Piazza San Marco to go inside Basilica di San Marco, we were stopped by some gondoliers and decided we should do the Venice tourist thing and go for a gondola ride.  The boat ride was an experience.  Our gondolier was very nice and shared with us some details of the business.  It's typically a family thing that passes from father to son.  The license is held by a family and the gondoliers attend a 2 year school where they learn the practical parts as well as languages.  They typically learn English, French, German, and Spanish.  I barely know 2 and these guys are fluent in 5! Incredible.  They also have amazing skills navigating the boats through the water.  Making hairpin turns and stopping at the perfect positions, I was very impressed.

Wayne and I then navigated our way back to San Marco's and hopped in line for the Basilica.  Good thing the line wasn't long because we had to get out of it and put away our bags and cover our legs.  Apparently my hoodie wrapped loosely around my waist was enough.  The inside of the cathedral was beautiful.  Every surface was carefully planned with some sort of meaning-- murals and carvings, gold and marble.  Too bad we didn't take pictures.  They "weren't allowed" but people were anyways.  The Cathedral was originally the Duke's personal and was right next door to his palace.

On our way back to the hostel to cool off, we grabbed some gelato. Good stuff.  We had dinner next door to the hostel; I had a Spritz and some Gnocchi and we then strolled around the city again.  This time instead of seeing the Rialto bridge and Grand Canal lit up at night, we headed back to San Marco's.  There were a number of bands playing at restaurants and the square looked beautiful with the night lights.  The vendors selling glowing  helicopter things, had a cool effect as they launched at staggered times.

Today, we basically just got on train and came to Rome.  It's our chill day so we haven't done much yet except have dinner.  My lasagna was good.

Here are pictures with better descriptions and in chronological order and not crazy sizes.

Milan

Outside Zebra Hostel in Milan

Botswana sending me signs to return

Scooters... typical Italy

Duomo di Milano, under construction.  This is a common theme on large structures that we see.

Getting excited for the Olympics!

Almost at the Last Supper

Science and Techonology Museum

Ode to Steve Jobs

Crazy clocks

Yay for being a nerd!

Some double bonding in there

Castello Sforzesco

Not sure where they were off to

So many Asian tour groups every where!!!

cemented chairs... OK

Italians tanning in the park.

Needing to cool off

Street cars were all over Milan

International row??

Break Dancers

Walking by Duomo di Milano again and the Olympic excitement

Venice

And backdoors that go to the canal

Train into the city

Gelato!!!

Alleyways are actually side streets.  No cars = smaller streets

I miss Disney stores

Ponte di Rialto, one of the 4 bridges that crosses the main canal

Grand Canal

Gondolier attire

Famous glass company

Giant nutella jars!!

Official  clock of Venice

Piazza San Marco

Basilica San Marco

It's illegal to feel the pigeons, but that doesn't stop anyone

Some woman doing a photo shoot with the pidgeons

Kathleen our tour guide

Old woman who stopped a war on accident by opening her window and dropping something that killed the flag barer. Now all of her descendants don't get their rent increased 

Between these two pinkish pillars is where the duke made his announcements

If you could scoot around this pillar and not fall of the small ledge, you were freed from your sentence. Sounds easy, but no one ever could do it

Bridge between the palace and the prison.  

Shipyard

Criminals had to run from San Marco's to these steps while getting beaten by the citizens

Crazy ads congratulating people on their graduation. ' Congrats! Now here's a bunch of embarrassing pictures and stories!!'

Red Light District

Bridge of Tits...

Typical Wayne taking a picture of me eating

Constitution bridge.  Newest of the 4 bridges of the grand canal, and it doesn't really match the city

Yes they have stop lights for water traffic

Academia Bridge over the Grand Canal

Lots of locks on bridges

Lots of dogs with no proper place to poop

See how the pillars don't match??

It's because they were stolen from somewhere and brought here on merchant ships

Last train ride with Wayne

Good bye Venice!

Rome

Jank  elevator in our hostel building.  I barely fit with my suitcase

Euro 2012!!

That's all for now.

Until next time,

M.e.