Update Three: Venice, Florence, Rome

After leaving Salzburg, Kelly and I experienced quite a few drastic changes as we headed into Italy. First, it is incredibly hot here, which is a nice change from the chilly, overcast, constant-threat-of-rain weather we had before. We realized we were in trouble, though, the second we stepped off the train in Venice and started sweating. We took a bus where the driver went a million miles an hour around the turns, and arrived at the campground we had booked outside the city. Our room was one half of a small tin cabin-- quite the contrast from our 3-star hotel, but for 15 Euro per night each, the place was pretty nice. There had a bar, a restaurant, a pizzeria, and convenience store, but it was very buggy and basically for partiers. Very conveniently, there was a boat that left right from the camp over to Venice, so we did that on all three days. The first afternoon we rested a bit after our long train ride, and took an evening boat into Venice. We strolled around a bit to get our bearings, and stopped for dinner in a small restaurant. We were seated next to an Australian couple, who made small talk with us for a minute, but then we ended up talking throughout dinner. We found out that Ray and Helena had a 25-year old daughter who just got married and is living in Dubai for a few years. They gave us a million travel tips, advised us on our careers (that was interesting!), and bought us each an Italian drink (a Limoncello and a Monte Negro). When we went to pay our bill, they stole it off our table and paid it for us! We were a bit stunned and didn't quite know how to thank them, but I think all of us were happy to just have some normal conversation in English. People our own age have been annoying us quite a bit over the trip.


Case in point: when we returned to the camp, we met the two Australian guys who were staying in the other half of our cabin. They were very friendly, but also turned out to be very loud and generally inconsiderate. We didn't sleep much at all, because it was always either them banging around, or a family having dinner until midnight, or another family having a boisterous early breakfast... but aside from the housing, Venice was amazing. It is completely jammed with tourists, but it is just too beautiful. The first full day, we started at Basilica San Marco, which is absolutely breathtaking. There are mosaics over the entire ceiling and walls, surrounded by millions of tiny gold tiles that glimmer in the light. I can't even really describe it, it was overwhelming. We went up to the gallery to see the ceilings up close, and they had nice exhibits on the construction and artwork of the church. Then we had delicious pizza for lunch, and hopped on a boat to the other islands. First was Murano, famous for its glass. We got to see a glass blowing demonstration, where the guy made a horse in lightning speed, and a bunch of round ornaments while smoking a cigarette. Then we saw Burano, which is famous for lace-making, but also has brightly colored houses with everyone's laundry blowing in the wind. We gawked in all the shop windows before heading back to camp for dinner and a drink.


Our third day in Venice was more leisurely, though we did go to the top of the bell tower by the Basilica (after waiting in line in the beating-hot sun), and we went to the Accademia Museum, filled with works from many famous Venetian artists. Otherwise we just shopped for souvenirs, stared at all the beautiful masks for Carnavale and theatre, and then did some laundry back at the camp. The next morning we took the train to Florence, and met Giuseppe, our very friendly Brazilian hotel-manager-guy. We then realized that on Sunday and Monday, our only two days here, almost everything is closed. So we made sure to get to the Accademia here, where Michelangelo's "David" lives. The sculpture really was impressive, and huge! After we went to the San Marco Museum, which had rooms where monks used to live and lots of paintings of the crucifixion. Monday we saw the Duomo, which has a multi-colored marbled exterior that was very pretty, and walked around. We went through the Piazza della Republica and della Signoria, and the 13th century bridge, the "Ponte Vecchio". The bridge itself is unimpressive, except for its age, but it has a bunch of jewelry shops that hang off of it over the river. The heat had really gotten to us, though, so we decided to rest for the afternoon and get ready for Rome!


Once we got settled that first day, we walked through many of Rome's picturesque "piazzas". We basically made the biggest walking loop ever, starting from our hostel to the nearby Piazza della Republica, then through Piazza della Barberini to Pazza di Spagna with its famous "Spanish Steps", and further north to Piazza del Popolo. Most of the plazas have beautiful white buildings with elaborate sculptures, and there is always a fountain. We finally stopped to rest by some ancient mausoleum, where it felt less scandalous to soak our feet in the fountain. We then resumed our walk all the way down Via del Corso, where we slowly walked past its upscale shops (to get a brief blast of their air-conditioning!), past the impressive Piazza Venezia, and back to the hostel. I can't even begin to describe how exhausted we were by the time we were done that night. And the next day we were doing all the Roman ruins!


We started bright and early at the Colosseum, which is as impressive as you would imagine. On the ground level, you can walk part-way around to see up-close the "backstage" of the stadium. You can see the ruins of all these walls which were underneath the stage, where they would keep the wild animals before bringing them up to the stage in elevators. Then upstairs, you can walk all the way around, with exhibits on the construction and use of the Colosseum, as well as ancient Roman customs. Next we headed to Palatine Hill across the street, which houses many other ancient ruins, such as the House of Augustus and the Roman Forum. (I kept waiting for something funny to happen en route so I could make a stupid comment later, but no such luck). It was just amazing to actually see these things we'd learned so much about. Ancient history was always at the beginning of the year, so while we always ran out of time to study WWII, I actually know my stuff on Rome. After all the walking in the sun, though, we needed another fountain. We headed back to Piazza Venezia and found many people with the same idea. After cooling off, we had lunch at an Irish pub, before going back to hostel where I fell asleep for TWO HOURS. When I finally came to, we ventured back out to the Pantheon and the Fountain of Trevi which, like most of Rome, are incredibly stunning.


The next day, we went to Vatican City! We started at the Vatican Museums, where we immediately followed signs to the Sistine Chapel. An hour later, we finally got to it, after snaking on forever through elaborate corridors filled with various collections. The modern religious art was actually really interesting, seeing as how I never thought the Church would allow some of the styles. So we're finally standing in the Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo's gorgeous work on the ceiling. And I'm too distracted thinking about how mis-educated I am to have always thought it was a dome! It was just a flat ceiling! (I can't tell you how many times on this trip I have seriously questioned the quality of my history education. Although no real surprise there...) We then went to buy stamps (we've been collecting one from each country!) and the staff there were the rudest we've encountered anywhere! I couldn't believe it. But anyways, we made our way back through more corridors, including the surprising collection of Egyptian artifacts, before getting in line for St. Peter's. The dress-code is incredibly strict! You always have to cover knees, shoulders, and upper arms, but at some churches they have thin fabric available if you need to cover up. Here they just turned people away-- one lady had newspaper very sloppily tucked into her clothing, and was outraged when they wouldn't let her in. The basilica itself was again very beautifully decorated (though I found San Marco in Venice the most beautiful thus far), and is apparently where everyone rubs St. Peter's foot, so that it now looks deformed. Afterwards I got my first bruschetta in Italy, and then we walked to the busy Piazza Navona, and back to the fountain from the first day to cool off again. Rome is hot and exhausting! Our hostel there actually had air conditioning, though, which was a godsend. So we stayed in and cooked that evening and took care of ourselves by reading, filing nails, writing up emails, watching House, etc. And now we are off to the Italian and French Riviera, starting in the villages of Cinque Terre. Will write more soon!