We woke to overcast skies. Maybe I shouldn't complain because we had sun in Cinque Terre and it isn't as cold as Venice, but it would be really nice to have some sun. Anyway, we met Alexandra, out guide at Piazza della Republican 9:30. She explained that the area that had once been filled with medieval buildings that had been erased and the area had been rebuilt in the 1890's after the unification of Italy. Florence was one of the two capitals of Italy and the leaders wanted it to look more like other European capitals. The large arch reminds me of Paris, a different scale but similar nonetheless. This renovation was in the tradition of Florence where the citizens and rulers had great self-confidence and embraced modernity. Especially after the start of the Renaissance they ... read more

We headed out for our hike about 9:30. The first leg of the hike between the 5 towns is from Monterosso and Vernazza. Some guide books say it takes 2 hours and some say 1.5 hours. With tons of stops for photos we made it in 2 hours which is pretty good for folks on Social Security. The trail wasn't that busy or that difficult. In some places the stairs were steep and it was a little tough for Jack's knees. He found it more difficult than Petra, but it probable had more to do with his overall fitness, than anything else. The view are spectacular which is why so many people come here. We arrived in Vernazza to find it was as crowded at Monterosso. ... read more

We woke this morning to a cold steady rain. The high was in the upper 50s and there was no way to avoid walking in puddles...lots of big puddles. We were cold and wet before we even met our guide. There was some miscommunication and we ended up waiting for one another in different places. While Cristina came to meet us we found an outside table under an awning with a heater, cappuccino and a croissant. Since we were at the foot of the Rialto bridge, everything was twice what we were used to paying, but the croissant was head and shoulders better than what we'd been eating. We decided that we wanted to focus on the Biennale. It turns out that in addition to two large central locations, there are exhibits scattered all over the ... read more

We hustled over for a 9:00 am tour of the Doges Palace. When we got to the vaporetto stop there was no way to buy a ticket. We'd noticed that trains and the vaporetto system run on the honor system. You buy and validate tickets or passes and then no one ever asks to see them and there are no gates that bar you from entry without inserting a ticket. In desperation, we hopped onboard and bought a day pass 3 hours later so we wouldn't be cheaters. Our guide in the ghetto had complained about "cheaters who don't pay their taxes or transport fares" and we didn't want to be in that category. Can you imagine if the subways and trains in the US ran on the honor system? The Doges were the titular heads ... read more

Finding the Avis office in the daylight was easy and after a short walk we were at the train station. It is ½ hour from Padua to Venice that is just enough time for a cappuccino and croissant. The croissants on the train are better than what you get at Starbucks for 3 times as much money. When I went to buy vaporetto tickets asking which line we should take for the Jewish Ghetto, the ticket seller let me know that it was a five-minute walk so we began our wandering. Even with a map we managed to take twice as long to get wherever we were trying to go than it would take if you knew where you were going. The tour in the Ghetto was through three of the five synagogues in the Ghetto. ... read more