Nice to Venice via Verona - then on to Florence through Pisa - ROMA!

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So I wrote the worlds longest blog and my time had run out so it didnt save and im starting again - sorry if its not great - they never are as good second time around!

Here goes...

Our last night in Nice we headed to Monaco to the casinos - very expensive but beautiful and old - would love to live there but very very exclusive - they even turned down Arnold Schwarznegger!!! ha ha ha ha. Lost €20 on roulette but was worth it for a bit of fun - at least I can say I gambled in Monaco!

Then off to Venice via Verona where we had a bit of a walk around and went to see Juliets balcony. It was pretty packed but everyone got to rub the statue's boobs for luck and I took some photos of the love padlocks people put on the fences - a really beautiful idea that seems to be all over Europe. Apparently if you put a padlock on a fence, gate, anywhere they will hang, then you are locked together in love forever. A bit corny but also a bit cute!

Venice was one of my favourite places so far - we did a bit of a walking tour, a gondola ride, saw a lace and glass blowing demonstration, where the guy made a horse in about 5 seconds, and then alix and I followed our noses after getting lost and ate the worlds most amazing pizza in a tiny little restaurant in a back street near the grand canal. We also bought masks as there was a topdeck toga masquerade party on our second night there that was a lot of fun!!!

Venice to Florence and we stopped off in Pisa, the hottest place on the face of the earth except hell im assuming, to get taky tourist photos with the leaning tower. Fun but also a bit of a struggle to push everyone out of the way to get a good one!

Florence was beautiful and very old. The seat of Medici power and home to Michelangelo, Rafael, Donatello and Leonardo, yes, the ninja turtles, it has amazing architecture and some of the best gelato ive ever tasted. I swear I have been eating my body weight in that stuff every day! So good over here! We did a walking tour and our italian guide was great, very knowledgable and able to answer even the craziest of questions.

After florence we headed to Rome. As today is a really important feast day for the Catholics the Vatican is closed so our tour guide arranged for us to head on our Vatican tour last night so we wouldnt miss out. After flying down the highway and literally running from the train station we met up with our guide and were walked through the Vatican museum - pretty damn amazing if you ask me. The works of art and sculpture were fantastic and the Sistine Chapel was even more beautiful than I remember. I managed to get really good sneaky photos so dad, I have some to bring back to show you! If I get better internet I will upload them so you can all see. St Peters was also pretty good but a lot of the fun stuff was covered up for the big mass happening today.

Today we went on a 3hr walking tour of Rome seeing things like the Piazza de Poppolo, The Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain and a bit of the Roman Forum, finishing up at the Colosseum where we went inside for a look around. The bottom floors were not open like Id heard but it was still amazing! The absolute heat in Rome has contributed to near sun stroke and heat rash but it was worth all of the sweat and swollen ankles just to immerse yourself in the city - I have truly loved every minute of stinking hot rome and am sad I didn't have more time to hang around! Again, alix and I found a cafe with a view out the window that was truly breathtaking - as in a stones throw to the colosseum - and had a great lunch. If I come back looking like that kid in Hook that gets rolled down the gang plank to knock over the bad guys please dont laugh at me! The foods all soooooo good!!!!!!

Heading off tomorrow on the bus to our overnight ferry to Athens - next stop after that - MYKONOS!!!!!

love you mum and dad and hope everyone isnt freezing their butts off!!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Having

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