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Published: December 18th 2011
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Sunset in Venice
No, this isn't the ferry we went on..! Venice
The drive out of Germany and into Italy was amazing! The scenery went from snow topped mountains to rows of grape vines on cliffs, to flowing rivers and castles perched on hilltops. When I told people I was planning to travel around Europe by bus, I got some questionable remarks - so for those who are wondering what it's like, here is why/how I have enjoyed covering hundreds of kilometres on one of the slowest modes of transport; bus windows are big, clean and close to the views (unlike a tiny plane window), we stop every 2-3 hours for a bladder/food break, I meet new people, watch movies, read, sleep and have a talented tour guide onboard to help with any questions and teach us some local language.
So after a relaxing a 8.5 hours on the bus from Munich, we arrived at our sleeping spot
Camping Jolly, just outside of Venice (and got free welcome beer and nuts, what service!). The name may suggest I camped at a
happy place, well that was not quite the case. Although I got my own cabin with ensuite (a break from roommates), the
jolly atmosphere
was lacking, so it was a good excuse to spend more time venturing around Venice with my fellow Aussie bus mates Tammy and Lindsay.
Apparently you haven’t seen Venice, unless you get lost in Venice. We had a map but it was pointless because there was a never-ending puzzle of lanes and canals, so we followed our noses and found the biggest and best Italian pizza! A sing-a-long with passing gondola’s as we sat on the canals edge gave us some light-hearted entertainment (that was cheaper than riding in one!).
Venice is known for creating some of the best glass art in the world, so we took a ride on a waterbus to
Murano Island to see some glass making action. After two full days in Venice, we were ready to take on Rome!
Rome
On the road to Rome, we were dropped off at our hostel which was a 30 minute bus and train ride from the city centre. I got to enjoy the company of my vegemite-loving friends Tammy and Lindsay again (I wasn’t the only one with a jar in my bag!).
One way to make a splash is to fall into
one of the world’s most famous fountains! First stop in Rome was the
Trevi Fountain. It seemed like a good idea to stand on the edge of the water wall and pretend to dive in.. so I posed for a photo, lost my balance, swayed back and forth and back again, coming face to face with the sacred water. A lady beside me let out a loud scream thinking I was about to go ‘splash’ and I am sure the security guard was watching in horror ready to blow his whistle and issue me with a fine for having too much fun in the sun. The result..? Well you can be the judge whether you think I managed to have ‘the most embarrassing moment of my life’ from looking at my photos!
Rome is teaming with ancient sites and history that we couldn't possibly cover all on our own. We joined a humorous, bad-ass (the tour guides favourite word) American from
Roming Tours for a brief (but long) lesson on the rise of the Roman Empire, early Christianity, architecture and religion. As we soaked up some late summer sun we got a taste of the city’s past and present
The Vittoriano, Piazza Venezia
Otherwise known as the 'wedding cake' by the Romans, a celebratory dinner was actually held in the horse statues stomach when the building was completed! treasures; Mouth of Truth, Jewish Ghetto, Pantheon, Piazza Venezia the Colosseum and some great gelato.
What’s a trip to Rome without dropping into the Pope’s place to say pronto! (hello). The Vatican is the smallest independent state in the world by area, and also the world's least populated (not counting the tourists!). Due to the size and wealth of information one can learn, we joined another bad-ass 4 hour tour and got up close and personal to naked statues, the
Sistine Chapel, the
Vatican,
St Peter’s,
Bridge of Angels,
The Pieta and
Castle St Angelo. The
Sistine Chapel is well known for its amazing ceiling, hand painted by Michelangelo. The 9 scenes from the book of Genesis is amongst other great works and after 4 years painting a ceiling with such delicate detail, I'm sure he had a sore neck!
After this fantastic tour, my brain was full, but my tummy wasn’t! Tammy and I topped the day in true Italian style and had gelato and pasta!
I stayed 5 nights in Rome, my longest stint of any city. After doing 2 tours, I had a hint of the big city’s layout and by day 3 it
was time to explore Rome’s green patch, the
Villa Borghese (park) and
Piazza Del Popolo. Unfortunately that’s as far as I got in Rome, I spent my last day at the hostel feeling like my head was going to explode. Although I would have liked to climb the 320 steps to the Dome of St Peter's Basilica and explore beyond the Colosseum’s outside wall, I took a day off from sightseeing and spent a day in my travel office (hostel computer room) making future travel plans and writing blogs.
On the journey towards Florence, we stopped at Orvieto, a small town built upon a rock with a very impressive zebra looking cathedral dating back to the 14th Century. It was so big, I couldnt fit it all in a photo!
Stay tuned for Florence, my next Italian stop.
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