Venice

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Day 1

4am wake up....4 hour sleep...Check out, taxi, check in...breakfast at Harrods. Yes Harrods has a shop in the Portugal terminal. Off we go...two and half hours to Rome..sleep time...Where we need to wait for the connecting flight to Venice....Carmen had her first macas meal. I had the fillet o fish...and it was yuk...think the cheese was different..Carmens Big Mac was the same. Carmen thought she was Italian as soon as we landed in Rome, she started with the hands and saying, bonjour no, mama Mia, she said it so loud one guy turned around and gave her a dirty look.On the plane again..one hour to go...once in the plane and I start chatting to a girl from south Africa...she is so excited..cute...We get to Venice and tourists everywhere.....all transport lines packed....we decide to go private taxi...yes more expensive but the experience was awesome...just the two of us in a little boat, with our luggage and the driver no other tourist...enjoying the views as we went along...enjoying the images coming towards us. Venice is such a beautiful island...Yes we did get wet and it took us by surprise...but we just cracked up...Riding through the city and canal..seeing the houses, hotels, traffic boat jams, gondolas and thousands of tourists on the lining the canal taking photos....gave you a big smile...When we reached our destination. The taxi leaves you near by ...we get out and then he hands us our luggage....Off we go walking looking for our B&B. we are heading off the right way but can't find it, I ask at a little coffee shop near us....we were right but just need to keep going...it's hidden in the little corner...The hotel is back in the olden days...it's really cute....breakfast is by the pergola every morning.So we are off to San Marco and basilica we are off to see the main tourist attractions. I am the guide for tonight ...first stop find the station to book all our tickets for Italy. It makes me laugh that there is only one person in information for a mass of tourist questions. Off to the tourist information office and and we get told to wait outside the door. Only one person at a time. We ask for a map 2.50 euro..no free maps here. Not very helpful either.We start walking towards San Marco...and the ciao Bella start. And the asking to come and taste our food...we stop at one restaurant which we think looks Italian enough. Next to us are two Aussies. They are from Griffith...we have a good all chat about Australia and other Italian topics...we have our nice muscles and pasta dishes with our beer of course ...Once done we start the journey once again to San Marco ....the way there is full of little streets with tourists, shops, restaurants.....we get there ...sit at one of the restaurants to admire the view.....coffee here is 9 euro....you might as well get a drink...we also have to pay for the privilege of music 6 euro... How dare they do they have breaks....oh we'll it's the experience I guess...We decide to have an early night...it's 10 o'clock...we start walking...and everything is going well...then I don't know hat happened...but my GPS went haywire....we got lost...we got a map....but maps in Venice are not very friendly...the streets could be called 3 ways....plus it was dark to read maps...we just kept going around and around....finally we started asking people...but they kept saying...go straight,...once you get to this point ask again....we had about 6 checking points....finally after 2 hours finally we got home...we were heading he right way but just taking one wrong turn.... Carmen just wanted to walk in to a hotel we past and check in for the night.... We didn't think we'd make it out alive without water or food.... Should have left a trail of breadcrumbs so we would know how to get back! When we finally found our way the feeling of relief and excitement that we had made it out alive!

Day 2

After a nightmare of last night...we decided to have a late morning....Our first priority book all our train tickets through Italy ..we held up the information line for a good 20 minutes..lol.all other people behind us weren't too impressed. The man in information loved our itinerary. Mind you this was only for the train and price information on the days we were going...next line to buy the tickets..at least we had an option of six ticket windows....when we gave the man our listing...he nearly died....he close the window..he said - your are last. Apparently it was lunch and he had been working till six...in the end he like us and gave us yummy lollies....and wished us a good trip...Next priority lunch by the water....spaghetti and salad once again....I am loving Italy..Next priority to light a candle for our good friend Gerry on behalf of his father who passed away....but first I had to buy long pants as shorts weren't allowed. Lucky. Had a jumper as no singlets allowed...outfit bought walked out the shop....basilica here we come.....we got in quickly, we looked around...the church is not as impressive as the churches we have seen...but you still needed to admire it...we went to where all the candles were but there was none left anywhere...then...I went to another post and found one hidden...it was like it was meant to be...😊 maybe Gerry's dad was there in spirit and he helped us.We decided after the basilica to have dessert and a drink by the water....one kid next to us nearly fell of his chair when he saw the price for a small coke. Venice is an expensive city...Gondola ride Carmen? MMM I don't know...you have to go on a gondola ride you're in Venice.! After negotiating with all gondola vendors. We got a ride for 45 minutes with guidance. He was telling us that there is 60,000 people that live in Venice. You have to go to gondola school and get a licence...he learnt when he was a tiny bambino from his dad.He told us how some of the buildings, churches and palaces are over 400 years old. There are 450 bridges and 400 gondolas in Venice. It's amazing at how steady they handle the gondola. And how easily they manoeuvre around corners and how they don't smash into others gondolas or boats....Carmen took a little while to get off the gondola. The man tried to help her. I was taking a picture of her...once I did my picture...I helped her 😊 I am becoming very Italian I finish what I need to do then ill help you lol.The water made us hungry so we went to the other side of San Marco ..we went to Rialto...there we found this restaurant by the side...we were so rowdy ..it must have been the wine...we became friends with all the waiters....Off to sleep we went ...and yay we made it home with no maps....

Day 3

Early we woke up or our next journey to Verona ...main aim to see Julie's balcony.2 hours from Milan ...we got the fast train....the regional which is cheaper is 2.5 hours...but it stops everywhere. It's cheaper to buy the tickets in Italy as they always have specials than the euro card.When we arrived in Verona ..hop on off bus...did you know? there are 27 other cities in the world called verona and including USA, Canada and Australia. first stop ...castle...it was a small castle but nicely done. Inside the castle had so paintings and sculptures by Italian artists all mainly relating to Verona. There was also roman ruins. Next stop the top of the mountain. Too bad you couldn't take a proper picture as the area was with a fence...We then hopped off at the Duomo ...it still impresses me with the architecture, paintings of European churches. To think most of it has been donated by the artists themselves. Next stop Juliets house...although its never been confirmed if its really her house....the house is little..people everywhere. Everyone leaving their writing on the wall...chewing gum graffiti ....locks of love....lots of couples taking photos..including the oldies...and of course the touching of the right breast for good luck and the picture on the balcony.....the story has been around or centuries...written by various writers, poets way before Shakespeare made it famous...the story was told by a sailor to another and word spread....the names have never changed in all the stories or poems...Next stop the smaller version of the coliseum ...arena at piazza bra....apparently Paul McCartney had played there the night before...bummer missed out...great venue to see a concert...sting is playing there in July...so is Placido Domingo.To get home it was a struggle...we had an open ticket in the regional train....took us half an hour to find out how to verify it....incorrect information everywhere...in the end we found out it was a yellow machine in the platform...which verifies your ticket...Pizza and pasta before retreating near a restaurant near our place....

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