Italy wrap up

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The last few days have been a blur, but a very fun one.

We set off for Venice, whick I think is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. It truly is a city for lovers, perhaps more than Paris. Don't get me wrong, I love Paris. But Paris is a large, working city, whereas Venice really doesn't have much other than it's beauty and charm. I'm really glad that it was out last stop in Italy, since by that time we were both tired and it was nice to just look around and soak up the scenery.

We only went to one museum, the Guggenheim, and it was so refreshing to see some modern art for a change. Saw some excellent Pollack, but I really enjoyed the Miro, Kandinsky and Klee. If I never see another Madonna and Child painting again, that will be fine by me. I did enjoy San Marco's bacillica, since it had a more Byzantine flair to it, and lots of cool mosaics.

Went to Murano one of the days, saw some gorgeous glass. I could have really broke the bank there.

Didn't go on a gondola ride. I's rather wait and do that with a sweetheart than with my mom. It was fun just riding the Vaporettos.

The Grand Canal is not that grand size-wise, but is very beautiful none-the-less.

General notes about Venice. Venice is a well run city. It enjoyed the longest running republic in history, with checks and balances and then more checks and balances of its power. Unlike southern Italy, which was mostly feudal and therefore suffers a lot of corruption and poverty. There are a lot of french tourists here. When someone adresses you, they speak Italian, then French, then English.

Random notes:

If I had to put one word to describe each city it would be:

Rome: Imperial. It has an old history of greatness that's come and gone, but still lives large.

Florence: Proud. The Renaissance may have been hundreds of years ago, none of that matters to the Florentines. Against Michelangelo's specific wishes, they moved his bones back to Florence. They are still tying to get Dante's from Ravenna.

Naples: Crazy. For both the good and the bad. Imagine NYC's Little Italy x100. Has an interesting emerging art scene and a lot of young people.

Venice: Elegant. There is something very understated about it, even though the architecture is more ornate.



Best Gelato: Rome

Best Countryside: Tuscany

Easiest city to navigate: Florence

Best Graffiti: Naples

Best Pizza: Naples (duh)

Best Seafood: Venice



And now a word from our sponsors....

Keith Richards sells Louis Vuitton

George Clooney, Nespresso, I think it's an espresso machine.

Salma Hayek, some kind of red Liquer.

Eva Longoria practically fellates a Magnum ice cream bar.



Will being writing a bit more about our day in Paris, as well as adding pictures!!!

ADJ

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alternate opinions
Best Gelato: Paris Best Seafood: Rome I HAD A BLAST