http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Italy , Veneto en-us Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:16:32 BST Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:16:32 BST Just a short note to apologise for the time lag in getting this latest round of updates to you all. The last couple of weeks of our trip has been absolutely full on and we have had a bit of trouble finding both the time and the Internet access to do our updates.Now that we are settled here in Venice for the next few days and our schedule as slowed down to only about 56 hours of walking a day lt http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-330826.html To come http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-330501.html On our train ride to Venice we made a couple from Star Mississippi who run a little travel business. They we doing research and were going enjoy a cruise around Italy after spending a few days in Venice. They were amazing and gave me great tips of places to see throughout Rome complete with great little maps. It really is amazing that you can meet people like them on a train ride from Munich t http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-330378.html 89TRAVEL DAY TO VENICE. Back on the Busabout buses and starting the Southern Loop. On the way to Venice we stopped at St Johann it looked so much like Switzerland so very pretty. Arrived in Venice to some hot weather first thing I did was put shorts and a singlet on. Venice has the biggest mosquitos I have ever seen they are huge.99Headed into Venice on the 9am Shuttle bus as our campsite is ou http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-330370.html I toughed it out. Ms. Ariens told me because of my neck injury I may not be able to participate in the final initiative. We would be projecting the success poem we had been memorizing and the force of it may strain my neck. I refused to give up. Perseverance Go ahead right now I want you to put your hands around your neck and pretend to shout. You had no idea how many muscles it took ... http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Asolo/blog-329845.html I missed the festival in Asolo because I wasn't feeling well but Lisa took some pictures for me. So enjoy the beautiful cultural pictures. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Asolo/blog-329467.html Leadership Initiative For Excellence LIFE is a program we went through this past weekend. I wrote down some thought while I was going through it. It was deeply meaningful.The days leading up to LIFE the students were left to wonder about what it was. I thought it might be emotional hazing that would bring us together as a group after breaking us down individually. Being trained in how to http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Asolo/blog-329364.html Finally got to wander Venice today. I walked all along the amazing streets yes they do have streets you can walk on and bridges you can cross it's not all gondolas. It really is a beautiful city. Pictures are still to come because I need to find an internet connection for my laptop that's fast enough to let me upload pics. I also managed to get lost a lot. Every street looks alike here an http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-328969.html Some pictures of our day trip to Venice. We stayed one week in Istria northern Croatia and took advantage of the proximity to Venice to jump onto a ferry and visit this mythical town.. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-328664.html Even more jaded in Venice...tourists everywhere damn them It was hot and crowded after making our way to Piazza San Marco we wandered back through the San Croce neighbourhood. We were rewarded it seemed much more like the real Venice friendly bakery delicious lunch and espresso no one understood English and the buildings were delightfully shabby just as our guidebook promised. It wa http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-328496.html We had a nice day out in Verona but starting to feel a bit jaded about city visits at this stage I'll add some text soon http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Verona/blog-328495.html Lake Garda is a beautiful clear lake we had great weather for swimming. From our campsite here we could visit Verona and Venice. So we did. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Lake-Garda/blog-328484.html Ciao Irsquom sorry to say Irsquove been a bit blogging useless this season keeping my friends and family up to date with the comings and goings in Italia. It has been a season of ups and downs from beginning to endhellip No sooner had we got the opening weekend out of the way the kidz club reps arrived and started fighting. 10 days lots of tears and shouting later one went home. Just afte http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-328196.html Venice has captured our hearts. When the daytrippers have gone for the evening the cafe life becomes more prominent with full tables and chairs outside the ristorante and clusters of merrymakers congregating outside the bars with glasses cigarettes in their hands. The calle fondamenta streets and campo or piazza squares can take on an eerie feel after dark. Not that you feel insec http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-328083.html M is for My Triumphant Return25th September 2008So.Irsquom in the Hotel Monaco e Quisisana a fourstar luxury hotel in Jesolo. I am sat on the floor with my back leaning against the foot of the bed laptop atop my lap legs outstretched across the floor breaking through into the bathroom. Why Well the reason that Irsquom in the Monaco is that Irsquom flying home tomorrow evening and I http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-327798.html L is for LanguageOk I know what I said about knowing when to stop buthellipSo language a subject which I have already ranted on far too much. As a result I will keep this relatively short and sweet. It is without arrogance or an ego I say that I have done very well at picking up this language malarkey and thoroughly enjoyed myself doing so however there have been a few moments at which I h http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-327797.html Many of you have asked for a look around CIMBA and my bedroom So this will be a short entry with mainly pictures. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Asolo/blog-327042.html Crossing Italy to Lake Orta was an easy drive and a pleasant one for Karl at least. The others all slept so no photos sorry. We went past Soave through the vineyards hills and into the absolutely stunning surroundings that is Lake Orta and Orta San Giulio where we were staying. To anyone visiting the area Lake Ortarsquos the lake to visit. Itrsquos tourism is very gentle and the sett http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/blog-326640.html After docking at Venice we headed for the port to take a short local ferry to the Lido. where we were to stay and were to meet Onitarsquos mum sister who were already in Venice having flown out for a long weekend. At the prt we had an amazing little espresso and a real sandwich or the joy of not eating Greek food after a month. The kids fed the little bit that was left to the birds that w http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-326639.html So I can now say that I have been to the Sinking City better known as Venice. Even though I only had one day to tour around and see the main sites I left with a better understanding of how people live daily in a city with streets of water. I am amazed that people have boats for transport instead of cars. Where you can see front doors of palazzo's starting to dip below the water line because th http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-326328.html VenicemdashMany people will say that it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Irsquod like to get some of that stuff they are smoking because I certainly didnrsquot see what they were seeing. I guess most of these folks must have visited the coffee shops in Amsterdam before coming to Venice. To be fair we were only in Venice for the day so I guess we missed most of the beauty t http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-326228.html 14 Sept 2008As is often the case a boys' eyes are bigger than his stomach and that proved to be the case for both boys last night. Liam and Joseph each had a chocloate sunday after a hot chocolate drink they were completely chockiffied. Ky had a type of pavmeringue that was extraordinarily sweet while I had chocolate profiteroles. But the 14th being Sunday it was our day to depart from Cava http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Verona/blog-326013.html Hello allSo i just got my first access to internet since we left paris it feels like way too long So Venice.... wow it is like nothing else. Courtney and i cant believe that people dont talk more about this place it is literally a city on water An ocean town and its beautiful. there is nothing like it. lI arrived late last night and it was like an english maze. you have to take a bo http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-325691.html Castles. Thatrsquos all I have to say. I thought that England was ldquothe placerdquo to go to see them but itrsquos definitely not the case. This freakin country has probably one castle for every 100 peoplehellipok maybe 200. But seriously every town that we have gone to has had some sort of fortified structure most times a castle to remind you that there was a time when the ter http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Verona/blog-325647.html Venice September 18Geoff Today we went exploring. We went searching for some breakfast having been told that most Venetians eat breakfast and lunch standing up and found a little coffee place that also had croissants. They looked a bit surprised when we asked for tea instead of coffee but managed to track down a couple of old tea bags that hadn't passed their use by date. We also had a cou http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-325543.html Sept. 10I took a taxi to the train station then the train to CastelFranco then a taxi to Asolo. When I was waiting at the taxi stand outside the train station in CastelFranco I thought to myself With my limited Italian how in the world am I going to explain where CIMBA is Just then a taxi arrived. He was loading my bags into the trunk when i said A Asolo While we were on the way i http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Asolo/blog-324922.html Venice at the Rialto September 17Geoff What a day We had decided that rather than pay US 15 each for a hotel transfer from the ship and then they don't go to all hotels only the more recognised ones we would make our own way to the place we were staying. We had a map of the city with us and headed off the ship to collect our bags and head into town. The collection of the bags was no http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-324881.html Sept. 9 2008I checked out of the Royal San Marco Hotel in Venice and had a porter meet me to take my bags to the Vaporragi Water Bus port. He came with a dolly specially made for stairs. He also made sure to put me on the right bus for the train station. I had seen the station the day before on the boat tour but wasn't 100 what the name of the that specific port was. I guarded my bags ca http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/blog-323602.html Sept. 8 2009After the museum I went back to the hotel to prop up my feet because I knew I was about to go on a 2 hour walking tour.I went to the entry gate of the royal gardens to meet my tour. We were given a small walkietalkie with neck lanyard and headphone. Our guide Rita spoke venetianEnglish that came though to our little headphone. There was a large crowd of people speaking every l http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-323394.html