Blogs from Venice, Veneto, Italy, Europe - page 5

Vandaag zetten we geen wekker! Er wordt uitgeslapen, uitgebreid ontbeten met spek en eieren en een lekkere kom thee. Tegen 11u vertrokken we richting receptie om ons dagticket voor Venetië te kopen. Die staarde ons echt aan alsof we zot waren om op dit uur nog naar daar te vertrekken. We hadden binnen een kwartier een bus ongeveer een kilometer verderop en ze zei dat we zeker moesten doorstappen, om ons daarna nog zeker 5 minuten aan de babbel te houden… Laura heeft echt alles gegeven en was uitgeput, maar we hebben ze nog gehaald. Dan nog een half uurtje wachten op de ferry richting Murano, want die van Venetië zat stampvol. Venetië, the long way around. Na enkele stops te maken op de omliggende eilanden, zagen we op een gegeven moment een heel scheve toren ... read more

Today was a picture post-card day almost all day and I was lucky enough to be in the front seat of the bus! We left Bolzano just as the commuters were arriving to work in the cable cars from up on the mountain. We drove north, virtually to the Austrian border through the Dolomites, the Italian Alps. The peaks are jagged massive rock faces. There is already snow on the highest ones. We stopped for a rest stop in Miraluna on a perfect lake ringed by mountains. Then we stopped for an enormous and delicious meal in an old mountain town. After lunch, we made our way down the mountains to sea level and Venice. Off the bus and into water taxis to the hotel which is located on the Della Guidecca canal. Igor took us ... read more

This morning we said goodbye to Florence and again traveled north and west on our way to our final destination of Venice. Traveling through Tuscany with its fig and olive trees we stopped at Piazza dei Miracoli to spend a little time enjoy the sight of the famous Leaning Tower, one of the most recognized building the world over. From there we headed to a Tuscan country farm for lunch and wine tasting. Filled with wine and food we now continued the rest of the way to the coast and the city of Venice. After getting settled in our luxurious hotel, we joined our tour guide for an impromptu walk to the Rialto Bridge. Unfortunately in a city criss-crossed with canals there is no easy way to get across the city. The walk was fast and ... read more

June 20 our Overseas Adventure Travel group left Brixen and rode to Bassano del Grappa, where fierce battles were fought in WWI, and also the site, during WWII, of a massacre of partisans who revolted against the Nazis. Dozens were hung on trees (now designated with plaques) or shot by firing squad. We met and had a talk with a member of the Alpini, skilled mountaineers who originally had the job of defending the northern Italian border and who now perform peacekeeping missions around the world. They are recognizable by their felt hats with a black feather - very dashing. Sadly, this was our last stop as a group, and we said goodbye after a relaxing veal dinner accompanied by a duet (16 and 21 years old!) performing jazz on piano and saxophone. Now Wayne and ... read more

May 30, 2018 Today we left beautiful Lake Bled in Slovenia and traveled to Italy. I really wish I had more time in Slovenia. I read the section in my Rick Steves travel book about the Julian Alps (named for Julius Ceasar) which are in the NW part of Slovenia. This area is very close to the Italian and Austrian borders and had many battles during WWII. And it seems to be very beautiful too. Before I move on to discussing Italy I want to say a few things about Croatia & Slovenia. I always felt safe there, it's clean, the only graffiti I saw was in Split and Ljubljana, the people were always nice, never rude, and the places we visited were beautiful. Cars always stopped to let us cross the roads (not so in ... read more