Both Venice and Rome are very old cities, the streets are mostly cobbled in Venice and very narrow. It's hard to imagine that instead of in Australia, every time we turn a corner we come across a Mac Donalds or a KFC, here we see a building that is in the same condition as it was when it was built over 1500 years ago, and the bus drove over cobbled streets made hundreds of years ago. (beat that, Qld Main Roads) or an ancient ruin built over 2000 years ago.
This sign appeared quite often through Germany and it turned our to mean exit, but it made us all laugh
The start of the Italian Alps
As we came closer to the islands of Venice we saw the most amazing black yacht. It turned out it belonged to the guy who invented Red Bull..... He only comes to Venice occasionally, it costs him $5,000 a day to moor his yacht, and as it is fully staffed at all times, it's another $5,000 a day for staff wages what a waste.
We eventually arrived in Venice and it was nothing like what I was expecting. Miles of industrial buildings every where I looked. Not a canal in sight. We eventually got to a dock where we unloaded off the bus and found that was as far as wheeled vehicles were allowed to go. We boarded a boat that took us to the islands of Venice.
One of the hotels on Morano Island (the only natural island in the island group) where we waited in the cool enjoying the local drink .this was the hottest daywe had experienced. I think it was about 36' and very muggy.
Standing on the Grande Canal
One of the door knobs to an old building we walked passed.
A motorised barge coming down the canal with goods
The building where Marco Polo lived before his exploration east to find the spice route.
Marco Polo was born in 1254, in Venice, Italy. He traveled extensively with his family, journeying from Europe to Asia from 1271 to 1295. He died in 1324.
People dressed in costume to get money if you had your photo taken with them
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Beautiful work above the doors of a church in Venice
This bell tower has got a very dangerous lean on it where the weight is pushing the pylons further down into the mud below.
These beautiful passes and bridges cross the canal everywhere.
These islands are all man made out of pylons driven into the ground and cement slabs and timber placed on top with multi story buildings built on top of that.
Some of these buildings have been standing for over 1000 years.
When we arrived at the place where we were to board our Gondola. There were 5 of them waiting for us to board in groups of 6. As the only couple on our boat we sat together in the back of our boat and our guide said that every time we passed under a bridge we had to kiss. We went under a lot of bridges....
Although it was a busy day it was very hot and a lot of the gondolas were not working. the guy in the striped shirt had time to pick his nose
We passed many Palaces, some of which are still in the hands of the original families, some of which are now owned by hotels etc.
We passed down narrow canals. Where it was difficult for two gondolas to pass with steps leading up into shops and hotels and private homes and castles.
The canals were very smelly in places and our guide said that all the human effluent was directed straight into the canals.
We walked around St Marks Square which was a front for places like the Doges Palace, The Basilica and many restaurants and shops fronting century old buildings and lots of touristy places.
We came back to our hotel via boat and our bus for a meal and sleep and off again to the man made islands.
Next day we did a walking tour through the back streets of Venice getting running commentary on all things Venetian. We also visited a glass blowing factory where a large percentage of the Venetian Glass comes from.
The demonstration of glass blowing in the Morano Factory.
A little more heat and a little more blowing and we have.......
.......The finished product at the glass blowing factory at Murano
We then went to another island where we were given a four course seafood lunch with wine included and then the opportunity to buy some Venetian lace.
The houses on Morano Island were all very colourful
At our elaborate luncheon we were given biscuits which we were meant to dip in our wine - why - I don't know...
As we made our way along the Grande Canal we came to a huge statue of a woman sitting down with missing arms. This statue was erected following recent Para Olympics in commemoration.
We arrived in Rome early afternoon and got our first look at the Colosseum
and on to the Trevi Fountain. We then went on a walk to the Pantheon.
To be looking at structures that were built by the Romans around 750 BC with such precision and magnitude over 2000 years ago is staggering. Unfortunately, with the death of Julius Caesar and the fall of the Roman Empire, none of these great structures were seen to be built for another 1500 years.To know that the Romans bought the granite columns, which stand about 10 mtrs high and about 3 mitres round from Egypt and stood them up in front of the Pantheon without the equipment that we have today, is beyond belief.
A cutaway model of how the Pantheon looked when it was first built
On one side an area has been left untouched to show where the ancient city of Rome first stood nearly 2 mitres below the current surface.
The roof of the Pantheon has a hole in the top because of the fact that as good as the architects and builders were in the day they had no way to close a domed roof. However that unfinished roof has stood for nearly 2000 years.
We walked along streets that had been built that Manu years and
I have been in awe of the history and magnificence of the entire trip. However our guide has annoyed me since the start of the trip. He is magnificent in his knowledge and I even recommended that he put on tape the stories that he tells us each day about what we are going to see and what led up to it.
We went into a building which took up a whole city block that was built as a family home. It has recently been turned into a series of shops.
On Friday we went straight to Vatican City
and as we were on tour with Trafalgar Tours, we bypassed all the lines and went straight in with a local guide to take us through. We did the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St Peters Basilica.
The grave of Pope Leo 13.
These were all on the roof as we went into the Vatican museum
The largest canvas hanging in the Vatican
And the most marvellous of all a sculpture by Michelangelo when he was 23 years old showing the veins and musculature in the body of Jesus and his Mother Mary that almost seems real.
People parade around dressed as roman guards and soldiers and you have to pay to have your photo taken with them. I slipped these in because my camera has a good lense and I was a fair way away.
After lunch we went to the We then went to the Colosseum. This had to be seen to be believed - the size, the marvellous workmanship, the absolute precision.
It was constructed in 70ad as an amphitheatre
How did men design and build such mammoth structures then without the use of modern inventions to guide them. Brick walls that would withstand attack for centuries. Brick walls that are still standing today. Marble steps that are still being walked on today.
This level of the Colluseum still shows the walkways and rooms used under the main arena.
One of the great things about being on a tour is that, as we get to a site like the Colosseum, or Vatican, we got preferential treatment. We walked passed the lines and lines of people to get in 1/2 hour before everyone else. At all of the major sites we went to see it was the same. For the Gondola rides in Venice, the line up was miles long but we had 5 already reserved with the musicians and we just went straight to the front and got on.
At the hotels, it was a different story. Breakfasts were very poor. Disorganised and constantly running out of hot food or cups for coffee. The scrambled eggs were made from a powdered form and were disgusting and runny but all were buffet style, so most was cold. At least in US and Canada, the buffet breakfasts were huge with large variety. Also there were a few Spanish groups on tour and following a similar route so we kept running into them and they would eat as there was no more food for the rest of the day, and along with the Asians would push in and just barge and shove to get what they wanted. Our guide in Rome, a lady by the name of Christina told us to do the chicken dance (just spread our elbows, squark and push past them) I found it worked a treat. Dinners were always wonderful. Great Italian food with great Italian wine. Some nights we are even serenaded by musicians and our last night tin Rome I was given a red rosé by the waiter and of course the usual kiss on both cheeks. I was applauded and cheered by the rest of our group and felt very special. Until in the end all the ladies got their very own rose.
