Venice

Venica was indeed the highlight and last stop of my Italy trip. I arrived just 5 hours after the worst flooding in 22 years, with water waist high in the streets. I was in fact interviewed by a film crew on my thoughts on the matter!
The tiny streets were delightful to explore, with interesting shops, churches and restaurants popping up everywhere. Trying to find geocaches was made frightfully tricky by the thin passages and canals blocking your route at every turn.
I also thouroughly enjoyed the fact that there was not a single car in the whole city, and the well heeled had fancy motorboats parked in their water garages, instead of 4x4s and sports cars.

I also really loved all the masks, so equisitely made and beautiful!

When it floods in Venice, planks are put down on the main routes, so as to keep your feet dry.

I took a trip to Murano Island, famous for its glass blowing. It seemed that 80% of all shops on the island were glass shops, with some very impressive displays! Here I am in front on an interesting glass sculpture.

"The Scream" done in glass

On Murano I found this delightful letterbox/doorbell/intercom system.

hmm, a new way for caterpillars to travel!

Gondola

Dagnabit, could just not get both boats positioned correctly!

The Rialto, famous bridge at main shopping area.

Moi.

Following are some scenic photos, taken primarily around the central Piazza San Marco. There I did a tour of the Doges Palace, which was interesting, but not the most spectacular thing in the world. No photos allowed though. I was highly amused by a painting on the walls showing a massive battle scene. Some poor chap had an arrow sticking right out of the top of his head, and instead of lying on the ground in a deadish state as one would expect, he was merely siting down with his hands on his head, looking like he had a minor headache. They don't make them tough like that anymore!

St Marks Basilica. Looking a slightly old, and the colours fading.

This was weird. A pair of wings floating by, with no bird attached.

Cinque Terre

After Pisa it was off to Cinque Terre, 5 tiny villlages along the coast, which one hikes between. After my great hostel in Florence, I had boooked for their sister hostel in the area, which was in a camp site. I was much dismayed when I got there, as it was further from Cinque Terre that I thought, due to confusion with 2 similar place names, and I was the only person there, and it was raining so hard, that the afternoon I arrived I could do nothing but sit in my wooden cabin and do countless sudokus with the rain making thunderous noises on the roof.
I phones to try book other places in Cinque Terre itself, but had no luck. At least the receptionist was a charmer.
The next morning I was going to take the train to the furthest villlage, and walk back. However, the ticket office was closed and the ticket machine broken, so I could not buy a ticket. When the conductor came, I explained in my finest Italian that "la billateria es chiuso, en la machinata es roto", so he said no problem, I can pay him, but the charge was about 4 times more than the previous day, for a shorter journey, so we got into a heated debate, with me flinging my arms around in good Italian style and waffling about how unfair it is and why must I be punished when I was not given the chance to buy a ticket, so he decided that kicking me off the train would be the best option, which was perfect, as we had now reached Cinque Terre, so I just walked in the opposite direction.

The first village on my route, Vernazza.

Vernazza Harbour

And again.

Walking from Vernazza to the next village was really tricky as the rain really started pissing down, and the path was so muddy and slippery, it was slow going, and not much good for photo opportunities!

What was great to see is that there are wild cats living along the paths, and the locals have made these little shelters for the cats, and there is a big store of cat food in the shelter, so when walking past, you can stop and feed the kitties. They seemed starving, as not many peope out today! In fact, the entire walk the whole day, I only saw one other local en route between villages and no tourists. I imagine this is quite a different story in the summer!

Approaching Corniglia, which is the only one of the villlages not at sea level.

Corniglia

In Manarola harbour

I really enjoyed Manarola, and stopped for a tasty lunch here, and found a geocach or 2.

After Manarola, I tried to walk to the last village, Riomaggiorre, and got half way there, but then it seemed the path was closed due to the rain, so I had to go back and take a train to Riomaggiorre. By then it was dark, but I had a lovely time in the rain standing at the harbour wall, with giant waves crashing up in front of me, while watching the lightning over the sea. A pleasant end to a day with mixed fortunes!

Pisa

After Florence, I was pleased to discover that the train to Cinque Terre stops in Pisa, as I was not originally planning that, so I had a 2 hour stopover to see the famous tower.

Good angle to show the lean compared to a normal building. I beleive it curently leans at 7 degrees. What I did not know is that the tower was built purely as a bell tower for the church.

The problem with travelling by oneself, is that one never has someone of Myburgh's skill with the lens to take funky pics. I am sure we could have pulled off some winners here, but I had to make do with some tourists - who do you think did the best job, top or bottom?

Note the bag on my back - that is all I took for a week of cold rainy weather. I was quite chuffed with my travelling light skills!

On top of the tower. It was pretty fun walking up, because as you go around, sometimes you are leaning to the left, and next minute to the right. It was also quite fun walking around on the "flat" surface up top, because by walking in a continuous circle, you change from walking uphill to going downhill as you go around.

As Inspector Clouseau once said, "The Bells, The Bells!"

Below are some photos of the other churches and buildings in the complex. I must say, I did not expect all of those buildings!

Florence

I stayed a few days in Florence, which was a lovely city, and I got a great score on my hostel. Had a massive dorm all to my self with a balcony, indoor swimming pool and sauna, 5th floor roof bar with great views over the whole city, and a bar with movies downstairs, all for 10 Euro a night. Good deal!

The Ponte Vecchio, last of the original bridges. The others were all destroyed in some war, but one kind chap decided to spare one.

mmmmm, Gelato. My first ice cream experiecne was by far the best, with a divine cinnamon gelato, and an amaretto mousse, which has the most amazing nougat-cream like texture. I spent the rest of the trip trying to find gelato as good, and although I came close once, always ended up a slight bit disappointed!

The Duomo - this was definately the highlight of Florence. This was the view from the roof of my hostel.

The floor inside was amazing. So many different marble pattterns and textures!

It was great fun going up the complex windy stair maze to the top!

More stairs

The inside of the dome was fantastic, with the lower levels depicting hell, and the upper sectionn of heaven. The stairs lead to the section inside the dome at the level of the painting, and one could walk around the dome inside and enjoy the magnificence!

Close ups of some of the inside of the dome. See whats going on in the scene bottom left of the blue angel - Ouch!

On top of the dome outside.

The were lots of tremedous facades around Florence.

Here are some more.

Alas, once is not allowed to take photos of David, but it was a fine work of art, and I was lucky enough to be pretty much the only person there. The fake David in one of the Piazzas was being renovated, so no photos there either.

Did you know, that David is the same David of David and Goliath fame. He is holding the sling in his hand, which goes around his back to his other hand at his waist. Well I never!