Venice, June 18 - 25

Our excitement mounted as the train made its way across the long bridge and into Venice. The skies were blue, the water greenish (maybe best not to look too closely) and it was fantastic to feel the warmth in the air again.
Armed with a weekly ACTV pass, we squeezed into a vaporetti along with the tourist hoards. Our apartment was in San Silvestro, which turned out to be a fantastic location just a few minutes' walk to the Rialto Bridge.




Romance was in the air, as Naomi led me carefully over the bridge on one of our many walks through the city.

The Rialto was a great place to watch the rivers of tourists go by, and to admire the sweeping views of the Grand Canal.









It was fascinating to see the waterways change from minute to minute - calm and peaceful, with only a gondola or two gliding along... and then suddenly cluttered with water buses and other motorboats that would thunder by. The calm always returned, but then again after a brief reprieve, so did the Italian mayhem.


(above, a quieter moment on the Canal)

Each time we walked by the Rialto Bridge, we saw couples relaxing in a little nook by the stairway. There is a small area with steps leading to the water, and the obligatory (in Italy, at least) shrine to a local Saint.
With patience and careful planning, we eventually managed to be one of the happy couples romantically entwined at this gorgeous spot. We were on our way to dinner, and stopped to watch the sun setting over the evening bustle on the Grand Canal.


Several times during our travels, time has been spent trying to fill perceived gaps in our already bulging backpacks. Naomi is good at responding to these urgent needs, this time it was cardigans. Our search led us to the department store Coin.


Here we see her gathering a collection to try on... and I joined this fellow to wait in the Patient Husband zone. It was amusing to watch him squeeze his generous proportions into the ornate pink chair.

We visited many museums and galleries, all of which have strict rules against photography. A highlight for both of us was the Opera House, Teatro La Fenice. Without a doubt one of the most beautiful buildings we were yet to see, it was with some difficulty that Naomi dragged me out of there. The theatre has recently been restored to its original splendour after a fire in 1996. A must-see if you find yourself in the area!


Venice was hot. Well into the mid-30's, with maddening crowds around all of the tourist spots. The walking and sightseeing became a bit much for Naomi and she sat it out in the courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale while I scurried through the vast interior.
Another stunning location, most memorable were the rooms of world maps, more remarkable frescoes, and the enormous (formerly the world's largest) oil painting by Tintoretto.

I had fun poking my head out of every balcony, to try to spot Naomi resting in the shade.

You can just make her out in the bottom right corner of the photo above... a crop is pasted below as well :)


Looking out of the windows facing East, there was a nice view over the rooftops from the upper levels of the Palace. Usually, the Venice skyline is usually glimpsed from below, where you do not see the efforts to which the locals go in their attempt to build ever higher tv antennas.


The days were long and hot, and we enjoyed coming home to freshen up afterwards. Our little apartment did not appreciate the extra demands on the water system, and we had to call for help with the shower.
The landlady sent what may have been her son, who called a man who may have been a plumber. We don't really know... they stood in our kitchen talking loudly and gesticulating, occasionally turning on the kitchen tap for effect. We watched them for at least half an hour as the conversation grew in volume and in proportion to the sweat pouring from the plumber. After a few more rounds of turning kitchen taps on and off, he replaced our shower head and disappeared. Italy in a nutshell.


The rides on the Vaporettos were slow and very crowded. We found that the best thing to do was to find a spot near the railing, and turn your back on all of the pushing and shoving.
Naomi developed a good technique, but we still did our best to avoid the waterbuses and walked as much as possible.


On one of these walks, I spotted a cat lounging in a window alcove. Unable to resist the opportunity to make friends, I approached gently and we got to know each other.


He was very friendly... and while we traded sleepy affections, I noticed his nametag.
It was Paco! No longer a lovable meatball, Paco is now living as a cat in the quiet neighbourhood of Santa Sofia, Venice.


I was very happy to see him, and when we reluctantly parted ways it was with a smile and a purr.

Naomi and I found that it was surprisingly easy to escape the mad rush in Venice. Often, only one street would separate a river of tourists from deserted tranquility.
The following picture was taken during our walk back from Cannaregio.


We had hunted down a restaurant where we enjoyed some delicious seafood pasta. The only other patrons were a handful of Gondola men, in their distinctive stripy t-shirts and golden suntans.


The gondola men are skilled operators, both on and off the water. At €80 for 40 minutes, the prices of gondola rides kept us watching from the sidelines.
We were able to have a taste though - thanks to the Traghetto service. Very reasonably priced at 50 cents, a rather bored looking Gondola man ferries you across the canal. This is a great addition to the transport options in Venice, particularly when considering the cost of real gondola rides and also the vaporetto and water taxis.
For us, the traghetto was fun.


You may wonder how these dashing young Italian men become so adept on the water. On one of our walks, we think we found the answer.

- From this:


- To this:


What happens in between is still a mystery.

On the streets of Cannaregio there was an eerie calm, but looking down showed that it had not always been so. In the Campo di Ghetto Nuovo, the presence of a discarded miniature battle-axe suggested a darker and more turbulent history. Or maybe it was simply a child's toy.


Walking along the Fondamenta Nuove gave us some respite from the heat, as there was nothing between us and the breeze coming from the North. We brought a picnic along, and sat near the hospital jetty watching boats come and go to Murano and San Michele.

We also spent time in the Gardini Publici, where magnolia trees were in full bloom.
Nearby was the site of the Venice Biennale - a bizarre overgrown ghost town at the moment, it was hard to imagine how the area would be when the festival is in full swing.


So, that was our time in Venice. We had a fantastic week, long days walking the streets all hot and sweaty, followed by long nights in a hot and sweaty apartment.
It is a truly unique city and in our time there we had many memorable moments. The final image tells a fun story. We had time to spare before our train departed, so we settled down beneath a flowery tree to rest away from the crowds. Soon after, a homeless man turned up and sat nearby. Then another. Then another...
We had stumbled onto a little mobile food kitchen run by local volunteers. The men being served were very friendly with us, and quite interested in our story. The most vocal was a partly drunk former Russian, who kept enquiring whether we were from Russia as well, looking disappointed each time we gave him our answer.
They were a happy bunch and it was a colourful close to our time in Italy.

Rome, June 6 - 13

Back to the joys of Trenitalia, and we were rattling our way South towards Rome.
It was of some comfort that the builders of this station platform had a sense of humour... at least our minds were taken away from the travel for a few moments as we smiled at the building and it smiled back at us.

We rented a fantastic apartment in Rome. A penthouse! It was a little out of the central area, so we did have the inconvenience of bus rides (and long waits) daily, but the place certainly had a lot going for it. Cute and cozy inside, the homely interior becomes of minor interest when stepping out onto our own private 120m2 terrace.

Naomi made the most of quiet morning time, for some yoga and meditation. You can see the parkland that spread out across the road, it was an idyllic scene complete with horses and goats. A real treat to come home to, after days on the busy streets of Rome.

Also a treat, is when friends from home meet in far-off places. Much to everyone's delight, Sarah and Paul's honeymoon had a brief crossover with ours.
The girls were in full swing right away. There is always much to catch up on, and it helps if you are catching up in amongst the boutiques and cafes of Rome.

We had a great time, sharing travel stories and enjoying the warmth of familiar smiling faces.

Awww, young love. Married life seems to be as good for these two as it is for Naomi and myself :)

Naomi is a vegetarian.
This little man, with a giant sword-like carving knife, proudly sliced the largest sausage any of us had ever seen before. He was particularly skillful. It seemed as though Sarah and Paul found it hard to resist popping in to the deli for a taste.

Something tells me that Naomi did not feel left out at all, being a proud vegetarian.

No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Trevi Fountain. We enjoyed the spectacle just as much as the thousands of other tourists jostling for a closer look. It really is a spectacular and beautiful sight.

I was able to take the time to compose the above photo, thanks to our stubborn determination to remain unshackled by mobile phones on these travels. We spent a long time at the fountain after some mismatched communications. Eventually the couples were reunited and frowns were turned upside-down.

The next day, Sarah and Paul came over for a yummy breakfast on the terrace at our apartment.

It was a perfect day for it. Good food, good company, and spectacular surroundings. If you look carefully, you can just make out the top of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in the distance. After breakfast, it was time to say good-bye as our travel plans took us in different directions.

Sarah was very brave as she faced the challenge of our spiral staircase.

The staircase was interesting from both ends - in the next photo, Naomi looks down from the top...

One notable feature that did not seem as evident on the streets of Rome as both Naomi and I had remembered, were the Gypsy beggars. We did see some here and there - but nothing like our memories of past visits.
By the bus stop near Via Greggorio VII, this monument of sorts is hidden in a corner. In the dark of the evening, it was an eerie sight and sparked long conversations as we tried our best to be patient, waiting for the bus.

We had a full schedule, as all visitors to Rome do. On the sunnier days there were long walks through parks and gardens. The Forum area is always a highlight.

We got to know certain neighbourhoods, particularly the Trastevere area, pretty well. It was not only the daily feeding frenzy at the bars that attracted us. It is worth noting though - every evening, for an hour or so, bars put out what is often a very impressive spread of free antipasto that is then swooped upon by patrons. Something that appealed to me very much, as (perhaps many of you already know) food is critical with an appetite like mine :)
Aside from the food, we were also there for the free internet access. The one flaw in our spectacular apartment is that is wasn't connected.

Naomi in the streets of Trastevere, overtaking miniature nuns. That's her on the left with the long strides.

We had a special day in the Villa Borghese, with a yummy picnic lunch after visiting the sculptures at the Galleria, and then an hour of excitement as we pedaled our way through the parkland like this -

It was a lot of fun. The first few minutes were scary for Naomi, but then she realised that she was on the side with the pretend steering wheel. Once the confusion over controls had gone we happily cruised about, grinning from ear to ear.

Then came the Vatican City.
To visit the Basilica of St Peter is a special experience. I was increasingly excited and Naomi soon saw why. The grandeur and the sheer scale, the opulence of the details, the seas of tourists... it is a sensory overload.

Even from the courtyard it is clear that you are in no ordinary place. We later found out that the space had been set up for an audience with George Bush. His visit to Rome in the coming days meant we encountered increased security from time to time... we had never seen so many police vehicles in one place. It made Rome seem all the more chaotic. However, as in other aspects of life, we tried our best to ignore what Bush was up to and focus on brighter things.

The system that exists to shuffle tourists through the vast maze of the Vatican City complex is confusing and frustrating at first, but once you see the sheer numbers of people involved it does kind of make sense to manage it this way.

The above image is from a small patch of ceiling in one of the many galleries that seem to stretch forever. Rather than show you a picture of a corridor whose end is lost in the distance, we thought it would be good to show how stunning every inch of the interior surfaces are.
Ordinarily, frescoes such as this would catch people's attention - but when there are thousands upon thousands of them, it was hardly surprising that many tourists barely glanced at the ceilings in the long shuffle to THE ceiling they had come to see.

I am, of course, referring to the Sistine Chapel. Strictly no photos allowed. The man patrolling this rule was serious enough about it to give us nightmares.
Naomi was getting weary by the time we arrived there, packed as we were into the crowded room. She certainly brightened upon seeing the spectacle. The notorious reputation is well deserved, and it was with great difficulty that I juggled my attention between Michelangelo's Last Judgement and the remarkable ceiling.

Eventually it was time to move on, and we made our way into the Basilica itself.

Once again it was a spectacle unmatched by any building we had encountered previously.
The sculptures are breathtaking - not only around the central altar, but also on every column, cornice and popping out at you from all nooks and crannies.







The scale of the space affects you as soon as you enter the building.
We also found the mosaics a surprise - rather than paintings, every image is reproduced in millions of brilliant coloured stones, glass and metals.

A walk up to the top of the dome gives a different perspective, both on the little people scurrying about like ants inside and on the beautiful view of Rome from the heights of the rotunda.

We tried to spot our apartment, but with no luck. That was ok... there is much to see and it was a special moment when the photogenic rainbow made its appearance.

Walking back through the Basilica after spending time up on top, you have a different sense of the space.
The afternoon sunlight streaming in through the windows of the dome was picture-perfect.

What an experience, this Vatican city is. Our heads were bursting as we wound our way down the grand spiral staircase and headed towards the exit. That's Naomi in the orange top.

Naomi found the Basilica to be amongst the most beautiful places she had ever seen. So much more than any other cathedral or church, and it truly is an emotional experience to be somewhere that holds such significance for much of the world's population.

So, it was back to the streets of Rome where elegance and refinement blend seamlessly with chaos and modern Italian egos.
There is a softer side to Rome as well. As we walked around, we noticed how many stores had cute signage that really showed a considered effort.

Our time in Rome was action packed. We saw dozens of different sights, from galleries and monuments to churches, parks and more. What a place.
The standard tourist highlights of course became favourites for us too - including the Colosseum, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Navona, and Campo de Fiori.
To have seen some of them with Sarah and Paul made it even better.

Our final image that we will share with you (this is a long posting, thanks for staying with us!) is of a typically Roman alleyway in Trestevere.
A mangy dog, a scooter, and a woman hanging out her washing - a different set of jeans for every day of the week.



That is Rome.