old stuff - Spring Summer Trip and Conquest of Europe, Kelana Convoy 5 (Italy): Venice, Rome, Pisa, Florence

Now this is just beyond ridiculous, so post from Summer 2011... 2 years ago? lol

This mostly on the visit to Italy where I enjoy some part and when I just really hate it...

This take a while to finish since it's a lots of places, so hopefully you guys can just bare with me.

funnily though, I thought I can't remember the trip much.... but as I was typing away it just come back to me... especially those special meaningful one. Enjoy!

We enter ITALY, bella Italia! 

VENEZIA

 a.k.a Venice *lovely place*

One funny thing, my tourguide describe Venice as the City of Romeo and Juliet....hhmmmm...

it's actually VERONA, not Venice.. even in the sci-fi anime, Romeo x Juliet it's Neo Verona, there's never any part of this play mention Venice *Sorry, I just had to get this information out, lol*

However I can tell you Venice is actually the city where the infamous Giacomo Casanova, the "Casanova" from, so you get some romance out of that. 

To add to that Mozart has lived in Venice for a while, and the building which tourist usually refer to as Mozart's House is still there. I've seen it from my gondola ride and it is located at the Rio Dei Barcaroli (Canal of Barcaroli). I really enjoyed the gondola rides. Regarding gondola ride, the more expensive the ride, the nicer the canal, the nicer the view. We took the 90 euros ride and note; not all gondoliers sing.

A bit on Venice now, Venice is kind of a cluster of islands *I think so* and we got S. Marco, S. Polo, Dorsoduro, S. Croce, Cannaregio, Castello and Isola Della Giudecca. Since it's a budget tour there's no way in hell we're able to cover the whole Venice so we're mainly at the S. Polo and S. Marco though we came from Dorsoduro. We were staying at camp site in Fusina and took a water taxi to Zattere al Ponte Lungo, land in Dorsoduro.

Continue on, we enter S.Marco through Ponte dell' Accademia. So we still under his guide until  we get to the famous Piazza San Marco.

Piazza San Marco - St. Mark's Square - Basilica di San Marco (centre)

It is big, crowded and hot, though I love that pictures will look great! *just that I don't have a camera '-.-*

We continue on to check out the murano glass. They're lovely and colourful, there's wide price range, can be quite cheap but can also be very very expensive! The same goes for the Venetian lace which we get a good look at a lace factory. Now there's many type of Venetian lace, but I would recommend you to get those handmade one, don't waste money of machine-made one, you can get those in pasar malam. From the factory I purchase one handmade file' lace centerpiece, costing 15 euros.

Now that make my mum a bit proud " My daughter bought me venetian lace centerpiece " 

*sound fancy isn't it*

Then we were taken to a restaurant near the Doge's Palace, now guys, DO NOT FOLLOW THEM! eat somewhere else. There's nothing special about the restaurant, you can get cheaper seafood linguine or pizza somewhere else. After that we are left to roam the Venice on our own. First we get to Ponte di Rialto for souvenirs shopping.

Inside Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge)

Here there's like row of stalls selling Venetian souvenirs including Venetian mask and Murano Glass, I got a murano glass on a ring and Venetian mask brooch *now that's clever*. Some people got their gondoliers striped shirt and straw hat, hehe. 

In the journey I definitely get a taste of authentic gelato, watermelon, chocolate and moree! it's cheap and tasty!!! *drooling*. Now referring to what I said about lunch at Rialto Bridge , along the Grand Canal there's like row of restaurant with affordable price *some cheaper than the previous lame restaurant '-.-*, erghhh. It would be a better experience you know to eat by the Grand Canal, don't you think so? In the mids of regretting the seafood linguine I had near Doge's Palace and downing myself with loads of gelato, I did make a stop to pizza place. The pizza slice is large, with strong fragrance, how can I resist!!

Ponte di Rialto

Now, the first tip that tourguide let us know is that, maps are useless, because Venice especially S. Marco is basically a maze with all the random alley and short cut. 

Random alley in Venice

As far as I remember, we did go into circles at one time.

This should be Ponte Dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sigh)

Just before we meet up back at the jetty for the water taxi, I went to look for the Bridge of Sigh, though I had a hard time finding it since it look like that, lol.

Viewing from Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace)

ROMA 

a.k.a. Rome

Now I have a very bad experience and it's all thanks to that good for nothing tour guide '-.-...

Now now, it does start with a great tour into The Vatican City and we roam around Piazza San Pietro. It was a very long line to enter the basilica. The line was across the piazza.

In Vatican City - Piazza San Pietro - Basilica di San Pietro (Centre)

As I expected the art decor inside the basilica is really beautiful *what else to say?*

I don't know much about the art and the details of its association in Catholicism but I enjoy looking inside it. 

Inside Basilica di San Pietro

The pillars, the ceiling and statue... how they immortalize something mortal? at the same time 'mortalize' something immortal? hahaa! I'm not really into dwelling on this view in this blog, but think again how these artist *which are just mortals* made out an art to describe their belief , God and how the details/features/characteristics is drawn within their 'mortal' imagination whereas we know those characteristics shouldn't be grasped by men's view? 
*lol, bare with my thoughts please*

Inside Basilica di San Pietro

From the Vatican City we continue our tour around the place and we were brought to place where there are a few kebab place. We had our lunches there and continue our journey, what big mistakes I made, I followed the  wrong  lame tourguide, '-.-
Unlike the one I really admired *as a tourguide* this lame-a** tourguide kind a have no idea what we're doing? No *much* knowledge on the venue, on the history? what a joke for a tourguide! '-.-
Comeonlah weyh! we're in Rome, one of the city with rich history, remnants of one of the strong force yearrrrrsss agooo.... haishhhh.... he should have done a bit of homework, I don't expect the whole history, but at least explain the venue and what's the purpose... epic FAIL!

So we walk to the famous Colosseum where gladiators fights and it is so much bigger in the past compare to now. I was so in regret that I didn't enter the the Colosseum.

Now don't ask me why I didn't enter... it just happen that way... erghhh...

I'm the type of person who travels and want enter places, despite how boring it can be...

Nothing much to say here other than that I'm just pissed lol... 

Trevi Fountain

The reality of the so-called magical Trevi Fountain.... it's packed... hehe....
But I believe this would be a nice scenery at night.
The area around the fountain was nice and there's a lot of cafe and most important... gelato... we need gelato in the summer.
That's pretty much about Rome, we head back to our campsite after that...

What I remember most about the trip to Rome was the trip in the train, the train as usual quite packed but not bad that time, I even got a sit. I remember I was sitting opposite this old man and then another lady *quite old as well* I offered her my seat, then she sit for a while and she get up again.
I gesture again to ask her to sit... the most funny thing is... hehe I don't know how to explain the situation in this blog...
since I don't speak Italian and she clearly don't speak English.... despite that I 'feel' I understand what was she saying... I think she said that the 'old man' smells funny... 
The story continues when I sit with her *without the old man* and we attempt to have a conversation....
other than the fact we're technically speaking different language although I tried to throw my so very limited Italian vocabulary.... there were other Kelana Convoy tourmates there and they just giggle seeing me talking attempting 'so-called' Italian conversation.
"Roma... Bellaa!" " Venexia, bella!!!" *exaggerated gesture*... hahaa! it's just funny and sweet when I think about it again. 
That conversation does heal my disappointment a bit from the Rome tour. Even though I didn't get to get myself into history/culture of Rome, the conversation I had with the sweet Italian lady make me feel 'connected' and welcomed in this visit. Bella Italia!

The journey continue on.... to Tuscany part of Itali. Before we made our way our campsite, we made a stop to centre of Florence.... unfortunately.... I didn't remember at all to take picture... why is that???
I was to busy shopping... lol....anyway we had about 2 hours something I believe.
Apparently, Florence have very good deal for leather goods and gold as well. I just manage to hunt for leather goods... and if you see my old post, I got myself a hand-made gladiator-inspired sandals! the best souvenirs I got from  the trip...

Florence as you guys know was the centre of Renaissance especially in Arts... if you guys remember Renaissance history, in those time, artist all move to Florence to grab opportunity to obtain a patron *sponsor* ... it's the IT city for art. This was definitely obvious from all the architecture and sculpture along the walkway, especially the David statue ... very 'ecchi'... lol.

We were late that time since I misheard what time the tourguide said, but we still manage to get back despite the almost 'annoyed look' people have lol... Seriously I really thought 2.50 instead of 2.15.. hahah!

The journey continue on to visit the Pisa. So again we only have half day in Pisa and being tired from the journey, we still need to settle in the new camping site. At this point we put up our tent like it's second to our nature, although this time ground is harder so start to hammering our tent spikes.

After that we walk to the the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa which is the top attraction of the cathedral city in Italy, Pisa. It was quite a walk but not too bad and it still bright despite how late it was and we arrive at the Piazza dei Miracoli or Piazza del Duomo which is one of sacred square for the Catholics.

Piazza del Duomo , Archdiocese of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa from afar

Upclose... sorry for the random photo bomb.

We kind of hanging out there *that what most people do there* since it still a nice day... and suddenly some of us decided lets get on top of the tower. I seriously couldn't remember how much was the entrance... *it is been almost 3 years* but probably definitely less than 20 euros...

Getting on top to the tower was quite a climb, it was just a spiral staircase that go on and on but it was just about 50m high... so not too bad. But what was freaking me out is just how I felt the ground a bit slippery, it's marble and the stairs was eroded in the centre.... It felt like I was going to slip down at any time... but nevertheless I made it to the top! Yeay!

Me on top of the Leaning Tower

Campsite: This place is really good and the toilet is nice as well.

This is definitely one of the best achievement for me in this tour. The view is seriously spectacular! We pretty much see the whole Pisa from there. So enjoying the view after a while we get down, and they give us a time period to get up and get down.. Not many people can be in at the same time... I guess we wouldn't want the Tower to lean in more.. like it's already leaning and I definitely felt it. It was thrilling.

So we're back at the camp when it is literally dark... like that is like 10.30pm or something... wow! Satisfied! even though we got back and dinner almost finish,*we literally only had rice and gravy* but I'm still soooo satisfied.

We get rest and we're ready for the next destination, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.