Venice and Florence

This is going to be a big, bg post, bear with me.

Venice!
So, we went to Venice for my music class. After questionable bag lunches (except for my orange) and a train and bus ride, we arrived in Venice. Venice is nice and odd. Firstly, parts of it smell oddly. And not oddly as in good and interesting. Also, I kept seeing babies in prams. There are little bridges with stairs EVERYWHERE. I would just put the little thing in a snuggli and go, but no, super parents hafta haul the babe and pram up and down the stairs.

ANYWAY! First we got lost (we were in a big group for me, like eight people) and then we found our way again. We made it to the Bascilica de San Marco and the Piazza San Marco. We also saw a handful of other little churches, and the Ponte de. Rialto. Then we saw the Teatro Fenice, the Phoenix Theater and Opera House. We had a tour (this is why we came) and couldn't take pictures inside, poo. It was large and grand, and has been burned down twice and rebuilt, that's why it's a phoenix.

Bus and train ride home were uneventful.

Then the rest of the week happened. It was fine.

Then, on Thursday, I left for Florence!

It was me, Melinda, and a couple of lads heading out to where we were. So, we bussed to Castelfrancco. Then we trained to Padua, and then to Florence. Trains are so nice in Italy. Seriously, the US needs to step up. We ate ate a 'fast food' sort of pizza place called spizzico. It was good, and not expensive for fruit, a drink, and a quarter of a pizza. Then we found the Sette Santi hostel, which was by the Church of the Sette Santi. It was old and neat. The next morning we got up and the boys were long gone. We got up, had breakfast (bread and coffee) and were on our way. After a couple of bus mixups, we found Piazza de San Marco, and made a beeline for the Duomo. One of our travelling lads, Brendon, was there. (Ragesh (sp?) was spending more time in the shopping sector they had gone through.) We (Melinda, Brendon, and I) climbed to the top of the Duomo. It was hard. Haaaaaard. Lots and lots of steep stairs, and winding stairs.

But the view was worth it. Srsly. I'm putting pictures up on facebook as soon as I finish writing this.

Then we went back down and looked at the Duomo from the ground floor of the inside, which was lovely as well. Then, Brendon jetted off to meet Ragesh and go through the Uffitzi. Melinda and I decided to check out the Academia and see how long the line was. It wasn't bad, and we waited in line a half an hour to get in. It was lovely, old statues, Renaissance art and paintings, and most of all, the original David by Michelangelo. No pictures here, which was disappointing.

Then, we grabbed lunch, and started toward the Palazzo Vecchio. We passed the Duomo (while we had virtually no wait, the lines were looooong now) and kept on, seeing the reproduction of the David that's displayed there, and getting gelatto.

Then, we found and waiting in line for the Uffitzi, which was fabulous as well, not too long a line. The Uffitzi is much bigger than the Academia, so it took up longer, but the was Bottecelli there, and it was all lovely and to be appreciated, and Renaissance art is just so good guys, it's really super good. No pictures here.

The we saw the Ponte Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti, both of which were very nice. The Ponte was covered in fancy, fancy jewelery shops. Then some shopping, meeting the lads for dinner, and offing to the hostel again.

The next morning, the boys were up early again to catch their train to Siena, while us lasses were much more relaxed. We slept in a little and got breakfast, before doing some shopping. We went to this fancy, fancy clothes and accessories store called coin. Things there were pretty and neat, but pricey. If MB had been there, I'm sure we would have seen every inch of it. We got our train back to Bassano, and we were on out way. The wait time was long there, we spent roughly six hours in transit, including wait times, but we made it back, got dinner and went to bed.

So that's that! I'm going to try to go to Marostica of Possagno tomorrow (I forgot to sign up, but they leave at the same time, so I'll just get on the bus with room). Tuesday, I have class in the afternoon and an Etiquette Seminar to attend (I get to learn Italian etiquette!). I have a late concert on Wedneasday, and on Thursday, I'll off to somewhere else exciting. I don't kow where we'll go yet. Maybe Milan then Turin. Dunno, dunno.

I love you all!

-K