Leon D'Oro Venice

... of this one were Michelangelo’s “David” (of David and Goliath fame) and a series of unfinished works (also Michelangelo) that really gave some insight into his process. Next came the “Renaissance Walk” - about a two hour stroll from one end of the old city to the other, including stops at the enormous and beautiful “Duomo” (the cathedral nicknamed for its imposing dome), the Campanille -bell tower - (where we did NOT climb the ...

... struck Michele about the Venice bridge, well maybe three. First, it was not beautiful. She wonders where the money went. Second, it is not elaborate. She wonders where the money went. And, finally, this is the main bridge across the Grand Canal for newly-arrived tourist and, yet, there is no way to get a rolling suitcase over this bridge without hitting every single step. Could they not create a smooth ...

... they no longer swarm the tourists. But it you still have to watch out for the Pigeon Poop! The Basillica was another feast for the eyes - and ears! As we approached the central altar, imagine our surprise as the “theme” from Phantom of the Opera suddenly blasted from the organ!
Next, we toured the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. This wealthy American woman, who lived in an palatial home on the Grand Canal, had two great loves: her dogs and modern art. After her death, her ...

... nighttime pictures of Piazza San Marco don’t look great, it was great to see it all lit up. We also saw a lot of evidence of high tide, with seaweed and other trash scattered here and there about the square! We walked from the piazza back to our hotel, stopping into a quaint little church (Chiesa San Zulian) and a fun pub (L’Olandesa) on our way back. We were in bed by 10:30pm – my stomach still intact.

Today (12.1.09 – happy December!), I ...

... of fruit, and waited until we could check in.

When the owner got there, he informed us that the hostel had been shut down for winter, so he was housing us in hotel rooms. He gave a 3 person room to the girls, and Steve had to stay in a room with another guy, but he was only staying for one night so he didn’t really care. We were all very pleased with our rooms, but so tired from the ...

... stumbling across the Rialto Market, which just wrapped up, and then to the Rialto Bridge for some pictures.  We then hopped on another Valporetto and made our way to the Accademia stop were we hopped off to see the massive Santa Maria della Salute.  Before getting to Salute, we stopped by a building owned by Wake Forest University and got a tour by one of the graduate students.  The house is very nice and is right smack on a wonderful part of the ...

... by boat. Merchants along the main walking routes that connect popular spots like Rialto Bridge, Academia, and Piazza San Marco scurry to open their doors and setup displays of goods and wares. Behind the shops, flatboats laden with supplies are docked along the canals delivering barrels, boxes, cases and bottles to the vendors. Barges deliver and remove building materials in an endless effort to keep the cameras veccia from crumbling and sinking into ...

... than that: a gondola ride overlooking the Grand Canal of Venice next to the love of my life. My mai mai. Mama mia! Picture Perfect. Indeed we are in one ...

... of us were getting very tired. Lucky for us, MaiSee was paying attention, and she got us all on the faster vaparetto (fewer stops) back to our hotel - the #82. The closer we got to our stop, the more crowded the vaparetto became. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Our stop! Scuzi, scuzi, scuzi. There goes our stop! Tip: the key to departing a crowded vaparetto at the right stop is to wait directly next to the conductor when he opens that door. You have no chance otherwise. Ahhhh, Venezia...

Je suis en classe de 4°, ou 5°, je ne me rappelle plus trop, ce n'est pas ce détail qui m'a marqué le plus dans ce voyage.

Il fait encore bien froid, le printemps n'est pas encore arrivé. Nous sommes une cinquantaine d'élève de mon collège à être rassemblés dans la rue, devant les bus, à côté de l'école. Les sacs sont chargés, les élèves disent au revoir à leur parents; "tout le monde dans les bus!"; un dernier petit signe de la main, le bus tourne au coin de la rue... c ...