Hotel Villa Rosa Malcesine

I'm just packing everything up for my cruise. Eeeee! I am so excited. And I've actually planned ahead and have four nights post-cruise booked. Look at me being on top of stuff. However, it's another budget airline situation to get me to Sicily, but at least this time I am prepared. Which I think is half the battle? At least I thought that's what GI Joe always said.

It is FREEZING in Venice. Granted, I probably don't have the right attire, but still it is cold, cold, cold ...

... frocked up it was a great night that went into the early hours of the next day.

We sailed through the night and after the cocktail party we headed for the nightly show it has been great with a full show on every night ranging from dancing , singing , magic , jugglers , strong men and even the odd trapeze artist .

We arrived early the next day in Istanbul and got ready for another nice day exploring another famous city it started with a bus tour ...

... on the floor while the others stayed up to study. Our flight to Madrid left at 630am and landed us safely in Madrid around 9am which left me just enough time to get home, drop off my belongings and head to my 11am class. I have two midterms to study for (one tomorrow and one Thursday) but I got some studying done in the airport so hopefully I'm in good shape. Its hard to believe I will be back at the airport in 2 1/2 days to head to London for this coming weekend. I'll write again soon!

... they don’t understand me guide) he was very sweet and took us down some of the backstreet canals away from the hustle and bustle… truly different from anything we have seen…. ADRs returned safe and sound to mainland and found a local resteronti and had authentic Pizza great .. Not much topping on Italian pizza.. Its all in the crust!! The motel was a bit Faulty Towers and strange but friendly enough and clean..
On the road again….

After the wedding we spent a few days in Venice before flying home. This is one of the cities I wish I could walk around without anyone else there. I am sure it is much more beautiful without the hundreds of people on every little bridge. It was a lot of fun wandering around, getting lost and then finding a place to enjoy a glass of wine.

cheers

... to get into, there were hundreds of people inside and a herd of hundred of people smashed together waiting to get in. We were in the herd waiting to get in. This crown really was like a group of live stock waiting to get through a narrow gate to the open pasture that was to be the disco, we were in line for an hour and a half while the crowed has to wait until people leave one bye one and cycling through the bodies respectively, replacing each given shoulder room ...

... unknown for now but what we do know for sure is that Italy is a nation with an artistic and architectural legacy that few other countries can rival; the country has 40 World Heritage listed sites, more than any other nation, and the Tuscany region of the country alone has more classified historic monuments than any country in the world. We've quite a few reasons for coming here, all of them valid reasons in their own right. The first is for the ...

... well as they have late breakfasts. Since breakfst was not included in my hotel, I ate lunch at noon today and went to a little place I found yesterday which was packed at 2 p.m., but which has whole wheat bread eggplant and mozzarella sandwiches, again up my alley. The only place i have seen in Italy with whole wheat bread! Anyway better get this off, weather today is sunny and gorgeous. It has been about 4 above and rainy, still nice for Christmas! Happy New Year!

... the street deriding McDonald's and America. The counter people are friendlier to him than to me. Back to the hotel, where we pay, explain we're leaving the next day (one day in Venice is too much), and turn in. There was absolutely nothing to stay awake for, and by this time, we were using "Venice" as a curse. We are completely confused as to why people would go here as a romatic destination, unless the point is to pay so much ...

... and hopped on a bus-like gondola towards Piazza San Marco, the centre of town you could call it. Scoring a window position on the gondola was a winner, and most of us used this opportunity to just go mental with taking photos. I've posted 2 that I like (Photo 1 & 2), which I don't think really tells you much, but it's pretty :) I think photo 2 is S.Georgio Maggiore, which is basically, a church with it's own island in Venice. We never got to go there, but if you're keen, it's great ...