Marina Hotel Caorle

... steps to the top) and the Piazza del Signoria, a great, bustling pedestrians-only town square. We grabbed a gelato and took a short people-watching break before continuing on to Ponte Vecchio and finally, the day’s climax- the Uffizi Gallery.

The Uffizi has been described as the greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere! But it is so much more. It is laid out in a way that walks you through the transition of style, content and technique from the ...

... She wonders where the money went.
OK: now we are driving in Italian traffic. These people drive as if they have nothing to live for. And, yet, we have not seen a single accident. Regardless, driving is nerve-wracking. But we made it safely to Padua, where we visited the Scrovengi Chapel, painted in frescos by Giotto in the early 14th century. It was commissioned by a man whose father was a very bad ...

... 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 ...

... gave up on the sun ever coming up around seven and took off. The days here are extremely short: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. tops.
Our hotel here is amazing: they were happy to check us in at 7:30 a.m. and could not have been more accommodating. We slept a couple of hours and hit the streets - no, canals - around eleven. Our hotel recommended a restaurant where we had by far the best meal we have had in Italy before starting our sightseeing day’ ...

... pillows and as many makeshift covers (aka jackets and sweatshirts) to another compartment and sprawled out on the seats. When we got to Venice, it was very early in the morning, so we had to find our way to our hostel in the dark. But we made it there, only to find out that it was closed for another two hours (that's what happens during low season). So we wandered around, found a market to get a few ...

... craftsmanship and shows just how much money those Romans emperors had!!! Apart from the Cathedral, palace and football stadium, Milan is a big industrial working city. It has a good atmosphere and always loads going on. We have really enjoyed our wee Italian expedition and we will be back. We have plenty to talk about with the McC's down in Southern Italia in Montecalvo. Next and LAST destination.........Marrakesh, in shake, rattle and Morroco roll

... of our adventure. We soon arrived, armed with umbrellas and rain gear, to step from the train station into one of the most spectacular first views of Venice I can ever remember. What a thrill. The map worked well - as long as I never removed my finger from our current location. We found our way directly - that is as directly as a two hour hike can be - to the wonderful Osteria Enoteca San Marco where we ate some creative new Italian cuisine - Trevisian radicchio ravioli and radicchio ...

... I think they are scheduled to be here til July 5th now, but I'll probably be leaving in the afternoon on the 31st to head to either Rome or Florence. Haven't decided which yet. Well, clearly I'm a happy camper again. I hope all is well with everyone, and even if I don't respond, I get all your messages and emails, and love them all. Keem 'em comin'. It makes me feel well connected.

... by swaying the gondola. It was alot of fun though. A pity our gondalier wouldn't sing to us so we had to sing to ourselves. This may have been prompted by the champagne we were drinking :). It was a pretty nice ride. We went through alot of small canals and quiet little areas too and also down the Grand Canal. I would defnitely recommend this optional its such a cool experience, as uneasy as I was initially. How can you come ...

Magic: masks and puppetists, gondolas between the houses, men singing "O Sole Mio"... Welcome to Venezia. When you are approaching Venezia you realize that you have to park your car (20 Euros per day!) and take a bus to the city. There are no roads for cars to drive on, only pedestrian roads. It's really cool because you either walk or take a gondola for tranportation. We found a really nice hotel ...