Florence, Italy's Renaissance City and Pisa

Florence is a really beautiful city and I did not give myself enough time there. I arrived towards evening, and found my hostel with only a little trouble. Unfortunately I had failed to send them my arrival time, so waited in the stairwell (someone came out as I hit the button to get in) for a while, before deciding to go find help. I went across the street to a restaurant where the manager let me use the internet to find the phone number, and called the hostel owner for me. Apparently they know each other (or perhaps people request his phone on a regular basis?), but after that I was good to go. I was also exhausted, so am sad to say I didn't leave the hostel that night.

The next morning it was pouring rain outside, so I decided to relax inside for a bit, waiting for the weather to clear. Fortunately it did and I had a gloriously sunny and warm day in Florence. I first walked through the leather market that I had heard about (by accident), and got to test the real leather with a lighter (real leather won't burn). It was fun to see people testing out the different products. Then I used my Rick Steve's app to give me a tour of the Duomo and surrounding neighborhood. I probably looked goofy, but I sure enjoyed my walk around knowing what I was looking at!

Leather market patrons

The Duomo in its PJs (apparently people don't like the style of this cathedral),
but it's become iconic of Florence. The dome in the background was not a part of
the original building, the builders did not know how to finish it and assumed
the technology would be developed eventually!

These doors are a really important part of the beginning of the Renaissance, and I was lucky to
see them without bars (and didn't even realize it). I heard a tour guide say "you're lucky to see
them like this" to her group, and then five minutes later the gates had gone up!

Here's the Duomo with "Giotto's Bell Tower" that you can climb up (for a fee). I enjoyed it from the ground.

This old church was one of my favorite spots in Florence.
It used to be a grain warehouse before becoming a church,
and you can still see the chutes in the large pillars where
grain was sent down from the upper levels.

Art in situ, how it is meant to be seen. In the Church of
Orsanmichele. The church was built as a grain market in
1337.

The replica of Michelangelo's David in front of the Palazzo della Signoria.

Real people live in these ancient cities, and even hang their clothes out to dry
(dryers were not common anywhere I went it seemed...)

Not sure what this tower was, but I liked it! On my walk
to the panoramic viewpoint of Florence.

Me with Florence behind me....too bad I'm not even in focus!

Still at the viewpoint, with a view of a medieval wall running up the hillside.

Tree.

Nice view of buildings across the river in Florence.

Old man waiting for the bus. He got up and moved after
I took this picture, not sure if he knew I took it or not.

This was my dinner in Florence, which was shared with a mother-daughter
pair from Syracuse, NY. We enjoyed four full glasses of wine in an hour, and
these meats and cheeses were so delicious I didn't need any more food.

The next morning I woke up fairly early so that I could get in line at the museum where Michelangelo's David is housed. I kept reading that it was not to be missed. So I forked over my 11 Euros (even though I thought it was only going to be 6) and headed inside with Rick Steves to guide me. The statue is quite impressive, bigger than life, and I did spend about half an hour with it. But I probably could have saved my money and stared longer at the replica that exists in the place where it was intended to be. Live and learn I suppose.

I was running out of time and had to get back for my train to Pisa. Like I said, I did not give myself enough time in Florence. Just another reason to go back! I knew that Pisa wouldn't require much time, and I'm glad I only gave it a couple hours because it was horribly windy and rainy when I got there. I snapped some photos, stood in awe of how much the tower actually leans, laughed at people doing the "I'm holding it up!" photos, and headed back for the train station and on to Cinque Terre, a highlight of my trip to Italy.

My very first view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I was
pretty impressed and happy I made the trip.

The tower does not stand alone, but is part of a large religious complex, like
so many other impressive structures in Europe.

Again, what's with the blurry photos!

We all crowded under what little cover there was because the wind made
our umbrellas irrelevant in the rain.

Holding it up? Just move a little left!

This guy was kicking it over, a difficult picture to compose when
you are not well versed in yoga! (And this man was not...)
This photo also shows how much the tower actually leans!

The rain wouldn't stop this one!

Hunchback of Torre Pisa...

Venice, Italy

After a couple days in Verona, I took the short train ride to Venice (Venezia in Italy). I arrived before sunset, so got to see the water that we crossed over to reach the island, and saw mergansers ducking under the water in pursuit of fish. I was excited to see this famed city. Once out of the train station, I only had a quick walk to the hostel I was staying in (L'Imbarcadero), so headed straight there to ditch my heavy backpack. I was in awe of the lack of vehicles first, and second by the number of people that were here even in November. On the ride to Verona I talked with a couple ladies from Germany headed to Venice, they said this was the best time because there are far fewer tourists in November and the weather is still pleasant enough. I am sure glad I didn't go during peak season...the small alleys that pass for sidewalks can sometimes not fit two people side by side.

After I dropped my stuff off, I headed out to explore the city. I had purchased a map, but it did me little good. The alleys are twisty and you often run into a dead end (if you're willing to swim it wouldn't be so dead). But it was really fun. I stopped for dinner in a piazza and watched tourists walking by checking out the menu. I was happy that there were lots of dogs also, even though I wondered how much fun dogs have in a city like this one. As I tried to make my way back to the hostel, I got completely lost, which was fine. I asked a nice man at a food cart to point out where I was on the map, and then he told me how to get home. I made it in one piece! Once I got back, the people in the hostel were making their dinners and I sat and chatted with them for a few hours. It was a great start to my time in Venice!

Everything important is done by boat in Venice. These packages weren't even
tied down or protected from rainy weather!

Most of my time in Venice I spent exploring the city and some of the islands. After being terrified of boats when I was little, I'm amazed how much I enjoy spending time on boats now. I bought the Venezia Card that got me passage on the vaporetto system for the whole time I was in Venice, and I made very good use of it. After breakfast at the hostel, I headed to Murano, the island known for glass making. I couldn't find the museum, and was not so impressed with the island, so I hopped on a vaporetto and headed to the cemetery island, where I spent a good amount of time sitting on a bench enjoying the quiet and the birds singing around me.

A gull watches of the dock at the cemetery island.

I really liked these thick ropes that were used to secure the vaporetto (boat buses)
to the vaporetto stops for people to get on an off.

The Grand Canal.

I was not willing to swim across the dead ends, and it's
probably frowned upon anyway.

My last day in Venice I spent a lot of time in San Marco. I was hoping to see it flooded, as it had done apparently the morning before I arrived. The city puts up raised sidewalks for people to walk on, and the locals pull on hip waders. I think I hit San Marco three times just hoping it would be flooded, but it never was. I spent some time exploring the Doge's Palace, where the rulers of the Venice empire laid down the law. It's one of very few palaces (maybe the only?) in Europe that does not have a barrier, they said it's because they ruled in a just manner and did not fear their constituents like other cities did. Interesting how we need armed guards and metal detectors to get into US government buildings...

The Bridge of Sighs with part of the Doge's Palace in front.

Pigeon feeding is a fun pastime in Saint Mark's Square.

Gulls were a common sight!

View of Venice from one of the towers. Was it worth 8 Euros? I think so.

Another view from the tower.

Venice's Grand Canal lit up at night.

I didn't get many night shots that I liked, but I do like this old lamp in St.
Mark's Square.

A street of Venice.

There are signs in most places pointing to either San Marco or Rialto, this one is
particularly helpful. It's an island, so you can't really get yourself lost!

A "spritz", a common Italian mixed drink. I did not like it very
much, but I realized later on the trip that everyone stirred it
before drinking...maybe that was part of my problem?

A couple of old ladies walking down the sidewalk along the Grand Canal.

The water level is easily seen here, along with some of the damage that comes
from building in salt water in a lagoon.

In Italy, there are lots of taps that are left running, apparently it is drinking water.
I thought it a bit wasteful, but the pigeons enjoyed it!

Fish at the famous fish market in Venice. As fresh as you can get.

One of hundreds of canals in beautiful Venice.

I attempted to get to Burano Island, which is known for lace making and very colorful houses, but I ran out of time. Instead I sat on a bench in a quiet part of Venice with trees and a view of the water. I was only disturbed once when a speedboat went crashing by and was airborne on every other wave...the gentleman the next bench over was shaking his head. After deciding that the movie "Labyrinth" must be made in honor of Venice's hidden passageways (think of the little worm pointing out the secret path), I finally decided to catch a boat and make my way back to the hostel. It was time to grab my pack and head to the train station for my next city, Florence.

Verona, my first Italian experience

My first foray into Italy was to the small city of Verona, the home of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Fortunately there is a lot more to see than Juliet's fake balcony and tourists rubbing her statue's right breast for luck in love. I arrived in Verona after a few hours on the train, it was raining and starting to get dark out. I found my AirBNB apartment without too much trouble, but wanted to make sure I was on the right street. I asked a lady who was walking near me to check and see, but she didn't speak any English. So I pointed at my map and at the street sign, and she seemed to confirm that I was in the right spot. She kept asking me questions in Italian but I could not answer her! It's odd (and awesome) how people will keep trying to help using their language, even though it's clear that I don't understand. I was still confused and annoyed though because my host was not answering the door bell. I thought perhaps there was some mix up. So I went down the street a little ways and found a betting shop that had people in it. Fortunately one person in there spoke English and helped me out. He even let me use his phone to call her. My host was stuck in traffic (Italians stop walking when it rains) and was an hour late. But once she got there everything was fine.

After I settled in a bit, I walked downtown to have my first look at the city and grab some dinner. It was a quick walk, and I had my first view of a Roman arena. I had dinner on the main square, which was surprisingly empty. My waitress was a 19 year old girl, and was curious as to why I was alone. She asked me if it was fun traveling alone, and didn't I get lonely. She wanted to travel, as well, but hadn't yet left Verona. I was surprised at that because I assumed everyone in Europe traveled as much as possible. I told her it was fun traveling, but that of course it gets lonely. I ordered a hamburger and fries simply because I was feeling homesick, and at one point she came up to me with a worried look on her face and asked told me I looked sad. I wasn't sad, but apparently my "trying to remember something that happened 3 days ago" face is a sad face. Oh well.

The next day I grabbed a Verona card (after trying for almost an hour to find the darn tourist office), and visited some sites. I saw the famous Arena, the third largest in Italy, the castle, the Roman Theater, and more. Along the way I had a delicious lasagna for lunch, and ran into some American students studying abroad. Verona was a beautiful city, and a good way to ease into a new country and a new language. It is also where I spent too much money on a new handbag (Italian made!).

The Arena in Verona, Italy. My first, it was awesome.

Inside the halls of the arena.

Ponte Pietra, leading from the castle across the river to a nice park.

There is also a modern art exhibit at the castle, which I was
not allowed to photograph, but these glass stones outside give
an idea to to beautiful glass art I saw inside.

An old window with broken shutter in Verona's old town.

Part of the Roman theater along the banks of the river.

A nice park I found near sunset.

A view of Verona from across the river and up on the hill. There were Veronese watching the sunset.

An olive tree.

Another view of the Arena.

Old marble walkway in the Roman theater. It's amazing that
stuff like this still exists.