Well, we had to say goodbye to Varenna today. It's such a cool spot, it will be hard to top the feeling you get hanging in that little village. I had made arrangements to meet a local realtor so we could look at a few places that were for sale.... 45 mins past the scheduled meeting time and super salesboy still hadn't shown. So I reluctantly put the Laguna in 1st gear, and pulled out of town. Sigh.
Our next three nights will be spent in the one and only Venice! Neither Stacey or I have ever been to Venice, and we were not quite sure what to expect. But before Venice, we had planned a stop in Verona along the way.
The highlight of Verona is the 36 AD Roman Amphitheater. This place would give any modern structure a run for its money with its acoustic capabilities. It's the third largest of its kind in the world, and was once home to the savage Gladiator games! Fin wouldn't stop talking about the Gladiator games. He asked me if they would be rated 18A if they were still going.
Looking brand new, this bad boy is almost 2000 years old.
Today the Arena is a perfect stage for live music. In particular, the opera's in the Arena are suppose to be incredible.
From the top of the Arena there is a great view of the vibrant Piazza Bra.
After the Arena we visited Castelvecchio. This castle dates back to the mid 1300's and was built by a fella named Cangrande II. I think Double Grande would have been a way cooler name.
View from inside the courtyard of Double Grande's castle.
Looking for a Frog in the Well.
Am I the only one wondering why Double Grande has a painting of Gil in his house?
A walk around the castle walls.
After a stop at Gelateria, we were off to Venezia!
Ok, here's the deal. I have heard about it, read about it and seen it in movies, but I have always wondered what Venice was really like. Is it a big floating tourist trap? Is it a floating trailer park? Is it a tacky place to visit? I had no idea. I guess that's why we came, so we can form our own opinions of one of the worlds most famous cities.
We drove our car as far east as you can, and ended up at a big massive parkade. We abandoned the Laguna for the next 3 nights and jumped on the No. 1 Water Bus. Destination: San Marco Vallaresso. The boat is literally a water bus that makes about 15 stops on our 45 minute journey. I had expected to get on a boat and be whisked across a wide body of water for 30 mins before arriving at the mysterious island of Venice. Instead, we were bombarded right away with the splendour of this fascinating city. We have only been here a few hours, and I have to say, it is an attack on the senses.
So ya, that was our introduction to Venice.... Call it what you want, but I think that this place is awesome. I have NEVER seen anything like it before. Crazy as it sounds, the pictures don't do it justice. Absolutely awesome.
Ok, if that little 45 minute boat ride wasn't cool enough, check out our apartment that is on the top floor of a 425 year old building. It is astonishing. Super duper funky, and in the heart of Venice.
Of course we couldn't have a dinner without Fintan making friends with the waiter. This guy was awesome. He told Fin that by the time Fin was done his pizza, he would be able to guess Fin's name and age. As soon as Fin got up to use the restroom this guy walked over and asked for his name, age and what he would order for dessert. These are the pics when he was "guessing" Fin's specs. Brilliant.
This was waiter number two breaking the news to Fin that he had to pay the bill. "Um, dad..?"
Well, it's late and I need to get to bed. I need to get some rest as I am really looking forward to exploring the city tomorrow. Oh, by the way, we totally got lost trying to find a restaurant that had been recommended to us. The city streets are a total rats maze. Should be a fun few days.
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