Day 12--Arrivederci, Roma!

Wake-up call at 5 AM! We had our bags in the hall for loading on the bus by 5:30. We picked up our sack of breakfast items the hotel provided for us, and boarded the bus at 6:30 to head to the airport. (You can imagine what tempting “treats” were in the breakfast sack!?) We all boarded the plane with optimistic thoughts about how we would be in Atlanta, USA in only a few hours…but that schedule was not meant to be.

The first departure from the timetable was the two-hour delay once we boarded the plane. We sat in the plane parked at the gate in Rome for two hours while they checked and double-checked one of the engines. I can’t complain about safety measures, and the pilot assured us that he could make up most of the time, so we should have no problems making our connecting flights in Atlanta. (Yeah, right!)

Enter the next schedule change. A major storm system passed through Atlanta, and they delayed our landing about an hour and a half. (TV reports referred to the rains as “torrential” with “massive flooding” in some areas of Atlanta. Schools were closed for two days.) To delay the landing time we flew in a circle somewhere over North Carolina. The end result was that nearly all of us missed our connecting flights. Therefore we were all involved in the process of changing tickets, standing in lines, etc. and there was not time for proper “good-byes” with our travel companions. This probably saved us some sad moments (but we traded the “sad” moments for “frustrating” moments!).

The Atlanta airport was an absolute zoo! Apparently we were “lucky” that the flight we eventually got on actually landed in Atlanta, as the storms had caused them to redirect 43 or so flights that were scheduled to land in Atlanta to go to Birmingham. However, we stood in long lines, were frustrated by even more-frustrated Delta agents, and eventually got on another flight headed for Huntsville that was delayed almost three hours. We passed through all the grief stages….denial, meltdown, and eventually humor, which displayed itself in the form of uncontrollable giggles, thereby irritating other passengers who were still in one of the earlier stages. We attempted to figure out how many hours we had been up, but with our exhausted brains, the time-changes and delays to figure in, we were unable to come up with an answer we could all agree on. However, we know that by the time we reached home it was close to 26 hours.

Watching "Roman Holiday" in the Atlanta airport

The first good sign was when we all got on a flight as a “standby”; the second positive event was when Brittany C. located a Starbucks.” (That one discovery lifted her spirits considerably!) We spent several hours of “quality” time in the terminal at Atlanta. Margaret had brought her DVD player in her carry-on so Brittany C., Margaret, Fran and I watched part of “Roman Holiday” while we waited. (For those of you who are too young to be familiar with this movie, it is a black-and-white classic and shows many of the places in Rome that we saw.)

While we were waiting, I took my computer out of my carry-on to give it one more chance to work, and it worked beautifully. I can not explain it, and I am always scared of electronic items that mysteriously “cure themselves” because my experience has been that sooner or later they are going to “un-cure” themselves…just about the time you begin to depend on them again. However, I was thankful, and started playing “Blog Catch-Up” while waiting for our plane. Perhaps it was something Chasity did a few days ago, because I have not touched it since that time. (Thanks again, Chas!) I guess I will just accept my good fortune and be thankful.

I don’t know the travel frustrations of many of our group, but Fran, Margaret, Brittany C., Katherine, Harriet, Steve and I arrived in Huntsville about 12:15 (That would be Tuesday morning.) The best we could figure was that we had been up since that wake-up call, 26-hours earlier in the “day”. I can imagine others may have even worse tales to tell.

So that is it. We looked forward to this trip for months…planned for it…studied about it…packed for it…thought about it. Suddenly, as if in the blink of an eye, it is all over. It was a wonderful adventure, and I would be hard-pressed to pick out my favorite event or place. The places we visited were all different, and each special in their own way. I would do it all over starting tomorrow if I could…only this time I would enjoy having my Olen beside me to enjoy these things.

To all of you who shared these special days with me…thank you for the kindnesses you showed me, the laughs we shared, and the memories we made. We have each other’s e-mail addresses, so let’s stay in touch, and maybe someday we’ll get to do something like this again.

Until it is time for another “Journey with Jane”, I’ll sign off.

Arrivederci!

Day 11--With the Christians in Rome

NOTE: I think I tried to put too many photos into this post and I was not able to get them to the correct place in the type, so just enjoy them where they are. If I figure it out later I'll rearrange them. I'm still a bit sleep-deprived and brain-weary.

Trevi Fountain at night

Janet and Jane enjoy gelati near the Trevi Fountain

Pizza, too! Ann, Kathy, Judy, Janet


I want to return to Rome, so toss in that coin!

Katherine at the Trevi Fountain

The group assembled in the lobby for instructions on leaving the next morning.

Everyone listen to Ferrell!

This is Sunday…always a special day. Today our entire group went by coach to worship with the Christians at La Chiesa di Christo (Church of Christ) in Rome. Most of us would agree that the worship service was one of the highlights of our trip. The meeting house is very nice, and we all arrived in our tour bus, unloaded, and found a seat for the service. We sang five hymns in Italian, but we were all familiar with the English words once we heard the tune, and were able to repeat a portion of the words in Italian. We sang “He Leadeth Me”, “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord”, “Nearer my God to Thee”, “Allelujah”, and “Our God, He is Alive”, all in Italian. If there was a peep-hole in Heaven this morning I can only hope that A. W. Dicus could see and hear Italian and American Christians praising God together using the works he wrote!

After the worship service, Sandro Corazza showed us some Bible commentaries he has translated into the Italian language.

Christians like to stand around and visit after the worship service in Italy, too!

The Colosseum...part of our afternoon sightseeing

The Roman Forum with the Arch of Titus in the background, and the ruins of the Julian Basilica on the right of the picture.

Immediately after the morning worship service

Ferrell Jenkins and Stefano Corazza share the pulpit.

Ferrell was the guest speaker, and he taught an excellent lesson on how God blesses His children beginning with a Scripture from Numbers 6:22-26. His slides were in both English and Italian,and Stefano Corazza (the local evangelist) stood beside Ferrell, translating to the Italians.

After the partaking of the Lord’s Supper and the dismissal prayer, Stefano’s father, Sandro Corazza, spoke to us in English about his conversion as a young man, and the struggles of Christians in Italy. He asked for our prayers for their continued success in spreading the Gospel. It was very moving. After he finished speaking, we stayed around, visited, and took photos. It was difficult to leave and board the bus, but eventually we had to do just that.

Our first sight-seeing stop was at the Colosseum, which is usually thought of as the symbol of Rome. It is the largest and most famous of the amphitheaters. The wooden floor of the Colosseum is long-gone, of course, but with the floor gone it reveals corridors and underground areas where gladiators and wild beasts were kept. By this time it was sprinkling a little, and not the best time for photos.

We walked to the Roman Forum, which is a rather large area where people came to meet, shop, worship, and socialize 2500 years ago. Many pedestals and columns are still standing. We saw the Arch of Titus that celebrates the Romans taking Jerusalem in AD 70. A menorah is depicted on the inside of the arch and other items to show the plunder that was taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. Leaving the area of the Roman Forum, we passed the Mamertine Prison, a state prison where Peter and Paul were supposedly imprisoned, but there is no way to check the accuracy of this claim.

That evening we had the final dinner of the tour, which is always a bitter-sweet event. It is amazing how close a group can get in such a few short days, and knowing that you are eating the final meal all together is always a little sad. Several of us just picked at our dinner, because we had decided to go out after dinner for pizza and gelati. (Ice cream is said to be an art form in Rome.)

After dinner the entire group met in the lobby and said good-bye to our tour guide, Esther, who had been with us the entire trip. (She said if I was going to write about her in my blog I should refer to her as “La Contessa Esther”, so I have done that.) We enjoyed her presence, help, and assistance, although I know at times she felt like she was herding chickens. She had a habit of calling us by saying, “Dahlings…Dahlings, come this way!”

Then several of us got taxis and left. I think the group consisted of Mike, Peggy, Judy, Kathy, Harriet, Steve, Katherine, Ann, Janet and me. We planned to go to see the Trevi Fountain at night, stroll around, take photos, eat, and take a taxi back to the hotel. It was a beautiful night, cool and pleasant. When we arrived at the fountain we noticed that we were not the only ones who thought this would be a lovely night to visit the fountain. I have no idea how many people were there, but hundreds, to be sure. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. We took turns taking photos of each other throwing coins in the fountain, posing in small groups, eating, etc. It was a lovely celebration for our last night in Rome…and our last night of the tour.

We returned to the hotel about 10 PM to sleep for a few hours before heading for the airport early the next morning. (We might have returned a little earlier if we had known that the next day would be 26 hours long!)

Day 10--Rome...the Vatican Area

With no blogging responsibilities, I found myself having to take more notes so I could remember details once I got home.. This was “Vatican Day” for sightseeing. Our local guide in Rome was a tall, nice-looking Italian young man, who was very knowledgeable in his subject, but lacked some of what we would refer to as “bedside manner” if we were talking about doctors. Thankfully, Esther (our guide for the entire trip) was with us and tried to run interference when needed.

Our first stop was in Vatican City, which is the smallest independent state in the world. The Pope, of course, is the absolute monarch, with about 500 people living in the Vatican. They have their own post office, currency, radio station and newspaper. We walked across St. Peter’s Square where the Pope addresses (blesses?) the masses from his window on Sundays. We passed a couple of the colorfully-dressed Swiss Guards, but unfortunately could not get

close enough for good photos.

Dome in Saint Peter's Basilica

On to Saint Peter’s Basilica. This church is supposedly built over the grave of the apostle Peter, and boasts of being the largest church in Christendom. My experience with the size of houses of worship leaves me unable to argue with that statement. Inside we viewed Michelangelo’s “Pieta”, located just to the right as you enter. It was difficult to get a photo since it is now protected by glass since it was attacked by a deranged man named Laszlo Toth in 1972. Also of interest in the Basilica are the “paintings” on the wall. We were to find out that they were not “paintings” at all, but made of the tiniest pieces of mosaic. You had to get very close and get the light just right to tell that they were not paintings. In one area they had the body of Pope John 23 (who died in 1963) on view. Creepy, to say the least.

Michaelangelo's "Pieta" (behind glass)

One of the mosaics in the Basilica

Crowds in the Vatican Museum...on the way to the Sistine Chapel

Pope John XXIII

Then we went to the Vatican Museums, which are located in palaces originally built for the Popes, but now these palaces contain the world’s largest museum complex. We were all given “whispers”, which is a semi-working earphone with a connecting battery device to hang around your neck. The idea is that the guide can “whisper” information and those wearing the devices can hear his words, Nice idea…not yet in a state of perfection. We kept having static, missing entire sentences, and picking up “broadcasts” from other guides in the area who were speaking some other language. It was at this point that several of us tired of the guide describing in gorey detail each painting and tapestry on view. There were signs pointing to the Sistine Chapel, so we went ahead, estimating that we would arrive at the Sistine Chapel ahead of the others. We followed all the signs, and did not cross the roped off areas. We walked up stairs, then down stairs, then repeated the motion again and again, finally ending up in the Sistine Chapel. Like disobedient children, we were reprimanded by our guide for not “staying with the group”. (Apparently he had brought the others through the roped-off area and avoided the up-and-down steps, so they arrived in the Chapel a few minutes before we did. However, by the time we got there (and had to wait for several others who had done the same thing we did, but just didn’t move as fast) I was too tired to do much except just glance up a time or two at the paintings in the chapel. By that time I was in an “artistic overload”. The entire museum was extremely crowded, and especially the Sistine Chapel. Statistics state that the Sistine Chapel has about 9,000 visitors each day, and I believe all 9,000 of today’s quota were squashed in the chapel the same time we were there. I began to think of my visit to the Sistine Chapel as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don’t think I have to go back there again any time soon.

Not only were we tired of listening to the static on the “whispers”, we were ravenously hungry (because it was after 1:30), needed to make use of the “facilities”, and our feet hurt. Our guide took us to a little hole-in-the-wall food station and allowed us 20 minutes to eat and use the bathrooms. Was he kidding?


After a bite of lunch we were semi-revived, so we boarded the bus to head for the Catacombs near the Appian Way. The Catacombs are subterranean cemeteries used by believers in Christ for burial of their loved ones in the third to fifth centuries. The bodies are gone, but we were able to walk through the echoing passageways and see the niches in the walls where the bodies were buried. It is estimated that at one time the Catacombs contained over a million bodies, so you can see how extensive the area is. We walked down into the area underground and walked for quite a while, but I am sure we did not see even a small portion of what was originally there. Some think that believers in Christ worshipped in the catacombs, but the space was very tight and there is no real evidence to point to this. Sorry, no photos allowed inside the Catacombs. You must go and see them yourselves. It was very interesting.

As we left the area of the Catacombs we were interested in going on the Appian Way a little further, but the bus driver said he could not go there. Apparently a little farther up the road an original area of paving remains from Roman times. We would loved to have seen it. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, the Browns returned to the hotel, hired a taxi, and went back out to that area where they reported seeing the ancient part of the road. It was along a portion of the Appian Way that the apostle Paul was led as a prisoner to Rome.

I was still more than a little frustrated with my computer, and Chasity agreed to look at it and see if she could help. She came to our room late that afternoon, fooled with it for almost two hours, and did everything she could think of, but finally decided it would require major work once I got home. (Bless Chasity’s heart…she gave up her afternoon nap to try to help me, but Margaret and I also enjoyed visiting with her while she worked.) I appreciate her efforts so much, but at that point I thanked her for her help, and packed the computer away for the trip home, trying not to think about it for the remainder of the time we were gone.

Day 9--Rome on foot in the daytime; by coach at night

The "Pisa Girls"

This morning we said good-bye to the area of Tuscany and headed toward Rome. While we rode the bus, sunshine gave way to overcast skies, and finally back to sunshine by the time we arrived in Rome. Fran, Margaret, Brittany C. and I showed up at breakfast wearing our Pisa tee shirts, and enjoyed sharing our adventure with the others. While we were on the bus, Ferrell referred to us as the “girls” who went to Pisa. Three of us were honored by his description. Brittany, of course, is accustomed to being referred to as a “girl”.

Beautiful countryside between Florence and Rome

While we were riding we passed beautiful farmland on rolling hillsides with higher mountains in the background. Some of the mountains had small villages on the lower slopes. We crossed the Tiber River, and in several places were interested to watch sheep grazing on the hillsides. As we got closer to Rome we noticed palm trees, a particular variety of “fan” pine trees, and other vegetation indicating a warmer climate in this area. I think the drive from Florence to Rome was 187 miles, if you are still believing the information from “Mapcrow”.

Rome is a different city from the others we had visited. It is an interesting combination of different civilizations all jumbled together in the same area. Roman times are just around the corner from the Renaissance, which is down the street from the twenty-first century. Traffic in Rome is interesting, to say the least. I would not dare drive in the city because the lanes drawn on the pavement seem to be only a suggestion and might-makes-right seems to be the way the drivers maneuver to get in a line of traffic. Many people ride motorcycles, and most of the individual cars are tiny…almost the size of a closed-in golf cart. No vans or larger vehicles at all. The small cars enable drivers to park in impossible places…even on the sidewalk! We saw several of them just park head-in to a tiny parking area that was not wide enough for parallel parking, and still they were out of the traffic lanes.

We checked in the hotel when we arrived, rested a few (15?) minutes, and Margaret and I left on foot to see three sights we were particularly interested in. We were wearing our “Pisa” tee shirts, carrying our cameras in one hand and a map of Rome in the other. No one could have guessed we were tourists! As usual, the walk was longer than it looked like it would be when we studied the map back in the hotel. Undaunted, we managed to visit the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps). Luckily, we arrived at the top of the steps, so our route took us down the steps rather than up them, since they consist of 12 flights. To make them even more difficult to climb, they vary in width, but provide an excellent aerobic workout. This is one of the most popular sites in Rome and it was a body-to-body experience. Snap photo quickly and move on to the next place.

Spanish Steps...and loads of tourists just like us!

On to our second destination…the Trevi Fountain, Rome’s largest and most famous fountain. Legend has it that if you toss a coin over your left shoulder into the fountain you are guaranteed to return to Rome. Of course Margaret and I both tossed in a coin! I would definitely like to return! This was also the fountain where Anita Ekburg waded in while acting in the famous scene of the movie, “La Dolce Vieta” in 1960. Prior to that, the Trevi Fountain made another movie debut in “Three Coins in a Fountain”. As you might expect, we were not the only tourists at this spot, either. Snap photo and move on to the site #3 on our “must see” list for the afternoon.

Trevi Fountain..."Three Coins in a Fountain"

Our third goal was to see the Panthenon, said to be Rome’s best preserved building, whatever that means. The dome is the largest ever built before the introduction of reinforced concrete in the 20th century.

We looked at our watches and realized it was time to return to the hotel, so we located a taxi and were able to communicate the location of our hotel to the driver, who spoke not one work of English. We arrived back at the hotel in time to wash our hands and show up for dinner. Busy afternoon!

Harriet and Steve relaxed by one of the many fountains as they enjoyed the night tour of Rome.

After dinner most of the group went on a nighttime tour of Rome on the bus. It was interesting to see some of the popular sites lit up for viewing. We arrived back at the hotel exhausted, but so glad to be here seeing these wonderful things. Rome is the last stop on our tour. We have looked forward to this trip for so long, and it is passing much too quickly. This reminds us that life itself passes very quickly and we should make the most out of every minute. Let that thought sink in as I call it a day. I hope your day was as full of excitement as ours was.

P.S. At this point on the trip my computer decided to “freeze up”. I asked several people on the tour who were computer-savy, and apparently the best guess was that I had some sort of computer virus (can computers get the swine flu?) or the entire operating system needed to be reinstalled. I did not like either of those guesses, so I stopped writing the blog and decided to simply enjoy the trip until I got home. Therefore, the remainder of this was written after I returned home.

Day 8--What an adventure!

We left the hotel fairly early this morning and met our local guide who took us to several spots we walked past yesterday afternoon during our “orientation walk”. Today we got to see those spots in more detail.

Our first stop was at the Academy to see Michelangelo’s “David” on display there. Not a student of art, I was surprised at several things. First of all, the statue was made to represent young David as he went to fight the giant, Goliath. The point of the Biblical account is that the small, young boy David managed to triumph over Goliath with the help of God. Then, why did Michaelangelo make him larger than life (17-feet tall!)? It certainly did not fit with the song “Only a Little Boy David” that we sing with our children in Bible class. Michaelangelo created this masterpiece when he was only 29 years old. I tried to think what I was accomplishing in my life at that same age. (I had a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old at the time, and all I can think of is that my major accomplishment was having both of them potty-trained!)

In the museum, as we walked through the halls to view the “David” we passed several unfinished works of Michaelangelo. As Elizabeth suggested, the fact that a great sculptor left many unfinished works makes us feel a little better about the piles of unfolded laundry and semi-completed projects we left undone at home.

We went to the Santa Croce Church and saw the bronze-gilded “Gates of Paradise” doors on the octagonal building where many famous residents of Florence were baptized. We also went to a leather shop to learn how they produce the lovely leather goods this area is famous for.

Judy and Susan model coats at the leather factory.

Fran, Brittany C., Margaret, and I enjoyed lunch at Boccadama. Yummy!

Fran, Margaret, Brittany C. and I had lunch at a wonderful restaurant in the area and decided to have a little adventure since we had a free afternoon to explore on our own. We walked to the Santa Maria Novella train station and purchased round-trip train tickets (11 Euros, a bargain, we thought) to take us to the city of Pisa, which was supposed to be a train ride of slightly over an hour. We managed to juggle the language barrier, purchase our tickets, have them stamped, locate the correct gate, and board the train right before it pulled out of the station.

All aboard for Pisa!

Street scene in one of the towns on the way to Pisa

Beautiful scenes between Florence and Pisa

The train ride was a little longer than we thought it would take, but we passed mountains, vineyards, and lovely scenery along the way. We did not find four seats together, so we each had opportunities to visit with “new friends” while we rode along. (Some of the communications resembled a game of charades, but was fun.) Once we arrived in Pisa it was quite a walk across town to see the famous “leaning tower”. By this time the sun was shining brightly, and it was quite warm, but one view of the famous tower made us very thankful we had taken the time and the trouble to make the afternoon trip. We stayed at the tower area much longer than we had thought we would, took many more photos than we expected to take, and even purchased tee-shirts while we were there. (Been there, done that, bought a tee shirt!)

Just to prove we were really there!

We walked back across Pisa to the train station and hopped on another train headed to Firenze (Florence). This train was not nearly as crowded and the four of us got to sit together on the return trip. By this time we were exhausted and everything was extremely funny, so we laughed all the way back. By the time we got back to Florence we were very tired and had only about 40 minutes until we were due to show up at the hotel for dinner, so we shared a taxi from the train station back to the hotel, arriving in time to wash our hands and show up at dinner.

We agreed that we would try to avoid telling where we had spent our day today. Our plans are for all of us to just show up tomorrow morning wearing our tee shirts! Does that sound like something teenagers would do on a senior trip? Well, this is very similar to a senior trip…only most of the people on this trip are “genuine” seniors!

It was a great day and included some unusual and different activities. Let me encourage each of you to do something unusual and different today. Step out of your comfort zone and enjoy yourself. Fran, Margaret, Brittany C. and I certainly did! We will never forget this special day.

Day 7--Venice to Florence

We were greeted with rain again this morning…so thankful for the lovely day yesterday in Venice! We left the area of Venice in a drizzle, headed for Florence, a distance of about 164 miles. (Remember, these distances came from “Mapcrow”, so repeat at your own risk!) Our guide called the day “lovely”, even as the rain got harder. We were inside the bus en route to Florence anyway, so we were no worse off.

Speaking of our guide, she speaks five languages, and is finally trying her hand at speaking “Southern”, which is interesting (to say the least) with her British accent. It is not too authentic, but she seemed to enjoy the attempt, and said it made her feel more laid-back. Perhaps she will count Southern English as a sixth language now!

The rain had slacked off, leaving low-hanging fog by the time we got to Bologna. It left interesting sights and shading on the mountainous area we drove through. As when we were in the mountains of Austria, there were many tunnels to drive through, but still wonderful views to take in between the tunnels. The highways we have been on are modern four-lane roads with excellent signs (if you happen to be able to read Italian).

Foggy (but beautiful) Italian countryside

Just outside the city of Florence we stopped for a quick lunch break. They had Magnum bars, so of course I had to treat myself. Janet had never had a Magnum bar, but I have to report that we have another Magnum addict to add to our group. We have corrupted poor Janet! Perhaps we will have to form a self-help group once we get back to the U.S. and all have to go through Magnum-bar-withdrawal.

Once in Florence we drove to the Piazzale Michaelangelo, which has a wonderful view of the city and the River Arno. It was at this location where we took our official group photo using Ferrell’s sign. I imagine he will post that photo on his blog either today or tomorrow, so be checking his blog also.

Shots taken from the view overlooking Florence and the Arno River: Ed and Rena; Margaret and Jane

We rested for about an hour and then went on an orientation walking tour of the sights near our hotel. By this time the sun was out and it was quite warm, but with the off-and-on rain we had experienced lately, most of us carried umbrellas just in case. Fortunately, we did not need them, and enjoyed the walk in the sunshine. We walked to the Piazza of Santa Croce and on to the Piazza del Signoria where a copy of Michaleangelo’s David and the Neptune Fountain can be seen. We walked on down beside the Uffizi Gallery and on to the sidewalk beside the River Arnno for a view of the Ponte Vecchio bridge.

So, tonight we are in Florence in the Tuscany area of Italy. This is a very interesting world we live in. Appreciate your area, wherever you are today. This is a beautiful world with so many things to enrich our lives. Have a wonderful day wherever you are.

Day 6--Part 2--We LOVE Venice

Perhaps it was the sunshine. Perhaps it was the romance of the area, or perhaps the fact that the city of Venice has fascinated travelers for hundreds of years. For whatever reason, our day in Venice was fantastic. Venice has risen to place itself on my “come back” list.

Venice is a city built on low mud banks in the Adriatic Sea. It consists of 118 or so little islands located in the Venetian Lagoon two miles off the coast of northern Italy. More than 14 million visitors go to Venice each year (1 million plus Ferrell’s 33 this year). The bus took us across a causeway (Bridge of Liberty) where we boarded a waterbus to Venice proper.

Once there, we walked as a group to the Piazzo San Marco which is surrounded by the Basilica of St. Mark and the Doges Palace, which was at one time the home of the rulers of Venice and the state officers. The famous “Bridge of Sighs” connects the Doges Palace with the prison and the story is that it got its name from prisoners sighing as they were crossing it when they were led to be tried. The Basilica of St. Mark was thought to have the body of Mark buried there, but the body was lost or misplaced in a fire in 976. However, it amazingly reappeared when the new church was consecrated in 1094. That is the story…

We toured the local glass factory where the well-known Venetian Glass is created by skilled artisans. After leaving the glass factory we had several hours to sightsee on our own, and were to meet back slightly before 2:00 for a gondola ride.

Margaret, Eleanor and I started out together, but the first interesting thing I saw was the 91-meter-high belltower in the square. Unlike other structures I have climbed on this trip, this one had an elevator, so the decision to go up was an easy one for me. However, Margaret and Eleanor were not quite as enthusiastic, so they went off together, leaving me standing in the line to go to the top of the elevator. The wait was only a few minutes, and the view from the top was spectacular. From the top I could see the Adriatic, the island of Murano and the entire area on Venice.

When I got back down to ground level, I decided that I wanted to make sure I saw the Rialto Bridge, which is a solid stone bridge that spans the Grand Canal in the heart of the city. I had a “sort-of” map, which unfortunately did not have all the names of all the tiny streets listed on it. I headed off in the general direction of the Rialto and was beautifully lost for almost two hours. I saw the most magnificent things! Like my friend Lucy’s mom says, “I see the best things when I am lost!” There is a lot of truth in that statement.

I stopped several people and asked directions but found out that most of the people who spoke English were as lost as I was. I eventually found the bridge, which is beautiful, and definitely worth a look-see. I crossed the bridge and took several photos of the Grand Canal from that view. Amazing though it was, my return to our appointed meeting place went fairly smoothly and I was there is plenty of time,. I wish I had worn my pedometer. I must have walked for miles.

On to the gondola ride, which was expensive, but was worth every penny. Our group was in 4 or 5 separate gondolas, and the gondoliers knew we were a group, so they kept us together through the winding smaller canals, and finally when we reached the Grand Canal they pulled our gondolas side by side where we were entertained by a musician and a singer (love songs about Venice, of course!) while we took photos of the surroundings and of each other.

We had more time to explore on our own, and Margaret and I walked around for a while. When she decided she had rather sit than walk any more, Steve and I took an additional area to explore. I think I scared him a little when I suggested we take a very narrow little street. He asked what was down there, and when I told him I had no idea, but we might not ever get back here, he followed me, and eventually we came out in familiar territory. (More great photos along the way!)

At 6 PM the group met for dinner at one of the Italian restaurants on the island. It was dark by the time we left, and the lights of Venice were on and the water in the canals sparkled as we crossed the bridges to get back to our waterbus. After the waterbus ride and the bus ride to the hotel we were all exhausted. The older people got very quiet while the younger group got the “I’m-so-tired” giggles and laughed heartily all the way back. I guess that kept the rest of us awake so we could stagger to our rooms.

As Paul Harvey says, “now you know the rest of the story”. The length of the day yesterday is why I posted no information. I did not trust myself to speak a sentence that made sense, much less attempt to write one.

Today we are off to Florence, the “jewel of the Renaissance”. Perhaps I can get this posted before we leave.

Day 6--We love Venice!

It is late tonight and we are VERY tired after spending nearly twelve hours walking around in Venice. There are not words to fully describe Venice anyway, so tonight just enjoy the photos and I will try to blog tomorrow.

Day 5--Romeo, Romeo

News Flash of the Day: Magnum ice cream bars are available in Italy! If this statement has no meaning to you, then I hope that sometime in your life you get to taste one. Sorry, not available in the U.S.

The day started out with drizzling rain and cool weather…and my discovery that somewhere between the waterfall a few days ago and the events of today I had lost my umbrella. As we headed south out of Innsbruck the rain turned into overcast skies, so there was some improvement weather-wise.

Leaving Austria...

There were not as many tunnels on this route as there were on yesterday‘s “tunnel-tour“, and the scenes on both sides of the bus were breathtaking. We reached the most beautiful point at Brenner Pass between Austria and Italy. That view was absolutely breathtaking
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Castle that stands guard at the Austrian-Italian border

Shortly after that we stopped for our mid-morning break, and that is when the Great Magnum Bar Discovery took place. Mike and Peggy were credited for the discovery. As you may remember, Mike skipped dinner last night, but made up for it this morning. Perhaps he knew what treat might be ahead of us and was saving himself for the Magnum bars! There is a rule against eating cooked food or ice cream on the bus, and I must admit that I had to finish my ice cream bar standing in the rain beside the bus. Judy was nice enough to stand with me and hold her umbrella over me, because by that time the drizzling rain had returned.

Mike and Peggy enjoy their magnum bars...yum, yum!

We arrived in Verona and were treated to a drive through the city and a walking tour of the area. We saw the gates to the city, remnants of the old city wall, the house that inspired the Romeo and Juliet story, and the ancient Roman amphitheatre (which is the third largest in the world…the one is Rome is larger, of course).

By that time it had begun a light, drizzly rain again. The group split up for a little while to allow for lunch and sightseeing on our own. Fran, Margaret, and I had failed to exchange our US currency for Euros, and between us we had less than 10 Euros, so lunch was not much of an option. We sat on a park bench and ate our granola bars we had in our purses, and did some quality people-watching before going for a walk…in the rain.

I finally found a vendor who was selling umbrellas for four Euros, and I had seven, so my umbrella problem was solved. I only hope the umbrella will open again tomorrow morning, if I need it. It looks rather cheap (I wonder why?).

Ferrell and Elizabeth enjoy a walk in the rain in Verona.

On to Venice. Actually, we are staying in an area named Mestre, but will go the island area of Venice in the morning. So, from a soggy spot in Italy, we are seeing wonderful sights, having lots of fun, and hopefully learning things we could never learn from an easy chair at home. I wish I had a Magnum bar to share with each of you!