Apr 2007

That's me at our pension in Venice, eating my last piece of pizza from my favorite pizzaria in Rome. So what did we find in Venice? Only this...

We had a lay-over of one night in Venice and one night in Vienna on our way from Rome to Prague, but we made the most of it. As usualy, we charged probably 16+ miles in two days -- all after sitting on trains for over 12 hours. That is what you must do if you want to see places in short order, charge it.

Venice, famous for their masks and glass among other things, is a place that you can't just go by without checking out. It isn't everyday that you travel near a city built on the water where the traffic lights direct boats on canals instead of cars on streets. The main square in Venice is the thing to take in after all the side streets and canals. We arrived at dusk, greeted by lights and music. Little stages with a band consisting of a singer, grand piano, bass, violin and accordian played romantic music from plays like the Westside Story and the Sound of Music in front of nice restaraunts and crowds of people.

Gondola on the Main Canal in Venice

St. Mark's Square in Venice

Masks in Venice

Then we made our way by train to Vienna, Austria. We got a good tour of the city by taking the old-fashion tram to our hostel. Tired, but wanting see at least get a picture or two in Vienna, we hopped the metro to see the symbol of the city, St. Stephen's Cathederal. The thing is just looks old, the sides are stained black like it has been through war (it has), and it is huge. The inside is impressive due to the size and the large stained glass in the windows. In the darkness and moonlight though the clouds, the cathederal seemed like a place where Dracula would reside.

Stephandom as it is said in German

Take it or leave it but "until you have seen the Sistine Chapel, you can have no adequate conception of what man is capable of accomplishing," at least that is what Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said in Italian Journey.

The Catholics sure know how to do things right when it comes to building a church and the art of interior design. The Vatican was a place to behold, all 110 acres of it. The sheer amount of different things going on in the Vatican, things to see and try and understand, is far too much to comprehend over years -- let alone a day. I guess I am stuck without words to describe the Vatican museum and St. Peter's Basilica (maybe von Goeth did it for me). I will just show some pictures, the thing is, my pictures don't do the place justice (you aren't allowed to photograph inside the Sistine Chapel, sorry for that). Michelangelo and his nemisis Rafael are a pair of geniuses.

St. Peter's Basilica

...and the inside, it is the biggest church in the world.

Michelangelo's Pieta, a masterpiece

A cool painting on the way to the Sistine Chapel

The "map room" right before you enter the Sistine Chapel

The Rock himself, St. Peter

For me, Rome was one of those things that you try not to hype up too much in your mind for fear of being let down (like the buckeyes winning national champtionships). Well, I was wrong. There could not have been enough hype for this one.

Rome is amazing.

You want history? Overwhelming. You want awesome architecture? Plenty here. Ancient ruins? Untill your heart is content. Art? Everywhere you look. Good food? Have you ever heard of pizza or gelato? Like I said, Rome did not let me down what-so-ever.

We cruised miles a day by foot all over town, on top of the ancient Roman super highway (now called Via Cavour, and on top I mean it is paved over), around the ancient city, and the Vatican to name a few. I am happy to say that I have only eaten gelato (basically the best ice cream, ever), pizza, and some fruit from the stands for the duration of my stay.

Have you ever seen the movie 'Gladiator?' Remember the shot of Rome where the birds are flying on the morning after Maximus is captured? I could see that scene looking at the old ruins, the clouds here at sunset fit the shot perfectly. It was even quiet, being Sunday, the cars weren't allowed on the roads around Palatino hill and the Colosseum.

I sure am glad that I threw a coin in the Trevi fountian -- that means that I will make it back to Rome sometime.

Just a few shots of the Colosseum

The Pantheon, the largest ancient Roman building still intact

Michelangelo's plaza design at Campidogilo, the horse statues are about 1,900 years old!

Palatino Hill Ruins, where Romulus supposedly lived

Fontana di Trevi, the most famous fountain in Italy, flowing with the virgin water from the Roman original aquifer. It depicts Neptune and the sea (among many other things) by two horses, one is tame the other is wild. Pretty cool I thought.

In the famous Plaza Navona, the guy is fighting an octupus!

Pizza, yep I took a picture of it

Gelato!

We should have brought a headlamp... Thinking that we would have good light situations for pictures, we started the 12km Cinque Terra trail at 6:45pm. The sun sets at around 8:10pm these days, but we had been cranking out kilometers like it is our job lately. We probably should have thought a little harder about the situation and thrown that light in the day pack, but we have been rolling with the punches really well.

Cinque Terra is an Italian national park, consisting of 5 tiny coastal towns (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggior) and a trail that connects them with lots of side trails along the way. We decided to take the train to Riomaggior and hike to Monterosso where we would spend the night. It is decieving to start the trail in Riomaggior, the trail is much easier on that end.

We charged the trail, stopping to capture a scene with the camera here and there arriving in Vernazza (the 4th town from our direction) right before sunset. Now, we just had to make the 5th portion of the trail back to Monterosso and dinner. The twilight faded way too fast. The first 4/5ths of the trail had taken us about 2 hours, the last fifth, in the dark, would take us another 2 hours... about that head lamp.

We are not talking about a level, solid, well lit, well marked path here. Instead we are talking about a rocky, uphill, downhill, meandering, pitch-black path. I would have failed the "being prepared" part of the Boys Scouts on this day. However, it was a good experience giving some me some good pictures and a story. There cannot be too many people that have experienced Cinque Terra having the trail lit by lightning bugs, a crescent moon, and the constilations of Orion, Cassiopea and Ursa Major among others.

Manarola, the 1st town past Riomaggiore

Corniglia, the middle town

Vernazza at sunset

For the first time in the last 50+ days, I forgot I was travelling. There is always something that lets you know that you are on the road; the pack on your back, always checking itineraries, making reservations, finding food that isn't in the fridge, seeing new things, language and anything else that is different than the everyday things of home. Travelling is always blatently at the surface or at least part of your consciousness.

After trying to leave Spain for about a week due to the Easter holiday and train schedules, then staying a night in Milan -- which was a good place to get stuck for a day (see pics below) -- due to a workers strike on the train, we finally made it to the swiss part of the trip.

We visited the capital, Bern and made some day trips from there. Then, we found ourselves in Interlaken. It is at this time that my mind wandered from the thoughts of travelling. The smell of the alpine air, clear views of snow capped peaks, blue glacier lakes, waterfalls, evergreen trees. No city sounds; just the breeze through the trees and chirping of birds and crickets.

Switerland is flawless in what they do, cater to tourists. The Swiss are efficient -- surprising to me in Europe -- very clean, nice helpfull people. The problem... it all comes at an expensive price.

Bern skyline

Lake Luzern, crisp clean alpine air

...and agian

Interlaken

Where swiss cheese comes from!

This could almost be in Idaho...

Brienz in the Jungfrau area

The Swiss Alps at Brienz

Castle in Milan, like I said, it was a good place to get stuck for a day

Bam, The Duomo!

...and inside, that is a cathederal, can you here the organ music filling up the empty space?

Prayer candles