Cork & Alli's Trip Report

Sorry guys, chemo week but catching up!

Day 3 of cork & alli's adventure..... (this one is a long one!)
After Demetrius departed.....( after freezing his a$$ off...I'll let cork explain this one...)

Gladly! It appears that our little Alli has hot blood or something cause she likes to sleep in the friggin cold! I needed a snowsuit to go to bed at night . Poor Demetrius and I had to snuggle up :funn: (I wish) because the heat in the train compartment was very high when we first got in it so our little Alli shut the heat down (we didn't know it) as we are whisking through the Alps to Austria in 30 degree weather in a metal car (aka train). It was FREEZING all night. I learned real quick to wear layers to bed :rofl:

I have to interject that we are in a hotel in Jacksonville and it's about 100 degrees in the room because my dad gets real cold nowadays. I am suffocating, where are you Alli?

We tried to get back to sleep. Cork did, I could not. The woman truly CAN sleep anywhere.!

Baby you did fantastic and really surprised the heck out of me. Many people can't take the movement or the rattling of the trains and going through tunnels etc. You did GREAT! The wine could have had a smidge to do with it but who cares

As it became light I was able to see the beginings of the ALPS!!!! How impressive. We washed up and were ready for Salzburg. But were they ready for us?
At the station we stopped in at the TI to secure a room. As it turns out...we booked the last one in this wonderful hotel in the "old town" (Salzburg really does have an older section of town ). We took the bus that let us off right in front of the old town. We walked around a bit, looking for our hotel. Everywhere there were booths set up with new years eve trinkets (good luck pigs, horseshoes etc.) Other booths were set up selling different foods and drinks (the best of which turned out to be hot wine! ) !

I have been to Salzburg several times before and I do have to say they got started late this year. In the past, the wine and beer started flowing about 11AM. It was about 2 or 3 PM it seemed this year.

We finally found our hotel. It was WONDERFUL! The Blaue Gans (this is a test...who can tell us what this means?) This is where the Internet was free!!! I took a shower while cork did some computer catching up! Then she took a shower while I did some SoWalling!
The hotel was a 4 star, and a great and gracious hotel. What luck that we got the last room!...but as I said earlier, we had incredible luck with accommodations and timing throughout the entire trip!!

I actually took a nap in this comfy hotel and while alli was downstairs I kept hearing these booms outside and being half asleep I was think WTF is that? After meeting up with alli and discussing, I remembered that we missed the big reenactment when the Austrians fought from the 3 mountains. It's a big deal and a bunch of short men (midget like) dress up in 3 different types of uniforms to represent the 3 armies and they go to the top of each of the mountains and shoot canyons at each other. Duh, can't believe we missed it.

After satisfying our shower needs and our computer craving we set out to explore Salzburg. What a beautiful and majestic setting! Mountains, cathedral domes, and an old castle dominate the skies. On the city level there are alleys and shops everywhere. During this time of the year every shop, restaurant and business has a live tree (Austrian pine) outside their door (and usually more than one!) These Christmas trees are all real and the most beautiful trees in the world. They are so delicate looking. Cork said Salzburg was like a fairy tale city and she was right! The best was yet to come, though, as it is even more lovely at night!![/quote]

In my book, I think that Salzburg is one of the most scenic cities that I've ever been to. Flood lit castles, cobblestone streets, mountain peaks - just my favorite.

My grandfather was from Austria, so I felt the sensation of being quite connected to this city! I could feel the history and the culture , the city wears it proudly!
We walked through the streets and alleys. We decided it was time to eat so our culinary quest began. I was insistent that we try to find a restaurant that served authentic cuisine. We found a cute little cafe that fit the bill! I had goulash with a potato dumpling and cork had grilled sausages with sauerkraut. !

I love austrian and german food mmmmmm! It's very easy to find authentic cuisine in both countries.

On one side was a small Moroccan style cafe and on the other was an entrance to a hotel. At the end of the court yard a small bar area had been set up. For some reason we were "drawn" to it. Here we purchased our first hot wines! Pure manna on a cold day!

We took our mugs and walked out to investigate the grave yard. What an amazing place! It seems strange to refer to a grave yard this way...but it is true! Lining the walls are the gated sites and all along the path are the in ground plots. Each plot is tended with love. I was astonished to see each grave elaborately decorated for Christmas! Some were more lavish than others, but each had been lovingly decorated! It was like walking through a museum or art gallery! I did not take any pictures of these...it would have been a travesty! I would have felt disrespectful! I did take a picture of the gates similar to the ones the Vontrapp family hid in.!

Ah, Glukswein! How many did we have that night, Alli No better drink when you're walking around that Alps in winter and at the bargain price of what 1.5 euros each? And I even learned something new about Austrian christmases. Ali told me that all the little trees with candles was the tradition. There were no ornaments, garland or anything. Just FRESH trees with candles hanging all over them. I couldn't figure why they didn't catch fire but Alli reminded me how fresh the trees were as opposed to what we get.

We walked back to our little grotto area bar to return the mugs. We stopped in at the little cafe there and I loved it. We thought it would be a good place to come back to for dinner....UMMMM...NO!!! It was new years eve and they had a set menu...about 70 euro a piece...
We walked around some more, checked out the booths and shops. We were on a quest for a lucky pig! I finally found the most unobtrusive pig I could find....a tiny (I mean REALLY tiny) glass pig. I guess size does not matter...because we had good luck the whole trip! Cork was disgusted with me...but hey....I don't like pigs. We bought a few more trinkets ( I tried to get cork to buy herself a "dirty pig" but she wouldn't)!

Ahem, is there where somebody lifted one of the Mugs?
Don't worry angel, my first Salzburg pig was really small like that too . I was like OK sure, this is the tradition - when in rome...... but they really do work so I was just hedging my bet with the bigger pig :rofl: . Somehow the dirty ones didn't seem like something that I'd want to display at christmas . Speaking of dirty pigs, where's 30gAy? I've got a special pig for him :funn:

We changed clothes for the holiday evening. We SoWalled some more then headed out. We had more hot wine and walked around a bit. Our culinary quest for dinner was Weiner Schnitzel with spaetzle!!! We found the perfect place and had dinner! After dinner we walked around some more, had more hot wine, walked, wine, wine.....One of the highlights of the evening was when we walked out side the old city and stood on the bridge! Looking back at the city was breath taking! All the cathedral domes were lit up as was the old castle. Cork got a pretty good photo of it (I hope)!

I so loved that little restaurant that we found. Our table was down in a basement. the schnitzel was great! As was the Glukswein.
The photos of the city did not come out It's our secret I guess Alli.

The square was beginning to fill up. Big plans for the New Years Eve celebration! Around 9:30(??) the first band began to play. The Wild Cats...an all lady band. They were very good. Most of the songs they performed were American 80's. The second band was Star Mix. They were good too. By this time the square was rocking. Cork & I kept leaving our spot to get more wine, but we were always able to squeeze back into our spot...center stage! There was much revelry form everyone. At one point we had a rowdy group of young bloods behind us...too funn!!

Our timing was a little off and we were apparently looking for everybody while they were home getting ready cause Alli kept saying "there's not that many people here for New Years" and I agreed. But our patience paid off as the night went on. The square filled up. People of all ages dancing to:

I will Survive

And

It's Raining Men :funn:

You kinda had to be there but every country we went to where there was bands or music we heard those 2 songs and the people love them. I think they love all disco. But the funny thing is standing listening to Dutch and German bands singing all these old songs in English. :rofl: JUST FOR US !!


I was pretty buzzed, the music was blaring (we were on top of the stage) with contemporary music and I looked up into the sky to see these historic domed buildings lit up with blue, pink and yellow spotlights and I though "Magic!!!!!" then the fireworks lighting up the sky above it all just took my breath away Thank you Alli for sharing this wonderful moment with me

As the 12:00 hour drew near, I could tell there was this "person" inching closer to us. I tried not to make eye contact...but I could tell he was trying to get close to us. When 12:00 hit he was behind us and grabbed both of us and hugged. He started talking to me. I could never figure out his real story....He was from India, Italy, Pakistan, Iran or Spain???? He told Cork he was living in Salzburg doing some kind of work...he had been away from his wife for 4 years (was that it cork?) He was trying the whole time to suck my face .... Cork finally made him back off. He bought us each a small bottle of champagne, which was nice...however, we drank and split!
Weaved and bobbed our way through the crowd so Ackhmed (or what ever his name was) would not follow us!

I didn't really notice him inching over to us. Did i mention we were a little buzzed. And those crazy kids in back of us had all my attention trying to figure out how to trip them or set them on fire with one of their cigarettes so they'd leave us alone. Naw, they were just kids but I was concerned about one of them falling or puking on us.

Then at midnight, I turned to hug a couple of people in the crowd and there was Ackhmed I didn't make eye contact but the next thing I know he's stuckto Allifunn and wanting to buy us drinks. And yes, he's been working in Salzburg for 4 years and his wife is in "somewhere" but not with him. That's when the interrogation began and he had a different answer each time I asked him where he was from. But..... a free drink is a free drink. Once he bought the champagne is when I noticed him trying to slobber on Alli. An eagle claw to his throat and he changed his tactics from grabbing and slobbering to romancing her a little more asking to go to a bar or something. I think we told a few lies right back at him and yes, we made an effort to lose ourselves quickly in the crowd cause you can never be too careful and the last thing we needed was Ackhmed at our hotel in the morning. :shock:

Back at the hotel we SoWalled some more and then tried to DD several people. We did manage to talk to BB and Jennay. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Drunk dialing. Wish we could have gotten more of you.

The next morning (AGAIN) we didn't wake up until LATE! I took another shower...I learned to take advantage of every shower I could get....never know when the next one will be...
We left our bags at the hotel and enjoyed the city some more. We found another small Tea Room/Bakery and had some lunch. Quiche Lorraine and salad...it was delish!

DELISH! Great Light lunch in salzburg and then my 2 Mozart chocolates of course

Later in the afternoon we collected our bags and headed for the station. This time we were headed for Munich for dinner at the Hofbrau House! And this, my dears, will be saved for tomorrow!

All in all ...New Years Eve in Salzburg is an AMAZING experience.

Also...as I posted yesterday, one of the shops sold nothing but hand painted blown eggs. The shop was truly amazing!

I could have spent hrs in that egg shop. Have never seen that store before. You had to get the effect of the whole store really. THOUSANDS of eggs in egg crates STACKED all over the store. Each tray painted differently and some with themes like halloween, or pooh or whatever. Some just very jeweled and ornate. They were fascinating

MORE! MORE!:clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1:

I would not have missed my drunk dial for anything! I am sure...no matter how long i live...i will never have another dd like that!!! Just wish I could have been there with you both! I will be next time!!!

Day 4 of Alli's Adventure with Cork

I liked the Munich station. When we arrived in Munich our quest was to find the Haufbrau House, to act like real tourists and get the full Oompah. We asked a woman at one of the counters (I can't remember which one) how to get to the HH. She didn't speak English very well, but we were able to figure out which direction and that it was about a 1/2 hour walk to Marienplatz. Once outside the station we were not sure which way to go. We asked a man on the street (he spoke no English but sign language is the universal language ). As usual, we ended up where we wanted to be! We walked through an area that had an ice skating rink set up. Cork & I decided this kind of skating we could do...they had large fiberglass figures that people were using to help them stay up while skating..."training wheels for dummies" I think cork took a picture.

Munich station is a great station to run through because of the candy lady. She's been there for years and just off the train platforms is this lady with barrels of candy that you fill into bags and she weighs. All kinds of candies. Alli even broke down and bought some :shock:

I wasn't going to dare let my German buddy go over there and not get the full Bavarian experience. Bavarians are the mug clanging, singing happy drunks. Northern Germans are much more stoic it seems.

The lady that gave us the info was at the Western Union office Alli, where we were getting change. This was the first time I got a hint that my passport could be a problem.

Yes I do have a great pic of the skating rink. That was really cool. Even I could have tried skating. Adults, children, everybody that couldn't skate had these big things to push around and hold them up. How cool. Photos next.

The walk was wonderful. Munich is a wonderful city, hopefully next time it will be a longer visit! As we walked, we passed quite a few wonderful shops. I know cork would have loved to investigate, but everything was closed.
We made it to Marienplatz. There is a great, huge glockenspiel in the center square. What a lovely clock tower! It was dark so I was not able to take any decent pictures. (but I did find a few on line).
Using my eyes we were able to find the Haufbrau House. This place is huge, full of tables and people! Here you just find a seat and sit wherever you can fit. We ordered beer (Cork got the JUMBO stein and I had a baby...I don't do beer very often) I did pose with her mug though....

And I did DRINK my mug full!!! I felt good!

I've been to Munich before of course but this time was special for some reason. I don't think I ever went through the arches into that street before which was very cool. We actually had a straight shot from the station (luckily) I did get a photo but not as good as the daytime photos that you found but will post. The Marienplatz was special that night. Didn't it have a moon sliver behind it or something, alli? And then after meandering around the Marienplatz, we maneuvered a couple of streets and lo and behold - the Hofbrau Haus. There were some silly tourists outside seemingly afraid to go in - but not us. I knew the mega mugs waiting for us :rofl:

The band was set up in the center of the restaurant. They play once every 10 - 15 minutes or so. One song and then they take a rest. I suppose they are there all night (and maybe day too) so they pace themselves. I do enjoy German music...but only in small doses, I could not live on a steady diet of it!
We ordered dinner. I had stuffed cabbage with mashed potatoes, which was very good.

The band played 10 minutes and drank beer for 10 minutes :rofl:

I can't believe what I ate!!! Cork is a pretty picky eater and I usually stay with the safe stuff but the waitresses were serving this big beef or pork thing with a big bone sticking out of it and I just had to have it. It was pig knees :shock: which I would have never ordered if I wasn't already buzzed but I went for it and it was delish!!!! Pigs Knees? Is that what it was Alli?

We enjoyed the HH a while longer and headed back to the station. Our reservations were made and we had about a 40 minute wait until our train left. Cork found the waiting lounge, we walked in & I immediately walked out! I'll let cork explain this one.

Well one of the things that I love about traveling close to the ground is watching the people and this one was something else. Alli was so funny. We walked into the heated waiting lounge and halfway across the room, a waft of urine hit us in the face. I sat down (train stations aren't all like Brussels and Berlin) and Alli didn't miss a step as she turned around and walked out.

As it turns out, it was the rather unkept man 2 seats from me that smelled like pigpen. He was a very unfortunate soul for sure. In a few minutes, the police came in and made him leave the lounge but he apparently convinced them to stay in the station. The officer had deoderant spray and he cleaned the air as the lady officer stayed outside the lounge with the man. Finally the cops left and he inched his way back into the lounge. Luckily he sat closer to the door this time where there were a bunch of teens, one of which promptly got up and got the cops again. I was watching the people in the lounge. Some were laughing at the poor man, a couple of young men were not real demonstrative but you could see compassion in their faces. I particularly remember 3 young asian girls that were clearly quite sad for the man and then there was me who had to hold back the tears. But it's things like this that just make me so thankful for my life .

I found a table near-by, sat down and actually drifted for a while. We got back together and went to our gate. Once on the train we found our compartment (empty at the time). Cork went to sleep (it was about 10 at this time) I read for a while and then turned off the light, laid down and tried to sleep. (I didn't drink a gallon of beer so it was difficult ).

I didn't realize that I nodded out so quick but it makes sense with that jug of dark beer

Just as I was getting comfortable we made a stop (this was about 12:00). An older couple had reserved 2 seats in our compartment (overnight trains are all reservations only). They were not the most amenable people we had run into. (I guess they were not happy with us from the start...we had spread out all over the place ) They sat across from us, so cork & I tried to sleep on the opposite side in 3 seats. They were reading magazines and news papers, so they kept the light on. He had some kind of condition (trouble breathing...which thank goodness for, since we were in a smoking compartment & they could have been smokers) He kept opening the window.

"Older couple" - I need to elaborate on that one. They would have hated us no matter what. They were from northern Italy apparently. Your typical subservient Italian woman with a spaghetti butt. He appeared to be the typical dominant Italian husband, full of bravado and self importance. He opened the damn window (30 degrees!!!!!!) and was gonna leave it open going 100 mph through freezing weather. The wife apparently said something to him and he closed it and would only open it when we were stopped at stations. It was true that he had some deal with his throat, maybe a tracheotomy and he seemed to need the air but there were other people in the compartment besides him. Anyway, they seemed more afraid of us than anything and then something happened which probably really freaked them out.

A couple days before we left, I had to drive to Miami because my passport was expired. I didn't have time to go get a photo done so my dad who's really a photographer tells me that he can print out a photo for me. Well I had one with a background and the background needed to be white so he took the photo and cut out the background . No problem, except he made these lumps all around my hairline. I don't know what he thought he was doing but it looked funky and I told him that you could tell it was manipulated on a computer. In any event, thats what I used on my passport.

Back to Germany. When we crossed the Swiss/German border and Customs guys asked for our passports, I thought I was gonna get drug off the train for that damn passport photo. The 2 guys were acting like it was stolen. They got out a magnifying glass and the two were pointing out pieces of my passport. As you can imagine Mr and Mrs Macaronio were probably hoping they were gonna take us away. But they didn't, I gave them more identification, they looked at everything like I was a terrorist and then finally gave it all back and walked away. Thanks for the help dad :rofl:

On this trip we went around our elbow. We went through France and Switzerland to get to Italy. Through out the night we stopped at every border to have our passports checked. This night...very little sleep...but thank goodness for my trusty sleep mask and ear plugs!

Let me explain. Munich to Milan is not very far. I'm gonna say 4-5 hours. So what sometimes do to make an overnighter for a busy route is go out of their way to stretch the train time to 8-12 hrs so it's an overnighter. In this case, we left Munich, went over to Paris, went back to southern germany and then down to Milan. So yes, roundabout way but they had a reason - to make the route and overnighter

Our dour travel companions finally got off around 6-7?? We Dozed until Milan. We arrived in Milan around 8ish. Once we were in Milan, I understood Cork's dislike of the city. The stations were pretty much indicative of the cities themselves, and Milan's was cold, dirty, crowded and unfriendly.

We were a couple of the lucky ones to find a spot on the COLD MARBLE SEATS in the UNHEATED station. brrrrrr. I was not going to go down and stand in those darn lines for a reservation so I decided, let's just take a milk run train which was as crowded as ever but we made it.

Our first attempt to board a train in order to reach Venice was a disaster. Morning rush and the trains were being rushed! The first train we got on was so crowded that there was no where to even stand! The second one, which was about 30 minutes later, was equally crowded, but we knew what to do! We nosed our way to the front of the platform and as soon as they posted the arrival gate, we bulldozed our way into the train.

You caught on quick and learned real quick to bully your way onto those trains. Only way to do it on any transportation in Italy so my hat's off to you Alli :clap_1:

We were able to find a compartment and sit down! (thank goodness for first class tickets!) This train was extremely crowded too! People had to stand in the aisles. Since Italy has made all trains reservation only, it is much more difficult to get around. You can get on the train, but you must pay a supplement. Most trains have to go through Milan in order to get anywhere in Italy.

I don't think that one needed a supplement though, did it? I don't recall paying on the train but maybe we did

We arrived in Venice! In the station we were going to try to find a TI to book a room, but the room found us! A man stopped us (do you think he realized we were tourists??? ) He asked if we would be looking for a room. Yes we would. He was quite nice, gave us the name of his hotel and a map to get there. The price was reasonable and was discounted. We decided to give it a try. The Hotel Rio near San Marco.

I didn't trust him so he wasn't gonna get a dime from me but he never asked for money just gave us a sheet of paper and a map to the hotel and we were off. Great thing he found us cause he didn't tip us wrong.

I am going to stop here and continue when I can devote more time to the report on Venice!

Yes Venezia was fabulous and between our wonderful experiences and the 1 billion photos we took, I think a break was in order baby

:clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1:
These reports are wonderful!!

...I am in love with Cork & Alli!!!!

Had to adjust the one Salburg nightscape but got it alli - Full moon and everything!

love it all! I'm ready to hear about your venetian experience!!!

love it all! I'm ready to hear about your venetian experience!!!

Yes, bring it on....

Munich station is a great station to run through because of the candy lady. She's been there for years and just off the train platforms is this lady with barrels of candy that you fill into bags and she weighs. All kinds of candies. Alli even broke down and bought some :shock: YUM!!!!!

I wasn't going to dare let my German buddy go over there and not get the full Bavarian experience. Bavarians are the mug clanging, singing happy drunks. Northern Germans are much more stoic it seems. My grandmother was German!

The lady that gave us the info was at the Western Union office Alli, where we were getting change. This was the first time I got a hint that my passport could be a problem. So, I got a few details mixed up....


I can't believe what I ate!!! Cork is a pretty picky eater and I usually stay with the safe stuff but the waitresses were serving this big beef or pork thing with a big bone sticking out of it and I just had to have it. It was pig knees which I would have never ordered if I wasn't already buzzed but I went for it and it was delish!!!! Pigs Knees? Is that what it was Alli? Pig Knuckles, It was wonderful...I forgot that they didn't have your white saussages....


Well one of the things that I love about traveling close to the ground is watching the people and this one was something else. Alli was so funny. We walked into the heated waiting lounge and halfway across the room, a waft of urine hit us in the face. I sat down (train stations aren't all like Brussels and Berlin) and Alli didn't miss a step as she turned around and walked out. I couldn't help it, the HEAT and the overwhelming stench was too much for me.

Back to Germany. When we crossed the Swiss/German border and Customs guys asked for our passports, I thought I was gonna get drug off the train for that damn passport photo. The 2 guys were acting like it was stolen. They got out a magnifying glass and the two were pointing out pieces of my passport. As you can imagine Mr and Mrs Macaronio were probably hoping they were gonna take us away. But they didn't, I gave them more identification, they looked at everything like I was a terrorist and then finally gave it all back and walked away. You look like such a terrorist:roll:


You caught on quick and learned real quick to bully your way onto those trains. Only way to do it on any transportation in Italy so my hat's off to you Alli :clap_1: Thanks Baby!!



I don't think that one needed a supplement though, did it? I don't recall paying on the train but maybe we did
No, I don't think we even showed our tickets, did we? It was so crowded!


Great thing he found us cause he didn't tip us wrong. GREAT hotel!



Yes Venezia was fabulous and between our wonderful experiences and the 1 billion photos we took, I think a break was in order babyWe really did take a TON of pictures!

I can not write any more today...but I will try to do a report on Venice tonight or tomorrow. It was the best and deserves my full attention....now I must get ready and go to work...

the photos are really gorgeous too! more more more!!! :clap_1:

the photos are really gorgeous too! more more more!!! :clap_1:

Wait till the Venetian photos.....

Trip Report day 5 The adventure continues....
So, Cork & I decided to check out the recommended hotel. We set out on foot. As we walked out of the station I knew we were in Venice! Water all around. We walked over the Rialto Bridge and stopped at a cafe to have some lunch. This cafe was right on the Grand Canal. We didn't want to eat too much so we split a sandwich. I had a grappa...not what I expected and not what I'll have again. Tasted too much like a scotch.

We didn't investigate this area much,(time for this later!) but began walking to our hotel located in the San Marco area. We walked through the streets with street vendors and shops all along the way. I loved the feeling of Venice. As we walked I was taking pictures of everything I saw. Venice is a feast for the eyes! Narrow alleys, small bridges over narrow canals. It was everything I had imagined! It is a beautiful city. The only disappointment was the graffiti on many of the walls...but even that became less and less as we neared the San Marco area. Plus Venice is so beautiful and so full of history and soul, that I ceased to even see the graffiti.

As we were walking, cork kept saying "this way" and we would turn into these narrow alley ways. I was amazed at her sense of direction and her memory of Venice. :shock: Turning here & there, zigzagging around. I finally commented on this and she told me to look up at one of the buildings...and there was a sign with an arrow pointing which way to go to get to San Marco....

We passed so many wonderful buildings, bridges and canals. It was very quiet, not many people around. We made our way to the general vicinity of our hotel. There are so many little shops lining the streets of Venice. We stopped in one that sold jewelry. It was a small shop. Let me tell you, it is difficult to look around a small shop with a mule pack on your back. I kept bumping into things. Cork & I bought a few things and asked the lady how to get to Hotel Rio. As usual we got "lost" but found our way. We went into the hotel and asked to see the room first. It was fine!:clap_1: We left our bags in the room, checked in and went exploring. The shops are amazing in Venice. The ones that intrigued me the most were the ones that had wonderful displays of Venetian masks for the carnival! (the ones displaying Venetian glass were pretty nice too )

Walking around Venice is such an amazing experience! I'll let the pictures do the talking for me!
We returned to the hotel to shower and relax for a while. I had purchased an international calling card, so I was able to make a few calls to home. Cork talked to her mom and dad. Back outside to find dinner! We walked around and stopped outside many restaurants to read the menu. (we did this in every city we visited....and we always ended up at the right place!) The one we chose this night was a bit unusual, which we did not notice until we sat down. In Venice you would expect to have Italian food in an Italian restaurant served and cooked by Italian people. Well, this restaurant was all Orientals. It did seem to be strange, but we gave it a try. The food was very good. I had a pizza with mushrooms, artichokes and ham.

After dinner we found an Internet cafe (not like the ones in Amsterdam ). Cork caught up on some business and I went back to the hotel to crash! After very little sleep the night before...I was needing a good night sleep!

The next morning we woke up pretty around 9:00. I showered again and we headed out for breakfast. I had cappuccino and an omelet. After breakfast we headed to San Marco Square. ( AKA St Marks) What a magnificent place! The architecture is indescribable! There are also pigeons everywhere. Cork wanted me to run through the lot of them, but I was afraid they would all poop on my head...so...NO!

We decided to walk back through the city and head for the station to make reservations to Brig. We returned to the hotel, checked out and stowed our backpacks. We leisurely walked back to the station, stopping at the Rialto for some amazing photo opps at the Grand Canal!
At the station we reserved a train to Brig leaving at 5:10. Close to the station we found an Internet Cafe. Cork looked for flights to Finland and I looked for hotels in Brig. Neither of us were having any luck, and before we knew it, it was 4:30, and we still had to go back to the hotel for our bags! We decided to take a water taxi to San Marco ...but were dismayed to find out it was a half an hour ride. I thought it would only take us about 15-20 minutes to walk it...so we sprinted through Venice. Well...my sense of time was WAY WAY off! It takes about 1/2 hour on foot too! Once we made it to the hotel, we realized that there was no way we were going to make it back to the station in time for or train. We slowed down and decided to enjoy a few more precious hours in Venice. We did some more walking and shopping. We found another small cafe to have dinner. This one had one man, Italian, who cooked, served and cleaned up. I had vegetable lasagna. If I was going to "fall in love" in Venice, it would have been with this man. He was cute and friendly, but spoke no English. Cork & I were able to communicate with him to some degree. After dinner he asked us if we were staying in Venice long, and we let him know that we were leaving....Darn...I would have enjoyed spending some time with this man (he had no wedding band on...so who knows?) But...alas, we had to leave. Wouldn't that be a hoot...Alli falls for Italian man who runs his own restaurant! Maybe next time?

We picked up our bags from the hotel and headed to San Marco again. There we picked up a water bus. This was truly a highlight! You absolutely can NOT go to Venice and not get on the water at least once!!!! It was a wonderful ride to the station. I love being on the water anyway, and being on the water in Venice!!!!!!!!!! SIGH!

We chose to take a train to Bologna which arrived there around 10:00. There we decided to take the train to Brig, but it didn't leave the station until 12:30. We waited in the station lobby (which was warm but very crowded. As the night wore on, we started getting nervous (we didn't have a reservation and there seemed to be an awful lot of people waiting for the same train as us?) About 12:20 or so a train arrived and almost everyone got up and rushed to the train. As it turns out, all these people were waiting for a very over due train to Paris....whew! Our train arrived, and we were told to go to a certain part of the train. There a man took our supplement money, 20 euros, and gave us a 6 person couchette, with only us in it!! He also brought us water bottles and told us he would wake us up around 5:00 to get ready to get off in Brig. Having the couchette all to ourselves was a great luxury! :clap_1: (He also told us to lock our door...Cork explained that in years past, Italian trains have had trouble with people putting smoke bombs in couchettes, knocking the occupants out, and stealing from them.) We both slept until 5:00, when our porter woke us up, and gave us a container of juice and croissants.

Once in Brigg we hopped on a train headed to Zermatt! This is tomorrow's report!!!!

I must say, Venice was one of my most favorite cities. I love the history, architecture, old soul and old world feel!

Photos of my first impressions of Venice....

Shops of Venice

San Marco Square and the Basilica di San Marco

a website about San Marco. Sanmarco

Photos from the Rialto.....

More Venice......

Bravo Bella Bravo!!! :clap_1: I loved Venice, too! I hated Grappa, too!

:clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1:

Alligal, You have the Venice photos covered except for the one where I look like a tub. My a$$ looks wide as hell with my hands in my pocket :rofl:

will do my venezia comments when we get home. Great job :clap_1:

ok Venice is by far my favorite!!!:clap_1: I it anyway. I love this thread, it makes me wanna call my travel agent.....

ok Venice is by far my favorite!!!:clap_1: I it anyway. I love this thread, it makes me wanna call my travel agent.....

I picked up a little something for you while I was there It traveled all over the rest of Europe with me!

I got her a tee shirt from Venice....
Here are a few more Venetian pics...I hope they are not duplicates.

And just a few more...................