Venice, Rome, Florence and the Vatican City

The best smell when you're backpacking? A clean towel.
Even better? A clean, dry towel.

Before arriving I had high expectations for Italy, infact I planned to spend two weeks here. After Florence I'm not so sure, but Rome is swinging the vote. (side-note: sux to be American right now)

Hmmm, what to say about Venice. It was pretty dull! I spent two nights there and should have really only spent a day. It's way too touristed, there's nothing much to see - every shop sells the same tourist-targeted crap (masks, pinocchio keyrings, glass-blown products, and the usual postcards and t-shirts) - and I guess it's ultimately just a place that you go to for the fact that it's half under water when the tide comes in.

I arrived from Switzerland without a hostel reservation. Big mistake! I ended up walking across the whole of Venice for about two hours with my 20kg+ backpack, wearing an Arctic jacket (couldn't bother to carry it in hand, now I discovered I can attach it to my backpack... *sweet*) looking for alternative accommodation. I've never sweated more in my life. And Venice isn't the kind of place you want to get lost in. Eventually I found a hostel which was pretty cool, where I met an Aussie (oi oi oi!) - Sheldon - who I've been travelling through Italy with.

Florence just pissed me off most of the time, I have a love/hate relationship with the city. But mostly hate. Firstly, there's no middle ground when it comes to food: you either buy cheap & skanky takeaways, or sit down at a restaurant and fork out the budget. There's not much variety either. But the gelato is in a class of it's own, rightfully so.

When it comes to attractions, there are only so many museums and cathedrals you can visit before they all start looking the same. Ask any backpacker. But I saw Michaelangelo's David (not a silly replica) which was mighty impressive.

Pisa. I bought a bus ticket on Sunday, and waited for two hours for my bus to arrive, which apparently did. I blame myself though because of the communication barrier, a basic misunderstanding, and a couple of other factors. So I gave up on the bus, and instead paid for a train ticket and visited the Leaning Tower on Monday. It was worth the trip.

Rome is amazing, full of history and much more exciting than Florence. The weather is also better: blue skies at least! I visited the world's smallest country today, the Vatican City, and saw a number of noteworthies including The Pope John Paul II (said to be the most recognized person in the world), who addresses the public on Wednesdays, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica (the largest cathedral in the world, and easily the most impressive) which inside contained Michelangelo's Pieta, the Pantheon, and some other stuff.

Next stop: further south to Naples on Friday, from where I'm planning to visit Mount Vesuvius (the only active volcano on continental Europe) and Pompeii, with maybe a stop-over on the island of Capri before heading to Greece.

What is 40 feet long and smells like urine?
The conga line at a nursing home.

So Rome doesn't smell like urine, as I learnt from someone in Barcelona. Phew. On a more serious note, I've gained much-needed perspective since the start of my travels, while also gaining more respect for other cultures. Life is for living. Music is just music again, forget about the band, record companies, commercialism and all that. Asians aren't generalized as being "that chinese or japanese guy" anymore. France is so far the friendliest country I've visited. The people I meet are not judged based on the country they originate from.

And when in Rome...

UPDATE: I've attempted to upload some more photos at another icafe, but it's terribly slow: machine and connection. Some other time then. Check out the one of Nice.