Does it really lean?

Today we were day trippers. We woke up and took the train to Pisa. I feel sorry for Pisans, honestly. They are known for one tower, a tower that is only famous for a mistake. This is their only claim to fame.

We got off the train and hurried to the tower. Yep, it leans. A whole lot actually. Also, there were about half a million tourists being "cleaver" and posing like they were pushing it back up or holding it from falling.....yep, tourists rock.

We got to go up inside and on top of the tower (which was a bell tower) and even the insides are tilted. The stairs have been worn down by millions of tourists walking up and down. You can actually see where you are in the lean depending on the dent in the stairs. It was actually quite an experience, feeling all out of balance, kind of like a walking Tilt-o-Whirl. When we got back down, my legs were somewhat shaky from the balancing I now needed to have and it felt like when you start walking on the ground after having been on a tread mill.

We then did what most tourists DON'T do in Pisa; we checked out the Duomo (Cathedral) and the cemetery there. The Duomo was actually very pretty and made over a thousand years ago, while the cemetery was special because the people buried there were buried with holy dirt, soil from Jeruselem.

We then hopped back on the train for Florence. Yep, back to Florence. We walked around some more, checking out the Medici Palace with all its relics (old dead peoples' bones and body parts) and trying to get into the Uffuzi. No such luck! Oh well, guess we weren't meant to see the Venus on this trip.

And of course, gelato. We tried two new places although we could've gone back to Gelateria Neri and been super happy. We went with more book suggestions and tried Vestri, which upon arrival, found it was actually a chocolate shop that served gelato....not exactly what I wanted, but I was willing to test it out. (Aaron was annoyed that this chocolate shop didn't have chocolate gelato) After Vestri, walking, an Inoteca with some awesome salami plate, we found Grom, the high end gelateria. Nice, but I think we have a a thing for Neri.

Stina's flavors- hazelnut, and then at Grom they served you two flavors for one price....so I got Dark chocolate and pear. Aaron liked the pear a lot. I'm so full of gelato that I've started throwing away half of it so that I can enjoy the cone.

Aaron's flavor- None! That's right....the man has caved and cannot have anymore gelato. He only had pistachio at Vestri.

Florence, Firenze...

I got up super early today....6:30 Italian time. I don't even get up that early in America....this better be for a good reason. Oh, we're going to Florence? OK!

We took the train from Venice to Florence, arrived around 10:30 AM, and then decided to sight see right away since we leave tomorrow evening. Our hotel is literally 2 blocks from the Duomo, the large church with the huge ass dome on top of it. It took them 150 years to make and it's over 800 years old right now. Unfortunately, since it's Easter weekend, most attractions in this church were closed. We couldn't see the cool Satanic fresco under the dome because it was roped off for Catholics that wanted to confess. Aaron joked about pretending to be Catholic so we could sneak in but I thought that we might get hit with a lightening bolt for that....plus, his Jewish Grandmother would be rolling in her grave if she knew about that one.

So no Duomo....

We looked in the tour book for something else to do....scan scan scan...and BAM, there it was.

Taxidermy museum! BINGO! Actually it was a museum of zoology, but the book said that it was one of the largest taxidermist collections out there, plus there were models of dead human bodies as well. Aaron went BUCKWILD with his 3D camera there. For real, I think he took a shot of every animal, especially if they were pointing towards his lens. We also checked out an amazing geode exhibit that they had there. I liked that exhibit much more....much less sad furry dead creatures in that one.

We then went to the Palazzo di Pitti, but skipped the art museums and instead only went into the gardens, the Guardino de Boboni and the Guardino de Bardini. Both were gorgeous and smelled so good with all the blooming wisteria. We had some AWESOME views of Florence up there and immediately, our sadness at not being able to climb the Duomo was gone. These gardens were not as nice as Versailles in France, but whatever, we can't all be French.

After leaving the gardens, we headed for the Accedemia Museum, the house of Michellangelo's David sculpture. It is way bigger in person, a whole 17 feet tall. I always envisioned it short, average human height. Sadly, I couldn't take pictures in this museum but there was a replica outside so we got some snapshots with the imposter. It was great to walk BEHIND the David. You never get to see the back. I got to see his perfect sculpted butt and his sling. I never knew he was holding a sling....

After leaving there, we walked into the Palazzo di Vecchio, but didn't pay to see the art exhibit upstairs....too much art in Florence. We're not even going to the Uffizi museum which is actually the #1 museum to visit while here. They house the Venus, but we couldn't get tickets as they were sold out. Guess Florence is going to be on our list of revisits.

We had a true Tuscan dinner, chianina steak. Chianina just means the type of cow, and that it's expensive. It was a delicious prime rib and rib eye, followed by some gelato....

Gelato today was awesome. We only took the Lonely Planet book's suggestions for places to eat and it did not steer us wrong. Well, it DID say that at Gelateria Carabe down the street from the hotel had a specific almond slushie was the most refreshing thing to taste in your life, Aaron got it, and immediately said that it wasn't that refreshing, but to each his own. The gelato place we found after dinner had mini cones so we were able to eat multiple flavors for cheap and without filling up on them. Seriously, these cones were 50 cents a piece and the flavors were special. It was called Gelateria Neri and what was nice about this place was that it felt like the locals came there. The tv was on and it was a channel with "Whose Line is it Anyways" in Italian and the guy behind the counter really loved his job, making sure each tiny cone was beautiful before it reached your hand.

Gelato Flavors of Florence

Stina- Almond, Apple (holy shit, it tasted like a jolly rancher), banana (tasted like pureed banana on a cone) and caramel(which after the two previous flavors, was equally exciting).

Aaron- Almond slushie (not so refreshing), chocolate and hot peppers (Aaron liked it but said that it would "mess me up"), ricotta and figs (tasted like straight-up cheese), and pink grapefruit (tasted like candy).

I think we're going back to this gelateria tomorrow before we leave for Rome.

Not getting lost anymore...

Ah, Venice! How I love you. You are so much better in person than in pictures, I swear. I promise to visit you again one day because you are THAT cool! Today we woke up early and checked out the Rialto Market, the large farmer's and fish market in town. The fish DIDN'T smell like stinky ocean ass either. Yeah, win! We bought a package of strawberries and ate them for breakfast while standing on the Rialto bridge. It was a great setting, and the berries were delicious! Also, we were out so early that the day trippers hadn't even arrived yet, so the bridge wasn't overcrowded with tourists! Double yeah!

Today was our big attraction day. We first saw the Doge's Palace, which had been around for forever. We did the "Secret Itineraries" tour. I honestly didn't care which tour we did, as long as we got to go across the "Bridge of Sighs" or "Whispers" as the tour guide often said. We got to see the upper class prisons as well as the torture chamber.....oooh, and we also got to stand inside Casanova's cell. Pretty cool, eh?

This place is massive....the Palace, not the cell. We got to learn all about the Doge (kind of like a Pope or mayor of Venice), the Chancellor, the Inquisitors 3, the Great Council, and the Council of 10. These Italians were crazy about keeping secrets. They had scribes making copies of all documents but the scribes were illiterate. We finally got to the Bridge of Sighs, and sorry to say, I sighed to myself because the thing was pretty much covered by a huge Toyota scaffolding. It was SO sad. WHY?! I guess they're doing renovations and Toyota is paying for them, but damn, it was disappointing. The prisons for the common folk were your basic cells; small, dirty, and depending on the season, unbearably cold or hot.

We then went right next door to the Basilica. Gorgeous mosaics. We were smart and ordered a pass for 1 euro each to skip waiting in the mile long line. The mosaics are along the entire ceiling and walls and contain 24 karat gold and gem stones so it glistens. However, I couldn't take pictures....didn't stop any of the other tourists, but I figured I'd be a good shiksa and not piss off anyone in a Catholic church. I'm not a huge church person, so we did the walk through.

After St. Mark's Square, we high tailed it to the Guggenheim. We got to take a Traghetto, or a poor man's gondola. You share it with whoever else wants to take it and it's super short, probably a minute total. You only need to take it across the grand canal. It cost 50 cents! What a bargain. The Venetians stand when you go on these, but no one on my boat was standing....sad face. I should've just been a brave soul and done it by myself. Oh well. The Guggenheim was meh. It had an outdoor sculpture garden and a nice view of the canal, but I'm not a fan of art....er, I'm a fan of art when I haven't seen a million other pieces in the same day. I mean, I live in NYC, the city with the Met, the Guggenheim, the Whitney, etc. I can see art whenever I want. I guess the best part of the museum was that Peggy G. was buried there.

We got some delicious seafood noodles for dinner (because Venice is famous for its seafood) and afterwards, set out to find a gondola. Yes, I got Aaron to agree to it. We couldn't find ANY at 10 PM at night. I was really bummed out. No gondola trip in Venice?! we walked towards St. Mark's Square as one last attempt to find a gondolier, an idea that Aaron didn't like because it's the tourist area and the gondoliers can up the price due to lack of product, but lucky for us, we found a nice guy with a gondola who spoke excellent English and took us through the canals late at night. If you ever go to Venice, please do this at night. Also, do it at the end of your trip. I really felt like it was best way to cap off our Venice experience, getting lost on the bridges, and then getting to look under them at the end. Going during the day, you are on parade like an animal at the zoo. For real, I took tons of pictures of random people in gondolas and there was NO romance for these people. It was very expensive, but worth it, even to Aaron. He and I both recommend a gondola ride if you can afford to do it.

For a nightcap, we went to Harry's bar which is only one block form our hotel. Why this bar? Because it is the birthplace of the bellini! Delicious prosecco and peach juice married together to make one of my favorite drinks! It was small and the prices were steep, but I live to do things that can only be done in one particular place in the world. This was a damn special drink and the atmosphere reminded us of Peter Luger's steak house in NY.

Tomorrow we leave for Florence....

Oh and gelato flavors today?

Stina- We tried to go to the "best gelateria" in Venice which was a pain in the ass to get to, completely on the opposite side of the city, only to get there and it was closed....so I was mad! We found a nearby place and I got peach which was excellent and later that night I got vanilla from Gran Caffe Lavena in St. Mark's Square. The vanilla was so creamy.

Aaron- chocolate chip and tiramisu

The city of Canals

We arrived in Venice today and it is beautiful. Better than pictures actually. But before I talk about the canals, the gondalas, the seafood, let me tell you....

We were upgraded to first class on our flight here! Hell yes, friends! We did the red eye, so it made our lives that much better and the people in coach that much suckier. Free champagne, a 3 course meal, free movies (on delta) and a bed! Sure, it wasn't as comfy as our bed at home with a goose down pillow and blanket that I didn't have to pay for. It sure beat sleeping while sitting up and having to share armrest with greedy mcgreederson and doing that awkward butt in your neighbor's face while you get up to go to the bathroom while they're still sleeping move. I don't think we'll get upgraded on the way home....sad panda.

We took the vaporetti(water bus) from the airport to San Marco's Square. We stayed at the Casanova Hotel. Sounds sexy right? It was a good hotel. The rooms were fine and we had a room with two singles....YES!!! I got my own bed. I don't like being crowded so I found this a real treat while Aaron was lonely. The hotel is literally a couple blocks from San Marco's Square and the Basillica. Aaron says that he would suggest to his friends to stay in the Rialto region though, as it's more central to the sights in Venice.

The moment we got here, we did exactly what the tour books said; get lost! It really wasn't hard though. There's so many corridors and canals, half of which aren't even labeled or on maps that it's hard to actually know exactly where you are. Aaron, the master of maps was even getting lost.

There are gondaliers EVERYWHERE here. Aaron said it's cheesy to ride in a gondola, but to me, it's iconic to Venice, the same way that the Great Wall of China is iconic to all of China. You have to do it....did we do it? No....but here's hoping that tomorrow I get to do it.

We climbed over the Rialto bridge, one of only 4 bridges that crosses over the Grand Canal. All the architecture here is SUPER old. Older than Paris. The Rialto bridge had TONS of tourists on it, taking pictures, watching the boats go by, and just getting in my way.

The other suggestion that travel books and websites said alike, was to eat 2 cups of gelato a day so that is precisely what I am going to do on this trip. I hope I don't get sick.

Gelato of Venice

Stina- Raspberry which tasted more like sherbert and chocomente which wasn't the best.

Aaron- Pistachio, and later in the evening, he had a double scooper of nutella and chocolate. How brave of him!

Olympic Pool, Casino, and Smoked Meat, oh my!

Yes we tried to jam pack our trip with everything in that book that we could do. In the morning, we went to a famous smoked meat restaurant, which was very similar to going to Carnegie Deli, line included. We got inside and there was nothing too special about it, INCLUDING the food. After eating it, we looked at each other and agreed that NYC has the BEST smoked meat, no bones about it. We enjoyed the meal, but if this is what Montreal considers its BEST smoked meats place, we might not be moving to Montreal anytime soon. (Yes, the picture's fuzzy! Damn it!)

I love seeing all the french and english throughout the city! Makes me want to get really good at french again! Le sigh, I wish I was more adamant about staying with it!

After lunch, we biked to the biodome, a domed shaped building that was used during the 1972 Olympics for the biking events. It now houses animals and is a sort of zoo. Unfortunately, when we got there, we learned that the workers were striking and the building was closed....so no penguins! Boo! I almost cried....ok, maybe not! Since we had biked all the way there, we noticed that the Olympic stadium had a tour. And we decided to do it, even though we were both expecting to be bored out of our minds. It was actually quite interesting. And I like that they use the stadium now for all kinds of things. The tour guide mentioned that outside in the courtyard area, there were flags waving from all the countries who had won a gold that year....and that Canada was not among them. There were also flags waving from countries that don't exist anymore, like the Soviet Union. Pretty cool!

In this picture, Aaron is in front of the Olympic Tower. It's such a weird shape/structure, but its purpose is to hold up the huge stadium's roof.

After the stadium, we biked to our hotel area, and then took a cab to the casino in Montreal. And we did well in roulette again! Who knew that we'd have good odds on a shitty game?!

Wait, what it is exactly that you DO in Montreal?! Nothing???

I got super confused as to what kind of city Montreal actually is. Here I am thinking that we're going on a great adventure with tons of monuments, beautiful sights, and lots of culture. We actually got in a fight because I was being fussy.

Stina- "So what exactly DO you do here?"

Aaron- "walk around. Bike. Eat."

Stina- "But you can do that ANYWHERE! Where's the equivalent to the statue of liberty?"

Aaron- "It's the Notre Dame."

Stina- "That's IT?!"

Aaron- "Next time, you're picking the tour book."

We visited the Notre Dame cathedral today and it was very pretty inside. This is the first trip where I've gotten to use my new

birthday

camera, my lumix! Check out the shot I took! No flash even! That's the sight you see the minute you walk in the place.

And what kind of traveler would I be if I didn't take shots of the catholic candles all lit up? Huh? Yeah, if you look at Paris' trip,

I have about a million and one shots of candles. I don't know why, I just like the flickering lights in the dark spaces. And I don't understand why churches are so dark when God and Jesus and the 3 kings and the camels are such HAPPY stories.

After the cathedral, we went to the Rue des Artistes, but we didn't buy anything. Nothing seemed too unique. We biked to the "best bakery in town" according to the tour book, and the chocolate croissants were delicious! Mm, also fresh bread was a plus. I love french food!

Oh, CANADA!!!!

For our anniversary this year, instead of going to somewhere exotic like Fiji or somewhere European and filled culture, we decided to go somewhere a lot closer to home; somewhere that didn't require an airplane ticket. Oh we also had to go a week early because SOMEONE got into a show and the rehearsal starts on our actual anniversary! (It's Dames at Sea!) Okay, back to the travel blog....

Yes, we DROVE to Canada. We decided on Montreal because it is french-esque. Yes, not really a word, but it fits, and you get the gist.

The absolute first thing we did when we arrived was get a "BIXI" ticket, or bicycle taxi. In short, it's another word for Velib! Woot, we love biking through foreign cities! We biked to dinner which was recommended from the tour book. It was the "best french bistro in town." "L'Bistro" was NOT the best bistro in town, let me tell you that. We were not overwhelmed, and not underwhelmed. Let's just say that we were 'whelmed.'