Transportation in Venice

The city of Venice is built on a lagoon and is made up of 118 islands. The islands are divided by canals and connected by bridges. The layout of the city can be quite confusing at times and there are only certain places where you can cross the canals. The Grand Canal is the main water way in the city and here the city's three main types of transportation can be utilized. There are water buses, water taxis, and gondolas. The water buses, like normal buses, have a route and certain stops. The water taxis are smaller motor boats that will take you exactly where you want to go. And the gondolas are probably the most expensive means of transportation, however they offer a charming are relaxing ride around the canals.

some gondolas on a minor canal

the Grand Canal and a water bus

a close up of two gondolas and their operators in their iconic striped shirt and hat

another smaller canal

the Grand Canal again with all multiple means of transport visible

Milan

Milan is Italy's second most populated city and has some of the tallest skyscrapers in the country. The city is very historic and has the second largest cathedral in the country. Also in Milan is the church where Da Vinci's The Last Supper was painted. Unfortunately I was unable to see it. The church was not open today and even if it was I would have had to book a reservation at least a week in advance. Due to the type of paint Da Vinci used, the mural has not lasted very well so the authorities limit the amount of people that can be in the room at once. Perhaps even more notably in Milan though is the fashion. The city is one of the world's best fashion cities and this is the leading part of the city's economy. It was a shopper's paradise, all of the world's top clothing brands had stores there.

the cathedral in Milan

the floor in the cathedral

a series of stain glass windows depicting various Biblical scenes

a window display at one of the many clothing stores (apologies for the glare)

a Prada store, one of the world's most famous brands

the church that houses The Last Supper

Cinque Terra

The Cinque Terra is Italy's smallest national park, but it has some of the best scenery in the country. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and for very good reasons. There a five (cinque is five in Italian) little villages right on the coast (terra means land in Italian) built basically on the mountainside. The names of the towns are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monteresso. There are great hiking trails connecting the towns or you can take a boat or train. The place is extremely scenic and is a popular vacation spot. Every town has a small beach where you can take a swim in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa leans because part of the soil on which it is built is softer than the other side. Because of this, the Tower has gradually started to slant more and more. Many renovations have been done in order to preserve the Tower. For a while no one was allowed to climb it. Now people are, however the rule is no more than fifteen people per half hour. The tower is a freestanding bell tower for the nearby cathedral. It is from the top of this tower that Galileo performed his most famous experiment in which he dropped two objects of different weights and found that they hit the ground at the exact same time. This demonstrated that gravity accelerates everything at the exact same rate. g=9.8m/s2.

Figs

I got to try a new kind of fruit the other day. I had fresh figs. Home in the States, I have only ever had figs in the form of Fig Newtons. Figs for the most part only grow in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern climates. They are an odd looking fruit and they are very messy to eat.

Italian Physicists

There is a church in Florence called Santa Croce. Within the church are burials and memorials, many of which are dedicated to famous Italian physicists. The most famous, Galileo, is buried here. Galileo is probably most well known for his work involving telescopes. There is also a small memorial for Enrico Fermi and Guglielmo Marconi. Fermi made a lot of progress in the field of nuclear physics and Marconi is credited with inventing the radio.

the front facade of Santa Croce

Galileo's tomb and memorial

a plaque dedicated to Fermi

Marconi's plaque

Ponte Vecchio

This bridge is called Ponte Vecchio. It crosses the Arno River in Florence, Italy. It was built during the Medieval time period and is famous because it still has shops along the side of it like many bridges used to have during the middle ages. It was the only bridge not destroyed during WWII.

School in Rome

Today I visited a school in Rome. It is an international school. Only about 1/3 of the students are native Italians, the rest are from all over the world. In Rome there is a United Nations headquarters for something involving agriculture. Many people from around the world that work here send their children to this school. Also sons and daughters of people who work at embassies attend this school. There are even some kids there whose fathers play professional soccer. The countries that the different students are from are represented by flags that are hanging in the center of the building. I got some good contacts at the school and will hopefully be able to set up some pen pals of some sort. I also learned about another international school in Dubai, UAE, so maybe I will be going there on another trip.

a class I visited

the flags representing the student body

Largo di Torre Argentina

The Largo di Torre Argentina is a square in Rome composed of the ruins of four temples and a place called Pompey's Theatre. Pompey the Great was a member for the first Triumvirate, along with Julius Caesar and Marcus Crassus. The reason this place is significant is because there were certain rooms in the theatre that Senators met. It is believed that Caesar was stabbed and killed in one of these rooms.

this photo is also interesting because you can see the mix of the ancient ruins right next to the modern buildings in the background

 

The Vatican

Vatican City is the world's smallest independent state by both land area and population. The Vatican is home to the Pope. The Pope is the head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. Within the Vatican are historical landmarks like St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. These three sites contain some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures.

The outside of St. Peter's Basilica, the world's largest church. Here you can also see St. Peter's Square where mass conducted by the Pope occurs

the cupola of St. Peter's, you can climb to the top to see great views of Rome

Michaelangelo's Pieta, located within St. Peter's

A Swiss guard, they are the bodyguards to the Pope

Some of the many paintings on the ceiling of St. Peter's. The most impressive and famous paintings were located in the Sistine Chapel, however photos were not allowed there. Fortunately, the Vatican has a virtual tour of the chapel on their website, http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html

Gelato

Gelato is a very popular dessert in Italy. There are places to buy it on every corner. It is similar to ice cream, but some of the ingredients and preparation process is slightly different. There are also some different flavors that I have never seen in American ice cream stores.

Roman Forum

The Roman Forum is located in the very center of Rome. This area is full of ancient ruins from the height of the Roman Empire. The traces of many important government buildings and temples can be seen here. The Forum is located in between two of Rome’s seven hills, the Palatine and Capitoline hills.

here you can see the different types of bricks that were used

this was a temple

this was likely some sort of government building

Artena

Artena is a small town located 45 minutes or so outside of Rome. This village is on top of a large hill and many of the buildings are right along the edge of the cliff. Cars are not allowed into the actual town because there just is not any room for them. Most of the streets are very narrow and have cobblestone steps. Sometimes when people have to carry large goods to their homes, like a washing machine or large TV, they have to use a donkey.

World War Cemeteries

Since France had some many battles fought on its soil during both of the World Wars, there are many cemeteries scattered throughout the country. Some of these cemeteries are dedicated to just American soldiers. Yesterday I visited the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial. I chose this particular cemetery not only because it is close to the city centre of Paris, but also because I discovered that my great great uncle was buried there. He fought during WWI. Walking around the cemetery was a very powerful experience and I really got a sense of how many people died in these conflicts.

Outdoor Cafes

A very popular food in France are crepes. These are like really thin pancakes with a large variety of toppings. The ones I got had Nutella in them, but I could have also had many other types of fruit on them. I also drank a cappuccino. Coffee is much more popular here than in the United States. I ate and drank these things at an outdoor cafe near the Eiffel Tower. Outdoor eating areas are very popular and if there is a restaurant, there will probably be somewhere to sit outside and people watch.

nutella crepes and a cappuccino

omelette with fries and a salad

Sacré-Cœur

Sacré-Cœur is Roman Catholic church in Paris. The church was consecrated in 1919. The site of the building is on top of a hill named Montmarte. The area around Montmarte was home to many great artists like, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso. The hill itself is a lively gathering place where people go to picnic and look at superb views of the city, but be wary of pickpockets!

Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is another one of Paris' famous landmarks. It was completed in 1836. The monument honors the people who fought and died in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The Arc de Triomphe sits in the middle of one of the world's busiest and largest roundabouts. It is about fifty meters (164 feet) tall.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is one of the world's most recognizable structures. It is the icon of Paris. The structure itself was designed by the architect Gustav Eiffel. It is his most well known work. The building was completed in 1889 and at the time it was the world's tallest building. The Eiffel Tower held this record until 1930 when it was surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York City. 

Trip #2

I leave for my second trip in exactly one week. This time I will be going to France and Italy. I fly into Paris on September 8th and spend a few nights there. Then I take another short flight down to Naples in southern Italy. From there I will gradually go north through the country visiting other famous cities like Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice, and Milan.

France's Flag

Italy's Flag