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| Bolzano - Postcard |
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| Trentino - Postcard |
The morning of the 1st of March and we'd had a most interesting night at the Verona station, with the usual amount of stirrers, drunks, snorers and the odd traveller.
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| On the canal bus |
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| Venezia in the mist |
We went to Murano on a boat-bus to see the glassmakers and then returned to our favourite place to eat, the city's university mensa.
Then we visited the Modern Art Museum but unfortunately the sight of some good paintings failed to make us forget the cold and poor light. |
| On the clocktower |
The bell is run by two giants swinging hammers and we had a little walk around the Piazza San Marco and checked out lots of traditional/expensive Venetian glass. We caught the boat-bus back to the hostel and booked in. We were so tired that we flaked immediately and had 12 hours of much needed sleep.
The next morning we checked out the Transalpino office for a boat to Patras, Greece and then visited the Galleria the Bella Arte to see a large collection of Venetian art. Not a lot of interesting stuff to me but interesting for its historical value.
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| During Carnevale di Venezia |
The university mensa was close because today because of Carnevale di Venezia, with students running around dressed up with masks and having flour fights.By this afternoon all the streets had flour on them, plus shop windows and doorways.
Eventually we had lunch in the railway mensa which cost us double the price of the university and for less food. Then we caught the ferry to the Lido and had a look at the resort part of Venezia.
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| Ponte di Rialto |
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| Public transport on the canals |
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| Gondlas in the mist |
It wasn’t very exciting due to the heavy fog that's been hanging around for the last couple days and the lack of people.
I'd say it's very different in summer if you go by the postcards.
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| Basilica & Piazza San Marco - Postcard |
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| Typical Venezia canal |
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| Ponte di Rialto - Postcard |
We caught another ferry back, and with 10 minutes to spare, we caught the train south to Firenze.
We had decided to spend a bit more time in Firenze as we had really enjoyed the cultural aspects on our way north to Switzerland. When we arrived at Firenze railway station in the evening we had some tortellini at the station restaurant, then went to the Youth Hostel and crashed.
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| Piazzale Michelangelo |
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| One of the reclining figures |
These were were originally carved for the Medici Chapel at the Basilica of San Lorenzo.
It was also a great place to view the city and gardens below. However instead of the beattiful blue skies of summer, we could only just make out the major buildings through the mist.
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| View of Firenze from Piazzale Michelangelo |
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| Painting by Piero Leddi-Milanese Internet Photo |
In the Santa Crocce we saw the tombs of Michelangelo, Dante, Machiavelli and Galileo and some other marble reliefs.
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| Santa Crocce - Postcard |
We entered the church, Santa Maria Annunziata, and it had a very different interior, Firenze-Gothic with lots of sculptures good frescoes.
We keep finding amazing things and places here, each time we looked down at new street there is bound to be something they're worth visiting.
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| Fresco by Filippino Lippi -Postcard |
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| Postcard |
It was warmer and better lit by the sun this time and we had time to appreciate the frescoes by Ghirlandaio and Phillipino Lippi.
By then we were pretty buggered so we headed back to the hostel for hot showers - much needed. Our postcard collections have increased considerably since visiting Venezia and Firenze.
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| St John the Baptist, Orsanmichele - Postcard |
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| Last Supper of San Marco by Domenico Ghirlandaio - Postcard |
We headed to the university for lunch and after that went to the convent of San Marco. It was a bit disappointing as half of it was closed, the best being the Last Supper of San Marco by Domenico Ghirlandaio.
Then we went to the Ospidale degli Innocenti which had a lot of frescoes by Allori which to me look like rip-offs of the Sistine ceiling and done only moderately well. The rest of the day was spent exploring Firenze and then we headed back to the hostel.
The next morning we made the station by 8 AM to catch the train to Rome.
We arrived back in Rome on Friday about 12:30pm and had lunch at the Restauranto Termine.
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| Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli Internet photo |
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| Santa Maria Maggiore - Internet photo |
We then went to Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli which looked small on the outside but huge inside, some very big and impressive paintings but not overdone.
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| Fontana del Moro - Postcard |
We went to the student travel office to get tickets to Patras which took the best part of the afternoon and since it started raining we went back to the hostel.
On Saturday we went to the student office to book our flights but the Thai international computer was still broken down so went to the Sistine Chapel again. It's not as impressive after the second viewing, although Michelangelo is looking better and Raphael is not as good - a subjective assessment. We also went through the art gallery there and had a nibble nearby for lunch and then went through the basilica again – one of the most peaceful churches with ever seen and the most incredible sculptures.
Then we went to Piazza Novona to check out the fountains - there are three: Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Four Rivers), Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune) and Fontana del Moro (The Moor).
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| Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi - Postcard |
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| Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi - Postcard |
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| Fontana del Nettuno - Postcard |
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| Fontana del Tritone Postcard |
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| Michelangelo’s Moses Postcard |
From there we went to San Pietro in Vincoli to see Michelangelo’s Moses which is really dramatic in real life.
We went back to the hostel and picked up our backpacks which we'd left in lieu of paying the station and had dinner at the terminal.
We left Rome by train for Brindisi at 9:38 PM.
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| Roman Column, Brindisi - Postcard |
After buying some food for the trip to Greece we had lunch and checked with the port authorities, paid the boarding tax, checked with Italian cops, and wrote some letters.
Then we went for a walk to see the sights - it didn't take long. Brindisi is not a big town.
We were very impressed by Monumento ai Caduti di Brindisi (Monument to the Fallen of Brindisi) of about 500 soldiers in the First World War. A local sculptor, Edgardo Simone was commissioned in 1926 to design the sculptural work to be placed in the Piazza Cairoli to replace "the unaesthetic and unhygienic fountain" there at the time. It was designed in a classic and austere style, using red Verona marble and white Carrara marble.
We discovered however, that carciofi (artichokes) are pretty big in Brindisi - it is a major winter crop for southern Italy.
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| 6th Mostra del Carciofo 1976 |
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| Sagra del Carciofo 2014 |
All the stores features carciofi displays, using the vegetable in innovative and interesting ways to decorate their windows. Some were successful, and some, well, the could get a prize for trying.
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| Sagra (Festival) del Carciofo 2015 |
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| The function features a carciofo-driven menu |
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| A carload of carciofi - Internet Photo |
We went in to the exhibition and checked out the scene: cooked carciofi, raw carciofi, pickled carciofi, carciofo in oil and delicate arrangements of carciofi in vases - like carciofi-bana.
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| Artickoke liqueurs - Composite photo |
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| Artichokes are good for you |
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| Brindisi - Carciofo Brochure |
Tomorrow there is to be, among other things: a speech about the carciofi, a round table talk on "Realita e prospecttivo del carciofi in Puglia sul Piano Technico e Commerciale" or “Reality and Prospects of Artichokes in Puglia on Technical and Commercial Planning".
You can watch this video on the Sagra del Carciofo if you want more.
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| Ah, Brindisi. |
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| Leaving the port of Brindisi |
Sadly we had to leave charming Brindisi at 10 PM, heading for Patras by boat, leaving the celebrations behind.
