This was the bed & breakfast I stayed at in Venezia Mestre (or Mainlaind Venice). Looks like an ordinary room...
...but this was what I walked out onto when I immediately left my rom each morning.
It was essentially the most Italian location I could imagine. It was beautiful, but there were two major drawbacks. Firstly, the woman who owned the place didn't speak a word of English. Secondly, there was a guest there that I had a tremendous issue with.
Yes, he's real, and yes, they do exactly what you think they do. 6:10 in the morning.
It was only a 20 minute or so bus ride into Venice, so it wasn't a terrible commute. I first stumbled into the old Jewish ghetto where Shylock of The Merchant of Venice supposedly lived. Very small...very Jewish.
Yes, Venice really is a city where the roads are canals. They have sidewalks in some areas, but not always. But it was pretty.
The first night, I had dinner here on the Rialto.
The restaurant was right by where a bunch of ondoliers kept their gondolas, so it was cool to look at them for a while. I wasn't about to ride in one, though, seeing as how they were very small and it would make for a very awkwardly intimate boatride.
The first night, I had dinner here on the Rialto.
The restaurant was right by where a bunch of ondoliers kept their gondolas, so it was cool to look at them for a while. I wasn't about to ride in one, though, seeing as how they were very small and it would make for a very awkwardly intimate boatride.
Taking the ferry was a much better option. Also, it was signifcantly faster.
Saw the Rialto Bridge from the water...
...also saw Santa Maria della Salute Church...
The ferry takes you to la Piazza San Marco and il Palazzo Ducale, the Duke's old palace.
Right next door is the Basilica San Marco, which is filled with stunning gold mosaics all over the ceiling. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures anywhere near them.
Saw the Rialto Bridge from the water...
...also saw Santa Maria della Salute Church...
...and Ca' d'Oro, which I felt was too short of a name for a building to have that many apostraphes.
The ferry takes you to la Piazza San Marco and il Palazzo Ducale, the Duke's old palace.
Right next door is the Basilica San Marco, which is filled with stunning gold mosaics all over the ceiling. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures anywhere near them.
It's a good thing you can climb up the thing for 4 Euros and take a great shot of la Piazza
By the way, if you're interested in comedia dell'arte masks, come to Venice. They got a shitload of them and they're having a liquidation sale city wide...
...and by that, I mean the city will soon be submerged in liquid, so buy them or they'll be destroyed.
Now, as you can see outside of il Duomo Cathedral, there are lines for EVERYTHING here. That's mostly because Firenze has EVERYTHING. I'll explain later.
By the way, if you're interested in comedia dell'arte masks, come to Venice. They got a shitload of them and they're having a liquidation sale city wide...
...and by that, I mean the city will soon be submerged in liquid, so buy them or they'll be destroyed.
After two days in Venezia, I took a train (the preferred method of Italian travel,second only to the Vespa scooter) into Firenze (which is Florence in English...how we got that spelling is beyond me).
Now, as you can see outside of il Duomo Cathedral, there are lines for EVERYTHING here. That's mostly because Firenze has EVERYTHING. I'll explain later.
My hostel was a few blocks away from la Piazza de San Marco. Apparently, Italians are quite keen on San Marco and they love to name piazzas after him.
I met up with my friend Elyssa who has been studying in Florence for the semester through NYU and we went through this big market thing.
My better judgment made me steer clear of purchasing a Japanese sword on the streets of Italy from a creepy Indian dude. I believe in multiculturalism, but I want my katanas sold to me by a Japanese man in a bamboo forest in Okinawa, thank you very much.
Gelato: eat it. Papaya and mango rocked my fucking world. You don't like it? You suck. 
I forget what this piazza is called, but I'll refer to it as la Piazza Carnivale.
My better judgment made me steer clear of purchasing a Japanese sword on the streets of Italy from a creepy Indian dude. I believe in multiculturalism, but I want my katanas sold to me by a Japanese man in a bamboo forest in Okinawa, thank you very much.
Gelato: eat it. Papaya and mango rocked my fucking world. You don't like it? You suck.
I forget what this piazza is called, but I'll refer to it as la Piazza Carnivale.
Something about that piazza made me think of home, but I couldn't figure out what it was about it. Just an ambience, I think...
Ran into this poster...made me laugh. If the Italians didn't understand any of the Japanese arts, the big Mortal Kombat symbol would give them a hint as to what this was all about.
Anyone who goes to Firenze must go to la Piazza della Signorina for multiple reasons:
1) Worship Poseidon at his fountain shrine.
2) See a fake David.
1) Worship Poseidon at his fountain shrine.
2) See a fake David.
3) Walk outside the Uffizi Gallery and see the Ninja Turtles. You got marble statues of Donatello...
...Leonardo...
...Michelangelo, and of course...
Every major European city is built on a river or a large open body of water. London has the Thames, Berlin has the Spree, Barcelona has the Mediterranean, Venice has fucking canals everywhere, and Florence has the Arno.
...Raph--wait...what? Machiavelli? MACHIAVELLI?!?!? The fact is, they didn't have a statue of Raphael outside of the Uffizi gallery. This was my biggest European disappointment of the semester. To be fair though, Raph always was the renegade. Maybe the artist was a loner douche as well and just didn't want a statue of himself.
Every major European city is built on a river or a large open body of water. London has the Thames, Berlin has the Spree, Barcelona has the Mediterranean, Venice has fucking canals everywhere, and Florence has the Arno.
Out there is the Ponte Vecchio, the only bridge to survive WWII. I would have explored it that day, but I needed to get to la Galleria dell'Accademia in the morning, so I decided to do that later. By the way, before I got into that gallery, saw some great graffiti on the walls of the museum.
Word.
There's a little church by the river called Santa Maria della Spina. It is the only other sight to see other than the Campo dei Miracoli.
Now, there are three things you should photograph at il Campo dei Miracoli. First, take a picture of the Duomo.
Finally, take a picture of the stupid assholes taking pictures of themselves and making it look like they're holding up the tower. The guy in the red, however, deserves some credit, as he is currently pushing the tower over; however, it is not a unique idea and a large crow should pluck out all of their eyes.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the David. THE David. You're not allowed to take pictures of it, but I said fuck it. I wait in line, I pay the entrance fee, I'm taking a picture damn it. What, are you afraid the paint's gonna fade? Fuck off.
Right after seeing Dave, I hopped the next train to Pisa.
There's a little church by the river called Santa Maria della Spina. It is the only other sight to see other than the Campo dei Miracoli.
Now, there are three things you should photograph at il Campo dei Miracoli. First, take a picture of the Duomo.
Next, take a shot of the Leaning tower. It really is crooked, but you can climb up it now.
Finally, take a picture of the stupid assholes taking pictures of themselves and making it look like they're holding up the tower. The guy in the red, however, deserves some credit, as he is currently pushing the tower over; however, it is not a unique idea and a large crow should pluck out all of their eyes.
Santa Maria Novella church...ironically named after the train station and not the other way around.
Stopped by the Palace of the Medici family on my way to Ponte Vecchio...and I was somewhat underwhelmed. I didn't go inside, though...line.
Ponte Vecchio...why is it so crowded and why are there so many women there? Well, due to a Medici law several hundred years ago, only one kind of vendor can hae shops on the bridge.
Ponte Vecchio...why is it so crowded and why are there so many women there? Well, due to a Medici law several hundred years ago, only one kind of vendor can hae shops on the bridge.
GOLDSMITHS! GOLD! GOLD! YUHHEE HYEH HYEH HYEH HYEH! GOLD!
After laughing like a mad prospector for several minutes, I stopped in at my last visiting spot in Florence, la Basilica Santa Croce. Also, the last "visiting spot" for a few other people:
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