Scenes from Venezia

 Oh my, Venice was so very lovely.  I have a ton of photos to share with you here before they become old news!  What a photogenic city.

I didn't actually take a gondola ride, it is pretty pricey & they seem to be only used by the wealthiest of tourists :).  Once gondolas were used by all but today people use the vaporetto, which is a boat that is like a bus, or personal speedboats.  

the Hilton across the lagoon

St. George's & the Guidecca across the lagoon

getting festive 

only in Venice, a fountain filled with... wine!

Inside of St. Mark's cathedral, the ceiling is paved in golden mosaic.

feeling a bit mischievous (hard word to spell!!) & jester-like.  

nice pallette

Venice is all shades of pink

St. George's church, on an island of it's own.

jam packed with people!

Inside the Correr museum.  A Canova sculpture of Daedelus & Icarus.  

having a typical appertif

 One freezing cold day we needed to escape the crowds so we took a vaporetto boat tour to some neighboring small islands.  Just to give you an idea, here is a simple map.  Venice is on an island in a lagoon surrounded by other, smaller island.  The grand canal is the main transit path through the center of Venice.  It is said that due to rising ocean levels (global warming??) & and also because over time Venice is slowly settling into the lagoon that... Venice is sinking!  Apparently boats can't fit under all the low bridges the way they once could.  Not sure if that is a problem that can be solved too easily & it is a real concern.

Back to the scenic boat tour:

The cemetery has it's own island & it is getting very full

looking across to Venezia

eerie cemetery island

I loved Murano!  An island famous for glass art!  All the glass factories are on this island so that if the big furnaces were to have an accident they wouldn't put the rest of Venice in danger.  They'd just burn up this one island I guess.  The glass was gorgeous; we saw some true works of art.  It was also truly, extremely expensive.  I treated myself to the poor man's souvenir....  photos!  :)

fancy chandeliers

glass art installations in the piazzas

very clever...

this one was fantastic!

 Then, we vaporettoed off to the quaint fishing village of Burano.  So colorful it is a photographer's paradise!  It was raining & bitterly cold so, we did the best we could touring the island before taking refuge in a bar.  (keep in mind that in Italy "bar" just means cafe).  Burano is also famous for lace-making.  We looked in some lace stores, mostly to get out of the cold only to find that lace, too, is fantastically expensive.  Who buys this stuff?

doesn't get much quainter

 Back on the main island of Venice.

Here is Kelly waiting outside the door in the cold & rain.  We were in the midst of being stood up, one of our favorite memories.  It made for a cute photo.

here is the trusty vaporetto stop on the grand canal.

seriously, so cold we were wearing our wigs for head warmth.   With the side benefit of being a bit festive for carnivale after we could no longer bear wearing our masks.

Inside of the Armenian college, a strange hotel we stayed at. 

inside La Salute church

within the DOGE palace.  The doge was the duke of Venice back in the day.

selling veg off the boats too!

here is an example of the strange "ducal cap"  worn by the DOGE.

St. Mark the lion, icon of Venice.

cute little scene.

So, there you go!  We really did enjoy that Venice.  We left & headed down to Florence where I spent one day visiting the Pitti Palace, full of wondrous renaissance art & the Medici Chapels.  Michelangelo was commissioned by the Medici to design an entire chapel here & some famous, unfinished figures were sculpted here:  dawn, dusk, night & day, giving us a little insight into Mike's tormented soul.

Back in Roma, I'm teaching my first yoga class here TONIGHT!  Wish me luck!  I am a bit nervous, because I haven't taught a class in over 6 months!!!!  But, I am sure it will come right back to me.  I won't have so many students here, well not as many as I was used to teaching the hot yoga in Seattle town, so it won't be as crazy.  Also, I think in Rome there will be very little to compare to so, the pressure is off!  However, I do hope to succeed & make it a bit of a financial success as well.  I could use to make a bit of profit doing something over here in Italia.

I finished up my most recent language course, it continued to be well above my head & ability level.  I am thinking to proceed with another class in March, maybe just a conversation class this time because that is where I still seem to falter most.  I will persevere.

Current long-term plan is to stay in Rome through March, see how the yoga goes, then do some traveling & WWOOFING (working on organic farms) in Sicily & Puglia for a couple months, before...... returning to the USA this summer!  Ugh, it's true!  I just can't seem to make it work over here, in terms of being financially successful on my own.  I have been able to successfully learn Italian & make a bunch of nice friends BUT, too bad that's not enough.  I am actually a doctor & I need to earn a living!  Unless it is a HUGE, smashing success I don't think teaching yoga twice a week for minor profit is going to pay back my school loans.

I have lost all hope in the job I came over with the intention of doing.  I had an extremely humbling meeting with immigration a couple of weeks ago during which, they assured me I was currently in the country illegally & had no chance of securing a proper work visa without returning to the USA.  Seems my... shall we call them "employers" do not have the means of magically producing a visa for me.  All sarcasm aside :), I have learned a good lesson.  That will be enough of my pity party.

I'm actually heading to Athens tomorrow with Kelly.  Greece!  Country of extreme financial crisis & tumult!  Greece, it turns out is really a bargain to fly to & I'll finally be able to see this Parthenon & temple of Delphi that I've always dreamed about!  We'll only be there for a few days so, not sure how much ancient history touring we will be able to squeeze in.  We will do our best & try some souvlaki (although I am not sure what this is or if it is vegetarian).  The ulterior motive for the Athens trip is that when I return to Italy I'll be able to renew a tourist visa & not be here illegally.  Not that I think anything is really going to happen because.... It's Italy!  But, I don't like the feeling that I could get the boot at any moment.

So, there you have it folks!  Unless there is some drastic new revelation I am likely not destined to become the amazing Italian NUCCA chiropractor.  I will have to settle for just becoming an Italian woman.  :)  Also, just had my SIX MONTH anniversary of being here.  Woo hoo!  Went out & had myself the best pizza in the world to celebrate.

Miss you all & hope all is well!  Stay in touch! xoxo