So, we're back from our trip to Europe...what a great trip!
It started out really rough. We were supposed to leave Thursday, April 11, in the evening and go to Atlanta where we would get on a plane headed to Amsterdam and fly overnight...we'd get to Amsterdam in the afternoon and get to Vienna Friday evening. Atlanta was having bad weather so our flight to Atlanta was delayed so much we were going to miss our connection. Delta switched us to leave Friday morning instead...heading to New York and connecting to a flight headed to Paris where we would switch to a plane to Vienna but we wouldn't get there until Saturday morning. Bummer.
So, we went back home and snuggled with the pug one more night. Then got up early Friday morning and headed back to the airport. It was cool I got to be in Paris...even if only for a few hours.
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| We had time in Paris for a coffee. |
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| Umm...you've got something on your nose, love... |
Our flights were exhausting but we got there...but our bags didn't make it. The bags stayed behind in Paris.
The bad thing about this is we had almost all of our running gear in our checked bags and the Vienna Marathon was the next day. We waited and waited but our bags didn't come. We picked up our race packets and we thought about spending hundreds of Euros getting new shoes and running clothes so we could run in case our bags didn't come in time...and we almost did because we worked so hard...but I decided I didn't need to spend a huge chunk of the money I'd saved for the trip to do this. Justin agreed and, in the end, we didn't get to run. I was really bummed out.
But we still went and watched with Mollie and Vinnie:
Our bags came Sunday night...a little too late but better late than never.
The next morning, Justin and I headed out alone on a three day adventure. He rented a car and we drove to Graz to see the Arnold Schwarzenegger museum! We weren't quite sure where it was but with some friendly help, a map purchased at a petrol station and some well placed signs we found it!
We had a yummy lunch after we toured the museum and then headed toward Slovenia. We were running short on time so we didn't stop in Slovenia except at the border to get a sticker for the car. We wanted to get to Venice!
Well, once we got to Mestre we found a place to park the car and then walked over to the train station...it was REALLY confusing trying to figure out which train was going to Venice. We thought we found the right one but quickly realized it was going the wrong way. After a few stops we got off the train and asked someone in the town how to get back. She was super nice and she suggested we take the bus instead. She also told us we were in Oriago. We had to wait for a long time for the bus but it was a pretty little town!
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| Waiting for the bus! |
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| Pretty Oriago, Italy |
The bus finally came and we finally made it to Venice. We decided to walk all the way across to where our hotel was.
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| We needed to get from the red dot to the blue dot... |
So, we started walking...it was soooo beautiful that I could do nothing but look and take pictures.
I was spending too much time looking up and not enough time looking down. I said to Justin "Why are you not looking up more???" just as I stepped in dog shit. He laughed sooooo hard that I couldn't help but laugh too. I was very tired and hungry...we got lost trying to get to Venice...and just as we get there I step in shit. It's pretty funny.
I found a fountain to clean my shoes, thank goodness. Justin gleefully took photos of this.
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| So glad we stumbled on this fountain! |
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| Justin found a nail for me to use. |
Once my shoes were (mostly) poop free we found ourselves very hungry and right next to a nice looking place to eat...there are a lot of crappy places in Venice trying to overcharge tourists for shitty food. We were so lucky to have found Antica Birraria La Corte in Campo San Polo.
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| Bruschetta |
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| Justin chose amazing wine, as usual. |
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| Justin's Amazing Meal |
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| My Unreal Amazing Pizza |
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| I almost ate the whole thing! |
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| Justin cleaned his plate. |
We finally made it to the Hilton Molino Stucky (after kinda sorta being stowaways on a Vaporetto Water Bus) and the hotel was amazing!
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| Hilton Molino Stucky Luxury Hotel |
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| In our room...I love Justin in the background. He's so funny! |
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| Jacuzzi Tub in the room...goes so well with a glass of prosecco! |
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The next morning we started our exploration of Venice. There was so much to look at...and not enough time to see it all. We did the classic gondola ride...and went to see the famous glass of Murano.
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| Saint Mark's Basilica |
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| On the gondola ride...with our gondolier behind us. He was nice! |
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| Gondola Ride |
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| Door on Murano |
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| Our lock on the Accademia Bridge |
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| Shrimp at a market |
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| Campiello Santa Maria Nova - Statue of Chronos |
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| Saint Mark's Basilica Columns |
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| Good morning, Venice! |
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| Rialto Bridge, completed in 1591 |
Venice made me both happy and sad. I loved walking the same streets as Marco Polo, Casanova, and Veronica Franco...I love history so much. But this city is dying...it's sinking, it's decaying...it's a shell of what it once was. It feels like the magic of Venice is superficial now. I wish I could have seen it in its prime. I am glad we saw it but I am not sure I'll ever go back.
We left Venice on Wednesday morning and headed to Verona...I'll have to continue this trip blog another time...I'm exhausted!
Arrivederci!
