Venice

After 5 days in Rome, we took the earliest (6:50am) flight to Venice which is cheaper compare taking the train but we had to take a shutter bus to the Airport at 2am(took 1 hour to reach Fiuminicino Airport from Termini).

Once we reach the Venice airport, we purchase the 3 days HelloVenezia card(the card includes bus and also the vaporetto) so we can have unlimited rides for 3 days, use it kau kau. From the airport we took bus to our hostel(kns after 50 minutes only reach). Luckily they let us check-in, though we were early(about 10am) and upgrade our room to private with toilet attached...Yippy! because the room that we booked is full. wakaka

Jolly Camping

it's a camping concept hostel. you can rent rooms or set up your own camp

our room. It's clean and got air con.....thank god!

after freshen up we headed out to Venezia, with no map only few reading material on Venice... Good luck

VENICE

A place where i dreamt that i would 1 day go and finally came true after 24 years and 7 months and a few days, I'm HERE! yippy!! ^^

The 4 days trip was enjoyable, weather was great, nice atmosphere, yummy pizzas and beautiful views. As usual alot of walking here and there as there is no land transport in Venice.

nice ride @@

here are few transports you can travel around Venice, the Vaporetto(cheapest), water taxi or gondola(expensive)

the gondola ride cost from 80Euro - 150Euro/gondola depends how long is your ride, maximum 5-6 person. 2 person also same price...if you don't mind you can share your gondola with other people

panorama view

many of the building's lower floor are not being used.

beautiful ^^

interesting hotel entrance...hehe

nice view of the Santa Maria Della Salute

i see these in many places around Venice

Dogana di Mare, the custom house, is topped by a weathervane figure of Fortune and a sculpture of a boy holding a frog(got a special guard there to make sure no one touches it) no wonder it's still so white. It's to commemorate the opening of Dogana on the Grand Canal.

Piazza San Marco

Basilica San Marco's exterior

the beautiful design of the columns and paintings. On the right is The Tetrarchs, charming sculptures group in porphyry (4th century Egyptian) is thought to represent Diocletian, Maximian, Valerian and Constance. They were the Tetrarchs, appointed by Diocletian to help rule the Roman Empire.

the line was long but along the way we get to enjoy the 17th-century mosaic shows the body of St mark being taken from Alexandria, reputedly smuggled out under slices of pork. Too bad the interior they don't allow taking photo :S

Next to the Basilica of San Marco, Doge's Palace. Cost 7,50Euro(reduce price)

It's ok for me, we wanted to purchase also a special tour called "The Secret Itinerary", but it was full till the next 2 weeks :S.

The tour takes you behind the scenes in the palace to the offices and Hall of the Chancellery, the State Inquisitors' room, the Torture Chamber and the prisons. It was from these cells that Casanova made his spectacular escape in 1755.

Scala d'Oro, Sansovino's lavish staircase was built between 1554 and 1558

Panaroma view of the courtyard from the top level

inside the courtyard there is 2 wellhead. 16th-century bronze wellheads are considered to be the finest in Venice

interior

looks like prisons abit spooky here

the walkway

The Giant Staircase, this late 15th-century staircase was used for ceremonial purpose.

we spend almost 2 hours in the Doge's palace.....tired

beautiful sculpture of Adam and Eve on the corner of the Piazzetta

Another view of San Marco

me and my mask ^^

cho siao

San Giacomo di Rialto, Since its installation in 1410, the closk on this church has been a notoriously poor time-keeper...lol. Its located near the Rialto Bridge

Panorama view of the Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge

our only pic together?

their backyard, we park our cars they park their boats

Santao Marai Glotiosa dei Frari(right), is a rich repository of Venetian painting and sculpture(but we didn't go in) many of the churches in Venice need entrance fee(1 thing i hate about Venice) :S

Boon with his en tao pose

Santa Maria della Salute, a baroque church of monumental proportions, is supported by over a million timber poles. Built to commemorate the end to the 1630 plague. it was the work of Baldassare Longhena

Santa Maria Zobenigo

Mineral water in Venice is expensive about 2-1.50Euro for 1 small bottle of water. Billa and Coop is the only place in Venice to buy cheap water(only 0.30Euro) so we do most of our food supply is from there....hehe

Venice is also famous for the ice cream...Yummy!! Different shop different price. So don't panic, the further you walk the cheaper the ice cream would be. We bought 3.50 for 3 flavors with 6 scoops...even cheaper then in Rome.

this is what we survive on in Venice, lots of pizza, pasta, calzone, ice cream and italian "fried rice"(do NOT try this...it's cold and tast like :S) the rest is ok.

Arsenale, the great dockyard first of its kind in Europe, was the naval nerve central of the Venetian Empire

The wooden Accademia Bridge, was built in 1932 as a temporary structure to replace a 19th-century iron bridge but by popular demand it has been retained.

night view of some bridge :P

lost~~but still enjoy

to where ever the crowds goes

cute^^

choco pasta anyone?

famous Venetian mask. The Venice Carnival which held every year, february 6-16.The Carnival is the most important and largest Venetian festival.

It's in fact celebrates the passage from winter into spring, a time when seemingly anything is possible, including the illusion where the most humble of classes become the most powerful by wearing masks on their faces.

the gondola's interior

Attention: If you ever need to go to the toilet be prepare to pay 1.50 Euro just to shishi. i quickly zip up my pants after seeing the crazy price and find the nearest McD or Burger King.

Rialto Bridge, was named after the ancient commercial seat of Venice, where the first inhabitants settled. Until the 19th-century this was the only link between the two sides of the Grand Canal.

alot of things to buy here ^^

Panorama view

few of the famous buildings in Venice

more buildings

Fondaco dei Turchi, was a splendid Veneto-Byzantine buildings before last century's brutal restoration. Today it houses the Natural History Museum(lower left pic)

Night view of the Santa Maria Della Salute

fruits anyone? they look yummy

sunset

The view of the Doge's Palace, the campanile of San Marco and the Zecca, is one of the most memorable in Venice

This is the Statue if Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of a united Italy(his tomb is at the Panteon, Rome, just opposite of Raphael's tomb), sculpted by Ettore Ferrari in 1887

sunset at Piazza San Marco

too sad to leave XD

night view

one last look of Venice. On our last days in Venice we were unlucky because the Italian decided to strike(kns cannot wait 1 more day) and all the transports was affected but thank god there are still few buses operating and we reach home safely.

After 10 days we were sad but glad to go back Dresden as we were sick of Pizza liao..

~ciao~