![\"\"](\"http:\/\/moore-images.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/MI7D_001400_RMJ.jpg\" "\\"Boarding")
<\/a><\/p>\nI booked our flights through RyanAir, known for their cheap prices.\u00a0 However, they bypass the typical accoutrements.\u00a0 There are no reserved seats and you don\u2019t walk through a protected tunnel to your plane.\u00a0 You walk outside and board the plane from the front or the rear.\u00a0 Also, they charge you for checked bags and for printing your boarding pass\u2014I\u2019m being charged to use my own ink and paper\u2014don\u2019t even think about not printing or forgetting your pass you\u2019ll pay a lot extra.\u00a0 However, the flight was short and uneventful so I have no complaints.<\/p>\n
We arrived in Venice and the weather was beautiful.\u00a0 However, RyanAir doesn\u2019t really take you to Venice\u2014even though that\u2019s what they advertise online.\u00a0 You arrive at an airport approximately 60 minutes from the town center.\u00a0 We took a five Euro bus ride near the town center.\u00a0 It\u2019s approximately 11:00 AM and we get onto the vaporetto, the Venice waterbus.\u00a0 Proper planning helps greatly because we knew which line to ride.\u00a0 We traveled the entire length of the Grand Canal getting off and on for one small fee.<\/p>\n We reached the Saint Marco Basilica and we began touring the area.\u00a0 As we walked, I noticed a local vendor sponsoring a tour to the nearby islands.\u00a0 I read a photography article about the Burano Island near Venice and the colorful homes.\u00a0 So, we quickly accepted the opportunity.\u00a0 The tour began with a trip to Murano Island where we watched a local glass-maker make a horse\u2014Wow, not!\u00a0 After we walked through the gift shop, it was on to the next location.\u00a0 We traveled to Burano where the tour guide told us they make a lot of lace on the island.\u00a0 I bypassed that show and began walking around photographing the homes and the people.\u00a0 The colorful homes play a prominent role on the island.\u00a0 In order to maintain the appearance, the residents must get local approval whenever they paint their homes.\u00a0 Originally, the story goes, they painted the homes in a bright color so the inebriated fisherman knew which home to enter when they returned home.\u00a0 The next and final stop was to Torcello Island.\u00a0 I still don\u2019t know why we visited this island.\u00a0 There were a few buildings and a pay-before-you-go bathroom.\u00a0 The entire cruise was 3.5 hours, which seemed too long initially.\u00a0 However, it takes 25 to 35 minutes to get to each island with only a 30 minute stay each time.\u00a0 Therefore, the trip went quickly.<\/p>\n We arrived back at Saint Marco Basilica and I began photographing the gondolas in the water.\u00a0 I saw some beautiful shots of them and I wanted to add my own flare to the image.\u00a0 After doing this, the daylight was fading fast and we were getting hungry and tired.\u00a0 We left our backpacks on the boat whenever we visited the islands.\u00a0 However, lugging them around all day began to take its toll.\u00a0 I pulled out my TomTom to see where the hotel was and it was at the \u201cbeginning\u201d of the Grand Canal!\u00a0 After a long ride through the canal we arrived at our hotel, literally a five-minute walk from the beginning of the bus route.\u00a0 If only we\u2019d dropped off our bags prior to touring the city, we could\u2019ve saved ourselves from carrying them all day, so much for proper planning.<\/p>\n We checked into the hotel, dropped off the luggage, and found us a place for dinner.\u00a0 Our first day in Italy was productive and we looked forward to a new day at a new location.<\/p>\n ——<\/p>\n We got up early, checked out and headed to the train station that was next to the bus stop right near our hotel!!!!\u00a0 The train ride to Florence was two hours.\u00a0 So, it gave us an opportunity to catch some more sleep.\u00a0 When we arrived in Florence, Rochelle asked if I knew where the hotel is located as we were getting into the taxi.\u00a0 I said, \u201cNo\u201d assuming if it were far we\u2019d need the taxi and if it was close the ride would be cheap.\u00a0 However, when I showed the driver the address, he smiled and pointed behind us to our hotel.\u00a0 So, we immediately checked into our hotel and dropped off our luggage!<\/p>\n We visited an information desk then began walking around the city.\u00a0 We headed to the Duormo, the Cathedral of Florence.\u00a0 The architecture of the building is amazing.\u00a0 Many cathedrals in Europe allow people to climb to the top.\u00a0 So, we decided to participate and 463 steps later, we arrived amidst a stunning view of the city.\u00a0 However, I\u2019d experience an even better view later that day.\u00a0 Once you\u2019re done and ready to descend, it becomes an exercise of patience as part of the narrow path is used for people ascending and descending.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the stairwell is only wide enough for one direction.<\/p>\n We walked to the Accademia.\u00a0 This is where the famous statue of Michelangelo\u2019s David resides.\u00a0 It\u2019s recommended that you make reservations or you\u2019ll have to wait in line.\u00a0 However, we saw two lines, one for people without reservations and one for people \u201cwith\u201d reservations.\u00a0 They both were long.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t pressed with seeing the statue and after my sister\u2019s remarks, which were hilarious, but not suitable for print, I lost all interest.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n