Venezia

So I forgot to upload these pictures until after I had started writing and I can't copy and paste and move things around on here for some reason...so it's a bit out of order. But here was our fearless leader finding where he THOUGHT we were on the map. I'll give him about a 20% accuracy rating. And that's not due to his lack of skills, but due to the crazy roads of Venezia.

Here is a close up of the map...I encourage you to click on it to see what I'm talking about. The white are the "roads/alley/hallways" Good luck following them anywhere!! The water is the Grand Canal which flows all the way through the city.

NOW THE POST STARTS... sorry for the above mix up out of order, but I had to include it!!

Here are some pictures from our adventure in Venezia (Venice). We had no real plan for our day, we just wanted to check out the city and see what we could find. I went online to look up some suggestions of things to do or to see just so we could have some kind of frame of reference. The website I found told me that if we did nothing else, the number one thing we needed to do was get lost in the city. Well...that was easy! I don't know how you could ever learn the city...it was seriously like a massive corn maze (without the corn, obviously!!) It was unbelievable! We bought a map and stopped everytime we thought we were at a big enough church we could locate it on the map to have an idea of where we were. I think we only found our exact place about 3 times all day! Our goal was to make it down to San Marco Square (Piazza San Marco) so we headed in the general direction and just wandered. It took us about 3 1/2 hours (that included a lunch stop) to finally make it to our designated destination! Taylor and I loved the city, we both thought it was beautiful! We had gotten mixed reviews about the city from various people, but we both thought the city was very clean and there was no smell at all. Although we were told that often the smell comes with the heat in the summer...so you're good to go in the fall and winter.

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Below are various pictures from our trip. I don't know what any of the cathedrals or buildings are, I just thought they were pretty. Next time we go, I'm buying a guide book that gives historical details about important places...then I can take more informed and educated pictures.

We just happened upon this after going through many alleys and hallway size streets. There were beautiful buildings and cathedrals hidden on small streets through out the whole city. I could NEVER find this again!!

Sitting down by the water outside of San Marco Square on the bay (I suppose).

The cathedral in San Marco Square.

Part of San Marco Square.

The gondolas all tied up on the bay.

I don't know what the building was out in the middle of the bay, but it was sure pretty!

I just like this picture of Taylor. This was at dinner on the Grand Canal sitting right by the water. We learned lots of lessons from our trip...don't eat a meal right on the Grand Canal...we paid for it big time...literally!!!!

My birthday dinner in Venezia!

This is Venice at night...it didn't come out quite like it looked through my camera. We'll have Taylor's camera soon and hopefully get some really good pics...but it's still kinda cool.

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We have our last night in a hotel tonight. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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I have been living out of my 2 suitcases since September 28th when they picked up all my stuff to ship! On Thursday I will recieve my unaccompanied baggage, so I will finally have some winter clothes, besides the one white long sleve shirt I've worn for a couple days now (I know, gross...good thing I'm across the world from you all. And good thing I have a washer/dryer in our hotel...the 3rd one of our trip so far!!) So tomorrow we move in, on Wednesday I have a program called Spouse Start, and on Thursday my stuff is delivered! Taylor's stuff from Korea has arrived on base, but for lack of better explanation, it's caught up in military bureaucracy and guidelines and we have yet to recieve a definite delivery date.

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We are also experiencing our first example of "slow pace Italian living" we had been warned about by so many. I mentioned that Taylor bought a car on Thursday (well technically he didn't pay for it bc their credit card machine was broken, so they told him just to pay later) but it needed a part fixed to pass inspection and on Thursday we were told "it will be done domani (tomorrow)" On Friday we were told it would be done on Monday, and today we have been told, it will be ready domani! There is no changing the pace of life!

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Oh, and what a great weekend for Tennessee football?! The Vols had a big win that I didn't actually see, but I woke up multiple times while Taylor was LISTENING to it on the computer in the hotel room until 4:30am. He gave me score updates in between me complaining that it was to loud. Taylor would say I'm not a true fan, I would call Taylor a freak of a fan...it's all relative I suppose! And we didn't see or hear any of the Titans game, but I am glad to hear we have our first W!

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Anyway...that's all for now!

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Love, Katie