Sam Bell
At this very moment, I'm extremely red-skinned. "The sun isn't as penetrating in Europe" they said. Evidently they were wrong. Other than my vivid tan lines, the trip so far has been everything I had envisioned and more.
On the plane ride I had the pleasure of sitting with Charlie, Derek and Josh, all great blokes. Very soon I realised I was underprepared for the long haul flight, with all 3 boys quickly pulling out their neck pillows and fidget spinners to keep them comfortable and entertained - while I on the other hand was quite bored, and only got 3 hours sleep on the 18 hour flight.
The Airport at Dubai was extravagant to say the least. Filled with shops and cafes, the over-the-top nature of the airport became apparent when I saw 3 Porsches being given away raffle-style in the main lobby (as opposed to the Suzuki's/Kia's we have back in New Zealand). The airport's main redeeming feature was a rainbow light-up waterfall that could be seen from the elevators. After a 10 minute bus ride to the plane we all stepped out into the sweltering Dubai heat, and I came to realise that long black pants and a black top were a poor choice of outfit.
Speedy flight to Athens and we were away.
We were straight into scouting out landmarks, being able to watch the changing of the guard outside Government House, as well as a quick visit to Syntagma Square before we eventually found our Hotel. After finding our bearings at the hotel we went out to visit the Orthodox Greek Basilica, which was absolutely stunning to look at, however I couldn't help but feel bad as the group entered the Church only to be intruding on a wedding ceremony. After a quick walk to Monastariki Square to find dinner, we ventured up Mt. Lykevittos to find some great views overlooking Athens. Physically and mentally exhausted, my head hit the pillow like a brick and I slept brilliantly.
My initial impressions of Athens being beautiful, though disgustingly vandalised, were boosted as we walked through the main roads towards the National Archaeological Museum, which had some absolutely amazing artefacts (personal highlights included the giant sculpture of Zeus & and the statue of Augustus, which I had only seen in Mr Moore's slideshows the year before). Quick train ride to the Acropolis, and we are presented with Athens' main attraction. While the walk up the mountain was scenic (filled with ancient theatres), it isn't until we reach the top and walk through the Propylaia that the historical significance and scale of the Acropolis really hits the group. While the Parthenon was a picture of what could have been (surrounded by scaffolding/reconstruction), I think this was the first time on tour where the entire group was gobsmacked with awe. After a quick visit to the Agora and new Acropolis Museum, we were all let loose to find dinner and spend our money how we pleased - this led to my first major purchase of the tour: a plate that was a satire of old greek vases and had instead some "mature" images on it (will be interesting to see Mum's reaction, I thought it was pretty funny).
NB: Greek Yoghurt surprisingly tastes better in NZ than it does in Greece.
A Day trip to Delphi and a chance to catch up on some lost sleep. Highlight of the bus ride has to be the picturesque little ski village in the mountains before Delphi - definitely somewhere to return to in my later travels. Delphi itself had some amazing views, characterised by the 'mystical' blue haze that is in the backdrop of many of the group's pictures. After returning from Delphi and having a bit of time to find dinner, I gave in to peer pressure and bought a fidget spinner - 2 days in and it seems like a good purchase so far. On our night walk we see the many old ruins/landmarks, however the Temple of Zeus with it's towering columns & the Olympic Stadium were personal highlights of mine.
Early wake up to pack up and head south.
The Corinth Canal was pretty incredible, and a source of amusement for many of the boys (myself included) who spat from the bridge to see whose spit would reach the ground first. Oscar Zambuto seems to have the heaviest/densest spit of the entire group. After speeding through Corinth we headed off to the ancient palace in Mycenae. Very large, very picturesque, very very hot. Last leg of the bus trip to our ferry terminal in Patras - grave disappointment at the news that the ferry is delayed by a few hours - long wait ensues, eased by the amusement at watching the 6th formers swarm around the first English-speaking girl they'd met on tour thus far.
Given the opportunity, don't take an overnight ferry that has 10^2m rooms for 4 boys.
Sleep in on the Ferry was welcomed, as well as having enough time for a thorough shower. Sun is bright, and after many hours sun-bathing, unfortunately so am I. Ouch. Arrive in Ancona at approximately 9pm and have a long wait at the train station to catch a 3:50am train.
——
Sunburn Update : Peeling - hopefully it eases up/stops in Southern France.
Midnight in Ancona, 10 minutes after finishing my prior blog post, the group is abruptly awoken by some pretty bloody angry Italian Policeman - they aren't happy that we are sleeping on the floor of the train station outside; we aren't happy that our sleep has been disrupted.
The next few hours include sleep deprivation and an uncomfortable train ride - Rome requires a slow start if we are all to survive.
We arrive at the hostel at approx. 8:30am and have a (comparative to Greece) crap breakfast provided for us (this combo of white bread (with no spread) and formula orange juice was to be the norm for the week). Despite the lack of sleep we are straight into it, going to see Santa Maria Maggiore (one of the big 4 churches in Rome) which was pretty damn impressive - we had the good fortune of being able to attend a High Mass (which Bucko considered to be a rarity). A small hike to central Rome brought us to Trajan's Column - Holy moly this was cool. "Nearly as big as David Seymour's 'column'" (Rishi Sund), I'd be inclined to agree with that statement. The intricate birds-eye-view scenes were depicted very impressively and it must be said that Trajan had some good taste. Across the road was the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, and by jolly was it OTT. That being said he was also a legend who formed modern Italy so fair play. 50 tonne statue of V.E. on a horse was very impressive, and the horse's balls hadn't even been snipped.
The Capitoline Museum was decent, and the Bust of Commodus was superb (and shiny), however the fatigue from the morning started to kick in by the end of the museum - the only thing that kept the boys' attention was a statue of a woman with 18 tits; we were getting primal.
After a few minor excursions, we ventured to St. John's and Lateran via the metro (the amount of money spent on metro tickets was a pretty colossal cost that I didn't counter in while making monetary arrangements). Wow. It is just filthy how wealthy these churches are, given that the Catholics spend their money on the most redundant crap (e.g. solid gold ceilings, sapphire columns in Il Gesu). It was brilliantly ornate, with spectacular art, and the Mass that was held in Latin by an old white man was a nice touch, but the gift shop was a bit gimmicky with Jack purchasing a Pope Francis bottle opener. Spanish Steps were overrated and filled with stinky Morrocan street venders. Trevi fountain was filled with tourists as expected, and we all naturally did the behind the back coin toss - Josh J misjudged his throw and hit a man in the forehead with his coin (admittedly the man was taking a selfie so he deserved it). Walking home past a lit up Colosseum was a nice end to an extremely tiring/rewarding day.
Day 2 in Rome and we immediately visit my favourite church so far (which I unfortunately have forgotten the name of and it isn't in my itinerary) - it was my favourite due to the distinct lack of gold everywhere (now identified as Santa Maria deli Angela e dei Martiri). It was simple and understated, yet beautiful all the same.
This pleasantry was followed by one of the more OTT churches in Rome, Il Gesu. Everywhere you looked there seemed to be a new gemstone that you hadn't seen before, even though the church didn't need anything other than its AMAZING 3D ceiling painting - the painter depicted scenes of sinners/saints falling out of heaven in from all angles/dimensions, with my favourite touch being that he even painted the shadows of clouds overtop of the gold-covered ceiling.
After seeing our first Gothic church, an experience that paled in comparison to the previous churches, but one that culminated in my accidentally drinking ancient Holy Water (I got the shits later in the day as a result), we made our way towards the Pantheon. Unfortunately a rousing speech by Jimmy Hayes was constantly interrupted by rather pestilent gay pride fireman/woman protestors, however we tried not to let that dampen our experience. Not much to say about The Pantheon, the dome at the top is just flat out cool. Piazza Navona for lunch/free time meant a trip to the much sought after Grom, a gelato place that I'd only heard good things about - I proceeded to consume the single best ice-cream I had ever eaten. OMG it was good.
The Ara Pacis was a definite highlight for me as I could remember all of my AS notes about it, so I had first-hand knowledge that I could draw on - was disappointing to see all the uninformed boys take this as a toilet stop.
After spending a while on the toilet (likely courtesy of the aforementioned Holy Water) I missed the bus to Hadrian's Villa (me missing bus/train will become increasingly common in Rome) - unfortunate given that I had a speech to give there. Alas I arrived about 15 minutes after the group and had to speed through my speech and through the Villa, an impressive though rather boring/badly preserved residence.
Day 3 was an early wake up to catch the train to the Vatican. Yes, I missed the train. Arrived 10 minutes after the group but luckily they'd kept a place for me in line. Damn that 2 hour line for the Vatican Museum was quite draining - but it was worth it. Awesome statues of Laocoon and the Prima Porta Statue of Augustus, while Michaelangelo ceiling painting in the Sistine Chapel was worth seeing, though smaller than I expected. Throughout the museum I got separated from the group - the 3rd time this had happened in 2 days for me, bit of a laugh. Slightly smaller wait for St. Peters Basilica, but wow it is simply huge - heavy Michaelangelo influence made St. Peter's my favourite church so far. On being given free time, Jack, Oscar and I stupidly decided to walk home (which took 3 hrs), but it was worth it as a purchased an Italian-style hat which suits me to a tee and can be seen in many of my photos to come. My Best Buy on the tour so far by a country mile.
Day 4 yet another early train to catch to Napoli, on which I found out about a disappointing ABs loss which bummed out the entire group. Highlight of Naples Archaeological Museum was undoubtedly the room they had which was entirely dedicated to cocks/pornographic artwork (MANY, MANY pictures to come). A quick ride to Pompeii on a dilapidated train followed. Pompeii was very well preserved but all in all I wouldn't see it again as it was all a bit samey for me - however the view of Mt Vesuvius was stunning on what was a beautiful day.
Day 5 saw us knock of the last of the Big 4 churches: St Paul's without The Walls. When all is said and done this was my favourite church in Italy due to its ambient/calm vibe - it was nowhere near as OTT as the other major churches, yet it was easily as impressive in both size and spectacle.
After quick trips to the rather barren/boring Palatine Hill and Roman Forum (both of which were difficult on what was a boiler of a day) we see the Arch of Titus, and more importantly for me the Arch of Constantine which was a throwback to my 3rd Form Latin Project. Pretty awesome to actually see in person. The Monument itself, like the Latin Project, gets an 8/10 from me.
Then what we had all been waiting for - The Colosseum. More impressive from outside than inside, as we couldn't go into the underground passages that I had longed for. However, it was pretty unreal finally being inside a place that most people could only dream about, a place I'd only seen pictures of.
Our train from Rome to Florence wasn't particularly eventful. Florence is absolutely stunning - our hotel is along the River, and there are no clouds in the sky. It is a busy little city, however unlike Rome and Athens it is calm and quiet. Quick train ride ensues and then damn, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is truly something to behold - serious architectural flaws equate to a pretty odd looking attraction - bit of a laugh really. Back in Florence I buy myself a Fiorentina singlet and also purchase both of Toni's gifts which will remain disclosed until further notice.
Finally a good breakfast - much much needed. Off to the Uffizi Gallery, and I can truly say that I have left a part of me in the Uffizi, as I was peeling skin flakes all throughout. In all seriousness there are some great artworks in there - my favourite being The Hermaphrodite (which was an absolute plot twist for me until I read the information on it provided).
Free time means shopping for most of the group, but rest time for me. It does certainly annoy me that by the end of the day approximately 10 boys have spent more in a day than I have on the whole trip thanks to countless purchases including leather jackets. This ISN'T a shopping trip and they could at least pretend to care about the art/culture that is everywhere around them.
On the Night Walk there were some definite highlights:
- Seeing the exact spot where Savonarolla was burnt at the stake
- Seeing a live Opera performance which included a spectacular rendition of Granada, and a different, yet impressive rendition of Romans
- A Simply gorgeous night view of Florence - Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs was on the money when he said it's his favourite sight of all time.
Day 3 in Florence starts with a few churches, notably Il Duomo and the Baptistery Doors (aka The Gates of Paradise) - extremely impressive, with the highlight having to be Berneleschi's Dome which is just hugely important in Florentine history.
Nipped off for a quick look in an op shop and got a couple of tees that I thought were decent. After a bus ride to Siena and Cathedral sighting, I sourced out another Grom as I was determined to eat there again before leaving Italy - well worth it.
A Very early morning train ride before arriving in Venice. Certainly a very different city to what I'm used to, and watching a high speed police chase across the canal was a pretty comical/once in a lifetime gag. During my time in Venice I decided that it is both the best and worst place in the world - the best because it is really cool/different to the rest of the world, but the worst because of how impractical it is - you must own a boat if you want to get across the city, as there are no cars/bikes etc. I can't even imagine the hassle of leaving Venice to go elsewhere, as no-one has a car so you'd have to train everywhere + take taxis.
All in all Venice was pretty cool, and it is an easy/enjoyable city to get lost in, as showcased by Scott Allison who was literally lost alone for approx 2 hours while the group got through the itinerary.
While writing this I am on the overnight train to Dijon from Venice nearing midnight. The rooms are cramped and the beds are uncomfortable. I wouldn't expect anything more or less.
Italy was simply amazing, it beats Greece in every way - it is cleaner, more economically developed better preserved, and has a better language (one that I picked up fairly quickly and would be interested learning). Most importantly the girls in Italy are mostly beautiful and voluptuous, therefore making Italy a place where I would seriously consider living in one day (probably in Florence if I had the money).
On the plane ride I had the pleasure of sitting with Charlie, Derek and Josh, all great blokes. Very soon I realised I was underprepared for the long haul flight, with all 3 boys quickly pulling out their neck pillows and fidget spinners to keep them comfortable and entertained - while I on the other hand was quite bored, and only got 3 hours sleep on the 18 hour flight.
The Airport at Dubai was extravagant to say the least. Filled with shops and cafes, the over-the-top nature of the airport became apparent when I saw 3 Porsches being given away raffle-style in the main lobby (as opposed to the Suzuki's/Kia's we have back in New Zealand). The airport's main redeeming feature was a rainbow light-up waterfall that could be seen from the elevators. After a 10 minute bus ride to the plane we all stepped out into the sweltering Dubai heat, and I came to realise that long black pants and a black top were a poor choice of outfit.
Speedy flight to Athens and we were away.
We were straight into scouting out landmarks, being able to watch the changing of the guard outside Government House, as well as a quick visit to Syntagma Square before we eventually found our Hotel. After finding our bearings at the hotel we went out to visit the Orthodox Greek Basilica, which was absolutely stunning to look at, however I couldn't help but feel bad as the group entered the Church only to be intruding on a wedding ceremony. After a quick walk to Monastariki Square to find dinner, we ventured up Mt. Lykevittos to find some great views overlooking Athens. Physically and mentally exhausted, my head hit the pillow like a brick and I slept brilliantly.
My initial impressions of Athens being beautiful, though disgustingly vandalised, were boosted as we walked through the main roads towards the National Archaeological Museum, which had some absolutely amazing artefacts (personal highlights included the giant sculpture of Zeus & and the statue of Augustus, which I had only seen in Mr Moore's slideshows the year before). Quick train ride to the Acropolis, and we are presented with Athens' main attraction. While the walk up the mountain was scenic (filled with ancient theatres), it isn't until we reach the top and walk through the Propylaia that the historical significance and scale of the Acropolis really hits the group. While the Parthenon was a picture of what could have been (surrounded by scaffolding/reconstruction), I think this was the first time on tour where the entire group was gobsmacked with awe. After a quick visit to the Agora and new Acropolis Museum, we were all let loose to find dinner and spend our money how we pleased - this led to my first major purchase of the tour: a plate that was a satire of old greek vases and had instead some "mature" images on it (will be interesting to see Mum's reaction, I thought it was pretty funny).
NB: Greek Yoghurt surprisingly tastes better in NZ than it does in Greece.
A Day trip to Delphi and a chance to catch up on some lost sleep. Highlight of the bus ride has to be the picturesque little ski village in the mountains before Delphi - definitely somewhere to return to in my later travels. Delphi itself had some amazing views, characterised by the 'mystical' blue haze that is in the backdrop of many of the group's pictures. After returning from Delphi and having a bit of time to find dinner, I gave in to peer pressure and bought a fidget spinner - 2 days in and it seems like a good purchase so far. On our night walk we see the many old ruins/landmarks, however the Temple of Zeus with it's towering columns & the Olympic Stadium were personal highlights of mine.
Early wake up to pack up and head south.
The Corinth Canal was pretty incredible, and a source of amusement for many of the boys (myself included) who spat from the bridge to see whose spit would reach the ground first. Oscar Zambuto seems to have the heaviest/densest spit of the entire group. After speeding through Corinth we headed off to the ancient palace in Mycenae. Very large, very picturesque, very very hot. Last leg of the bus trip to our ferry terminal in Patras - grave disappointment at the news that the ferry is delayed by a few hours - long wait ensues, eased by the amusement at watching the 6th formers swarm around the first English-speaking girl they'd met on tour thus far.
Given the opportunity, don't take an overnight ferry that has 10^2m rooms for 4 boys.
Sleep in on the Ferry was welcomed, as well as having enough time for a thorough shower. Sun is bright, and after many hours sun-bathing, unfortunately so am I. Ouch. Arrive in Ancona at approximately 9pm and have a long wait at the train station to catch a 3:50am train.
——
Sunburn Update : Peeling - hopefully it eases up/stops in Southern France.
Midnight in Ancona, 10 minutes after finishing my prior blog post, the group is abruptly awoken by some pretty bloody angry Italian Policeman - they aren't happy that we are sleeping on the floor of the train station outside; we aren't happy that our sleep has been disrupted.
The next few hours include sleep deprivation and an uncomfortable train ride - Rome requires a slow start if we are all to survive.
We arrive at the hostel at approx. 8:30am and have a (comparative to Greece) crap breakfast provided for us (this combo of white bread (with no spread) and formula orange juice was to be the norm for the week). Despite the lack of sleep we are straight into it, going to see Santa Maria Maggiore (one of the big 4 churches in Rome) which was pretty damn impressive - we had the good fortune of being able to attend a High Mass (which Bucko considered to be a rarity). A small hike to central Rome brought us to Trajan's Column - Holy moly this was cool. "Nearly as big as David Seymour's 'column'" (Rishi Sund), I'd be inclined to agree with that statement. The intricate birds-eye-view scenes were depicted very impressively and it must be said that Trajan had some good taste. Across the road was the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, and by jolly was it OTT. That being said he was also a legend who formed modern Italy so fair play. 50 tonne statue of V.E. on a horse was very impressive, and the horse's balls hadn't even been snipped.
The Capitoline Museum was decent, and the Bust of Commodus was superb (and shiny), however the fatigue from the morning started to kick in by the end of the museum - the only thing that kept the boys' attention was a statue of a woman with 18 tits; we were getting primal.
After a few minor excursions, we ventured to St. John's and Lateran via the metro (the amount of money spent on metro tickets was a pretty colossal cost that I didn't counter in while making monetary arrangements). Wow. It is just filthy how wealthy these churches are, given that the Catholics spend their money on the most redundant crap (e.g. solid gold ceilings, sapphire columns in Il Gesu). It was brilliantly ornate, with spectacular art, and the Mass that was held in Latin by an old white man was a nice touch, but the gift shop was a bit gimmicky with Jack purchasing a Pope Francis bottle opener. Spanish Steps were overrated and filled with stinky Morrocan street venders. Trevi fountain was filled with tourists as expected, and we all naturally did the behind the back coin toss - Josh J misjudged his throw and hit a man in the forehead with his coin (admittedly the man was taking a selfie so he deserved it). Walking home past a lit up Colosseum was a nice end to an extremely tiring/rewarding day.
Day 2 in Rome and we immediately visit my favourite church so far (which I unfortunately have forgotten the name of and it isn't in my itinerary) - it was my favourite due to the distinct lack of gold everywhere (now identified as Santa Maria deli Angela e dei Martiri). It was simple and understated, yet beautiful all the same.
This pleasantry was followed by one of the more OTT churches in Rome, Il Gesu. Everywhere you looked there seemed to be a new gemstone that you hadn't seen before, even though the church didn't need anything other than its AMAZING 3D ceiling painting - the painter depicted scenes of sinners/saints falling out of heaven in from all angles/dimensions, with my favourite touch being that he even painted the shadows of clouds overtop of the gold-covered ceiling.
After seeing our first Gothic church, an experience that paled in comparison to the previous churches, but one that culminated in my accidentally drinking ancient Holy Water (I got the shits later in the day as a result), we made our way towards the Pantheon. Unfortunately a rousing speech by Jimmy Hayes was constantly interrupted by rather pestilent gay pride fireman/woman protestors, however we tried not to let that dampen our experience. Not much to say about The Pantheon, the dome at the top is just flat out cool. Piazza Navona for lunch/free time meant a trip to the much sought after Grom, a gelato place that I'd only heard good things about - I proceeded to consume the single best ice-cream I had ever eaten. OMG it was good.
The Ara Pacis was a definite highlight for me as I could remember all of my AS notes about it, so I had first-hand knowledge that I could draw on - was disappointing to see all the uninformed boys take this as a toilet stop.
After spending a while on the toilet (likely courtesy of the aforementioned Holy Water) I missed the bus to Hadrian's Villa (me missing bus/train will become increasingly common in Rome) - unfortunate given that I had a speech to give there. Alas I arrived about 15 minutes after the group and had to speed through my speech and through the Villa, an impressive though rather boring/badly preserved residence.
Day 3 was an early wake up to catch the train to the Vatican. Yes, I missed the train. Arrived 10 minutes after the group but luckily they'd kept a place for me in line. Damn that 2 hour line for the Vatican Museum was quite draining - but it was worth it. Awesome statues of Laocoon and the Prima Porta Statue of Augustus, while Michaelangelo ceiling painting in the Sistine Chapel was worth seeing, though smaller than I expected. Throughout the museum I got separated from the group - the 3rd time this had happened in 2 days for me, bit of a laugh. Slightly smaller wait for St. Peters Basilica, but wow it is simply huge - heavy Michaelangelo influence made St. Peter's my favourite church so far. On being given free time, Jack, Oscar and I stupidly decided to walk home (which took 3 hrs), but it was worth it as a purchased an Italian-style hat which suits me to a tee and can be seen in many of my photos to come. My Best Buy on the tour so far by a country mile.
Day 4 yet another early train to catch to Napoli, on which I found out about a disappointing ABs loss which bummed out the entire group. Highlight of Naples Archaeological Museum was undoubtedly the room they had which was entirely dedicated to cocks/pornographic artwork (MANY, MANY pictures to come). A quick ride to Pompeii on a dilapidated train followed. Pompeii was very well preserved but all in all I wouldn't see it again as it was all a bit samey for me - however the view of Mt Vesuvius was stunning on what was a beautiful day.
Day 5 saw us knock of the last of the Big 4 churches: St Paul's without The Walls. When all is said and done this was my favourite church in Italy due to its ambient/calm vibe - it was nowhere near as OTT as the other major churches, yet it was easily as impressive in both size and spectacle.
After quick trips to the rather barren/boring Palatine Hill and Roman Forum (both of which were difficult on what was a boiler of a day) we see the Arch of Titus, and more importantly for me the Arch of Constantine which was a throwback to my 3rd Form Latin Project. Pretty awesome to actually see in person. The Monument itself, like the Latin Project, gets an 8/10 from me.
Then what we had all been waiting for - The Colosseum. More impressive from outside than inside, as we couldn't go into the underground passages that I had longed for. However, it was pretty unreal finally being inside a place that most people could only dream about, a place I'd only seen pictures of.
Our train from Rome to Florence wasn't particularly eventful. Florence is absolutely stunning - our hotel is along the River, and there are no clouds in the sky. It is a busy little city, however unlike Rome and Athens it is calm and quiet. Quick train ride ensues and then damn, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is truly something to behold - serious architectural flaws equate to a pretty odd looking attraction - bit of a laugh really. Back in Florence I buy myself a Fiorentina singlet and also purchase both of Toni's gifts which will remain disclosed until further notice.
Finally a good breakfast - much much needed. Off to the Uffizi Gallery, and I can truly say that I have left a part of me in the Uffizi, as I was peeling skin flakes all throughout. In all seriousness there are some great artworks in there - my favourite being The Hermaphrodite (which was an absolute plot twist for me until I read the information on it provided).
Free time means shopping for most of the group, but rest time for me. It does certainly annoy me that by the end of the day approximately 10 boys have spent more in a day than I have on the whole trip thanks to countless purchases including leather jackets. This ISN'T a shopping trip and they could at least pretend to care about the art/culture that is everywhere around them.
On the Night Walk there were some definite highlights:
- Seeing the exact spot where Savonarolla was burnt at the stake
- Seeing a live Opera performance which included a spectacular rendition of Granada, and a different, yet impressive rendition of Romans
- A Simply gorgeous night view of Florence - Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs was on the money when he said it's his favourite sight of all time.
Day 3 in Florence starts with a few churches, notably Il Duomo and the Baptistery Doors (aka The Gates of Paradise) - extremely impressive, with the highlight having to be Berneleschi's Dome which is just hugely important in Florentine history.
Nipped off for a quick look in an op shop and got a couple of tees that I thought were decent. After a bus ride to Siena and Cathedral sighting, I sourced out another Grom as I was determined to eat there again before leaving Italy - well worth it.
A Very early morning train ride before arriving in Venice. Certainly a very different city to what I'm used to, and watching a high speed police chase across the canal was a pretty comical/once in a lifetime gag. During my time in Venice I decided that it is both the best and worst place in the world - the best because it is really cool/different to the rest of the world, but the worst because of how impractical it is - you must own a boat if you want to get across the city, as there are no cars/bikes etc. I can't even imagine the hassle of leaving Venice to go elsewhere, as no-one has a car so you'd have to train everywhere + take taxis.
All in all Venice was pretty cool, and it is an easy/enjoyable city to get lost in, as showcased by Scott Allison who was literally lost alone for approx 2 hours while the group got through the itinerary.
While writing this I am on the overnight train to Dijon from Venice nearing midnight. The rooms are cramped and the beds are uncomfortable. I wouldn't expect anything more or less.
Italy was simply amazing, it beats Greece in every way - it is cleaner, more economically developed better preserved, and has a better language (one that I picked up fairly quickly and would be interested learning). Most importantly the girls in Italy are mostly beautiful and voluptuous, therefore making Italy a place where I would seriously consider living in one day (probably in Florence if I had the money).