This is a photo from the beach in Nice. Even though it's almost October, there were tons of planes arriving, bringing more tourists. The beach itself was mostly small pebbles but there were two man-made sandy spots. The only problem with the sand is that it was extremely windy, so all my stuff was filled with sand by the end of the day. The waves were high and it was a bit cold, not really swimming weather. The other problem with Nice is the construction. They are ripping up all the roads in the downtown so it takes forever to get anywhere. We were suprised to find they were laying down new tracks for...you guessed it...a streetcar line. Just like Toronto. Le plus ca change, le plus c'est la meme chose.

Rays

I took the photo of the tank of rays below at the Genoa aquarium. You have to lean in over the fake rocks to touch them, and there are all sorts of signs about touching softly for a short time instead of a "long caress." When the rays swim, they either stay flat, under the water, or they tilt their bodies upwards and their front parts (noses?) come out and they look as thought they are sniffing. It's quite interesting to watch. You can see one of the rays in the bottom right of the picture doing just that.

Venice, Long Overdue

The above photo is from shop on the island of Murano in Venice. If you click on it, it will open as a larger photo in another window. I'm trying to get more photos up, but not having much luck.

Video Glut!

I have finally been able to get a free internet connection, so I'm going to be putting up a whole bunch of videos. The oldest videos are at the top, starting with Venice.

Gondola rides are overrated. They cost around 70 euro for an hour and they are slow and boring. I think after you watch this video you will agree. I didn't make it longer so as not to prolong the pain.



The best way to see Venice is by waterbus. You can get everywhere quickly and cheaply, but you get to see all of Venice, instead of simply a small part.



This video is from the aquarium in Genoa, the biggest in all of Europe. They have dolphins, rays, sharks, seals, penguins and piranhas.

Expensive Internet!

I have some great videos from a boat ride in Venice and of Florence at night and even some seals from the aquarium here in Genoa, but I can't find any cheap internet to upload video. Hopefully the next hostel in France will be better.

I'm also going to post a picture of the rays I got to pet at the aquarium and some dolphin videos.

Giosa's Bar

Every once in a while you run into a real character. Today, I ran into Giosa. His bar is a tent on the side of a canal in Venice, close to the train terminal. We were looking for a drink before the bus came, and Giosa was more than happy to provide us with cold ones. I must say, the ability to have a beer on the street is one area in which Europe has got North American trumped.

Giosa also sells chips (mind the dust on the bag), candy, beer, Bacardi coolers and wine. You can buy wine by the glass, as long as you don't mind that your glass is actually a plastic cup. Giosa likes to play loud Italian music, and he knows the words, so sometimes he sings along.

In case you were wondering what type of fellow Giosa really is, let me give you an example:



He's also quite proud of his bar. So proud that he hung up a caldendar on his bar with a picture of his bar on it. Please note the bar is in the bottom right side of the photo.



And if you wondered to yourself, "Self, where do you think Giosa goes when he needs to urinate? His bar doesn't look big enough for a toliet, and he must work long hours. How does he get away when he needs to?"

Well, you can stop wondering. Giosa goes in the canal behind the stairs.

Ciao! Sono Spiderman!

I really like comics so it was a big treat to come across a Spiderman exhibit while exploring the Roman ruins yesterday. (And it was free!) I hadn't realized that Spiderman was so popular in Italy, but it makes sense considering that in Europe and Asia comics are not considered solely the domain of kids and nerds who live in their parents' basements. It turns out that the exhibit was part of Rome's Notte Bianca and they even projected a spiderweb on the side of the Colosseum. Back to the exhibit: there were examples of noted Italian artists who had drawn Spidey, a giant upside down Spidey in the centre of the room (kisses anyone?) and a collection of action figures. Aside from the comics, the exhibit also had different versions of the Spiderman theme playing, like the metal version and the bossa nova version. So, in order to get a better feel for it, I think you should hum the theme tune while you look at the rest of the pics.

Some of the old classic covers. I think Spiderman made his debut in Italy around 1970.

One wall was dedicated entirely to social and cultural issues. In this example Mary Jane is clearly determined to overcome the evil that is smoking.

These panels deal with eating disorders. I don't know about you but those last few panels before the hospital bed are terrifying.

Spidey goes to 'Nam.

Spiderman, Wolverine and Cyclops help the NYPD and NYFD find survivors in the wreckage of the World Trade Center.

Lemon Lemon

I can't believe I almost forgot to post this. Last night we went for a nice dinner nearby and had a craving for gelati after. And as we were discussing getting up to find a gelateria the server came by with a dessert menu. And on that menu was a lemon gelato served in half of a giant lemon. There was also a coconut gelato served in a half coconut shell. I only tried the lemon, but was it ever good!

As promised here is a short video of the beautiful pizza available at Solo Pizza across the street. Three euros will get you a piece of pizza about 8 inches by 8 inches. Note the massive amounts of bocconcini on the second pizza. I will be testing it out later today.

Rome! and PIZZA!

Quick update people; there's a resto nearby that sells an entire pizza for three euros. A full size pizza. I'm going to go and order one and take a quick video of it. YUM!

Rome is warm and cloudy.

What Could Go Wrong.

-Kangaroo/vehicle negative interaction
-Deep vein thrombosis
-Jet lag
-Mugging
-Airline loses luggage
-Fellow hosteler steals luggage
-Motion sickness
-Bed bugs get into luggage and on self
-Terrorist attack
-Malaria
-Forest fires
-Severe drought (Australia mostly)
-Existential angst (France)
-Monsoons
-Gastrointestinal chaos

-Jellyfish sting

I prepared this handy little list of potential calamities after noticing a sinister trend. It seems like something bad is happening in every place I want to visit. Let me give you an example: I planned to fly to Greece, land in Athens and travel by train to Olympia. Well, Olympia nearly burned to the ground so I had to change my flight. Now, things are back to normal. But I can't afford to change my flight again.

Let me give you another example : My travel friend suggested we head to Ravenna, a small Italian town on the eastern coast on the country nearish to Vienna. Lo and behold did Ravenna fall prey to a mosquito-borne virus called Chikungunya, a disease previously not found outside India, Africa and Asia.

It sounds quite pleasant according to the National Travel Health Network (bolded terms my own):

"Initial symptoms of CHIKV infection include a sudden onset of severe arthralgias and myalgias, accompanied by fever, headache and conjunctivitis. Joint involvement is usually symmetrical, affects the extremities and can result in swelling, pain, redness and limitation of movement. A maculopapular rash involving primarily the trunk can occur concurrently with defervescence. Illness usually resolves over three to five days. Most patients recover fully over a period of a few weeks, although 5 - 10% of patients will experience chronic joint pain, stiffness and swelling that can persist."

Despite protests from said travel companion, who also mentioned something about Ravenna's historical reputation as a town surrounded by malarial swamps, I have decided to skip the achy joints and conjunctivitis. I want my souvenirs of Italy to be postcards and expensive leather sandals.