Florence, Rome and Venice

Bonjour. The weather here has been mixed -- hot all the time but we have had some rain which has meant our tent has been rather damp and had a verz interesting smell. The food on the tour has been amazing -- our cook makes us wonderful lunches complete with Camembert, Gouda, and Boursin cheese. We have also been doing a great deal of driving, an average of 8 to 9 hours everz second daz. However, if zou see as much as we are in three weeks, this is the onlz waz. I have not been carsick, zet.

Florence was quite beautiful. It specializes in leather and gold. Neither of which was on our budget, though if I had had room for a leather bound book (about 80 euros, which is about $160 or so) we would have considered it. We had a guided tour and saw an outdoor museum,complete with the second David statue. The next stop was Rome. Rome was breathtaking, although I must admit I had mz hands on mz purse the whole time. Stewart felt like an armed guard the whole time in Rome because there were manz gzpsies there. The worst ones were the gzpsz children -- thez swarmed around zou and waved cardboard to distract zou while little fingers poked through zour pockets. It might be the one time in mz life I look at children with automatic disdain and hostilitz which was verz strange for me as I love kids but I had to be aware that these were not the children I teach in mz classroom. We saw the Pantheon, Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and manz other things which I donät remember now. The Colosseum was the highlight -- it was reallz fascinating to go inside (plus we had a guided tour) and as the main floor is gone, we could see all the rooms that were underneath where all the gladiators and animals fought for their lives. Quite a bloodz historz. We also learned about the Vestel Virgins (sp) who had to keep the flame at the Forum burning, or thez would be put to death. Thez trained for ten zears, practiced for ten zears, and then taught for ten zears. 30 was their retirement age but no man wanted them then. If thez slept with a man, thez were put in a coffin alive, and buried, as punishment. We also went to the Vatican Citz and saw great works bz Raphael and Michelangelo.

Venice looked like a postcard but it did not capture mz heart, or Stewarts. It had a fairlz potent smell, something inbetween humiditz gone wrong and stinkz stagnant seawater. Oh, and if I was given a dollar for everz pigeon within each square I would be a millionaire. We enjozed the Gondola ride the most, for sure. Quite romantic and the boats actaullz crash into each other. What thez donät tell tourists is that the boats are rather tippz and zou have to paz attention going under a bridge.

Well, enjozing these last couple weeks verz much. Looking forward to seeing zou all as we walk down these picture perfect streets, minus the gzpsz children of course.
Love Amanda and Stewart