Da Trieste

 Here are a few photos from Trieste.

 Rob booked a great hotel room which over looked the harbour.

On our last morning we woke up to this:

an enormous ship from the Costa fleet.  It was so close.

 Trieste's main piazza fronts on to the sea.  Piazza Unità d'Italia is enormous and is supposed to be the biggest piazza in Europe.  The piazza in front of the St Peters looks bigger to me but I'm sure that there would have been someone out there checking with their ruler.

Part of Piazza Unità d'Italia looking out towards the sea

Il Canal Grande, Trieste

The reflections on the water were beautiful

Trieste also has a Canale Grand and I read somewhere that it rivals Venezia's Canale Grande -it is about 100 metres long and there is no comparison.

 Better to enjoy places for what they are than to continually make comparisons -I'm over newspaper and other travel reviews. I really don't care what some person writes about a place when they have had free travel and free accommodation. Also tastes are highly individual. We really love Venice and could live there, you may just like it for a day visit.

We walked about 30 kms around Trieste over the few days that we were there and had a good look around. We ate at a great restaurant -Antico Convento in Via delle Beccherie Vecchie, 2,  Trieste  on both nights (it is always tricky to find somewhere really good so we went two nights and tried different things.  It would become a regular if we lived there.

We also had some great gelato, a fantastic pork panino in the Triestina style with mustard and fresh horseradish from Da Siora Rosa.  We had to be careful what we ordered as we are not big on offal and there were delicacies such as tongue impanata.

We also had the obligatory spritz on comfortable chairs overlooking the vast Piazza Unità d'Italia

Trieste

We caught the train to Trieste and have been here for the past two nights.  We have never been here before and gave enjoyed our stay. There are fewer tourists and the local people seem to be more relaxed
There is a lot of public open space - piazzas,  open areas around the port and sea front and also small winding roads. Parts of the city are very much like Vienna or Torino with the style of public buildings,  piazzas and cafe culture, but it is also distinctly Italian . We have spent the past few days walking around all over the city and sampling many delicious local foods. The restaurants are probably even more seafood oriented than Venice.

Venice in the October sun

We have had absolutely brilliant weather in Venice - a bit cold but blue skies and very sunny.  We have spent our days wandering around  and eating at interesting places.

 There is always lots of manoeuvering with boats

 A line of tourists waiting to load their luggage onto a  water taxi

 The Canareggio Canal

 Many Jewish people were sent to their deaths in Concentration Camps by the Germans from Venice in World War Two. This monument is near the Casa di Riposo - elderly people were brutally taken from the nursing home.

We know of one person who lived in Venice and was related to the Abolafio side of the family who was killed at Auschwitz. There were many other surnames in the monument that are in the Venice family tree including Rava', Sacerdote and Mendes. So horrible.

Marathon Pics

Rob finished the marathon, which is the fourth time for Venice. I'm so proud, it is a huge achievement.
Sorry that it has taken so long to post Rob's marathon photos.  All sorts of excuses but here they are at long last:

 Running the last 100metres

 Rob managed to spot me in the crowd and we sorted out where to meet up -same place as usual :)

 Looking pretty tired after a long hard run. 

It was amazing that he finished with so little preparation

  The Venice Marathon medals are great. This year has Ca' Foscari which is at the 18km mark.

 In Piazza San Marco.

 It is quite a long walk back from the finish line to Dorsoduro with tired legs

A very tired Rob trying to smile :)

On my way to to meet Rob at the finish line someone stole 30euros from the pocket of my jacket.   I was in a very squashy crowd that was moving very slowly. I'm impressed with their skill - the money was in a pocket of my leather jacket which has a very stiff zip.  I was holding on tightly to my bag with one arm and carring a bag of stuff for Rob in the other.  The crowd was pushing and shoving and I didn't feel my pocket being picked.

Luckily it was only 30 euros.

Venice Marathon and Canale Grande

Today is the  29th Venice Marathon and Rob is entering it for the fourth time.  We made it to the Mestre train station in time for him to catch the 7.00am bus to Stra.  The marathon (42.2km) is point to point - from Stra near Padova to Riva dei Sette Martiri in Venezia.

As usual there were heaps of runners waiting to catch buses and each bus that left was packed. This year Rob managed to get a seat which is a nice change from standing crammed in like sardines for 40km.

I caught the vaporetto back to the apartment and am going to watch the start of the race on TV and then go over to Riva degli Schiavoni for the finish.  A few early morning photos of the Canale Grande -excuse any blurriness and composition, they were taken on a moving vaporetto.

 Very few boats this morning

Da Venezia

Per noi Venezia è sempre bella.

 Loved the light across the water from the Rialto

 From the Rialto -always so many tourists that there ia always an elbow or some other bit in the way :)

 A bit cruel with a flash 

 A relatively quiet day on the Grand Canal -no vaporetti because of the strike. The light is always magical looking from the Accademia bridge.  It is one of the most photographed scenes in the word

Gondola traffic jam at the Fondamenta de la Canonica

Venezia

We're in an apartment in Venezia for 4 weeks -using it as a base and heading off to a few places that we haven't been.  We will probably go to Trieste or Udine this week because if we leave it too long we won't go.  Venezia is such a relaxing place that it is easy to settle in and do nothing.

Our apartment is in Dorsoduro, we are staying in the same place as last year as it is huge by Venice standards and very comfortable. It is also in the middle of everything. It is a good time of the year to be in Dorsoduro as it is graduation time for students and there are usually lots of parties and singing in the streets.

We have been to quite a few of our favourite places and had a few great meals. My favourite clothes shop has closed and so have a few other places which is sad.

Rob is running the Venice Marathon for the fourth time. Yesterday we tried to go to the marathon expo to pick up his marathon pack but couldn't because there was a transport strike. We knew about the strike but foolishly thought that we would be able to catch a taxi. There was a total traffic jam on the Ponte della Libertà and no one was going anywhere.

We went to the expo today, picked up the kit and bought a few things from the Venice Marathon shop -Rob has been there so many times that a few ladies there recognized him and one remembered that he was from Australia.

We're taking it quietly today, visiting family in Mestre and Rob is taking it easy.  We have been walking heaps since we arrived on Wednesday and it will be good for him to have a quiet day so that he is rested for the marathon tomorrow - 42km is too far for me to even think about.

There was a graffiti wall of signatures of participants, Rob added his

Piazza Del Fico, Rome

 A left leaning water fountain

 Gaffer tape fixes everything :)

The concierge at the hotel told us about a great little restaurant in Piazza del Fico near Piazza Navona called Da Francesco. They specialise in Roman food it was very good - we went twice :)

 Piazza del Fico with two groups of men playing chess

 The guys were very intent on their game and there were encouraging spectators

Photos from Rome

 A really hot day in Rome and there was a group of German guys wearing lederhosen :)

The forum is always a favourite place

Pines, blue skies and a forum = Roma

 Vicolo del Babuino

The hotel terrace had cute little olive trees in pots

We went for a stroll along the river  between Isola Tiberina and Castel San Angelo before it got too hot

 Il calcio and Gigi Buffon rule

 There were strong reflections despite rapid currents

 A safe haven for ducks

and an upturned boat was a hang out for other birds

Settled in Rome

Our Emirates flight was uneventful and we finally made it to our hotel around 10.00pm after an interesting time at Fiumicino Airport.  Our plane was early  but we had to spend over an hour squashed in a line trying to go through Passport Control.  The main problem was the big numbers of people in tour groups continually shoving and manoeuvring to get best positions.

Our hotel is great and in a fantastic location near Piazza di Pietra -our hotel room windows look out over the piazza. Our first day was spent taking it easy wandering around reacquainting ourselves with Rome.  It was around 30C and quite hot in the open area near the Foro Romano.  Rob went for a run early in the morning -his favourite Rome run which includes going up to the Campidoglio.

 The only glitch for me is that I have ended up with legs like tree trunks post flight and long walks yesterday didn't help so I'm taking it quietly for a little while.

 The hotel has a rooftop terrace which is a great place for an aperitivo in the evening before going out for dinner.

 Will post photos from Venice as the wifi here has some security problems.

Andiamoci di nuovo 2014

The countdown has started.  Only a few more days until we are on our way to spend another autumn in Italy and another Venice marathon for Rob.

 I'm looking forward to speaking and thinking in Italian  and gelato, pasta, pizza, pane & bigne - ok all Italian food ;)