Day 17 & 18: from Vienna to Venice + nasty night-time night trains

Location: Duca D'Aosta Hotel, Firenze, Italia

Hours of Travel: 96

Cleanliness: 7 (rain water in nike shoes but otherwise showered)

Comments:

-OK first the nasty night-time night train story. At midnight Trent and I had a reservation for the Prague to Vienna nasty night-time night train. We knew it was going to be a tight squeeze because there were a lot of backpackers at the station plus it was late so we knew there were already some people on the train.

-We walked on pushing passed the various riders with our 50-something pound backpacks to our designated cabin. The cabin seated 6 people knee to knee without recliners (nothing like the Hogwarts train). We talked into the cabin and I literally almost threw up. It smells like a mix between feces and body odor. I immediately got out of the nightmare and begged the conductor for a new assignment. I was about to offer him a kidney. He said it was completely full, there was nothing he could do, and stop bothering him. We were stuck.

-Long story short our 6 1/2 hours train consisted of shirts over our faces to hide the smell, dislocating parts of our body to find something remotely comfortable, and loud german conversation from the old lady and the other foreigners in our room.

-Trent and I agreed we would not enjoy Vienna at all unless we relaxed just a little bit before getting out in the town. We found a hotel and slept. for. five. hours.

-At mid-day, we found a bike tour and peddled through the musical city. We loved it and wished we could have spent more time.

trent riding

Gold statue of Johann Strauss

cheek-kissin over the Dunabe river

awesome boat house picture Trent took

peddlin' through the chestnut trees

Hofburg Palace

-After the tour, we grabbed a bite to eat. We decided to share some real Viennese wiener schnitzel. It was so delicious! Rivals the Goldener Hirsch in Deer Valley.

-no sooner had we come that we had to leave. We said Auf Wiederschauen to Austria, and most all other countries and we road on the train to Italy!

-We arrived in Italy at 8:30 am (much nicer night train) and while on the train, I kept telling Trent about the awesome 1 euro gelatos. He told me that all we were going to eat that day. I thought he was kidding but...

strawberry and mint chocolate chip

coconut and pistachio

nutella and lemon

strawberry and wafer

mint chocolate chip

...nine gelatos later, I couldn't imagine it any other way! They were so so tasty! Here are some other pictures of our time spent there.

Trent's booty and fillin up our waterbottle

amazing fresh fruit market; ALMOST too pretty to eat

wood-carved motorcycle (no it doesn't run)

At the top of Realto bridge

Where I spend most of my time: on the ground with a map

Trent and the Realto...

me at St. Mark's

What we are thinking: ok...so i'm a little behind and we're already in Florence waiting for Vince (a close family friend) to pick us up from our hotel. What is Vince's wife is cooking for dinner... (typical right?). What will tonight be like on our night train to Taormina as we get ready for SCUBA in sicily? When will we catch up on all our sleep? Are we going to have to buy another bag?

Ahhh! I just love ITALY! I love their people! I love their clothes! I love their leather! I love their jewelry! I love their art! I love their music! I love their architecture! I LOVE THEIR FOOD!

I'm in heaven. For now chao!