Big Trip from 2005 - Viva Italy! Part 6 - Florence & Roma - LOST IN TRANSIT

Well I have no photos to post as my camera decided to die so I have only have actual photographs (Yes people still have those !) and as I dont have a scanner I can not load them!

Oh well...Well just quickly I had a wonderful time in both - Rome well not so much...

The next destination was Phuket to meet up with Andrew and some of our friends...other than the 24 hour flight over to London this journey was only slightly better...Let me explain...

- Leaving the Hotel at 1.30 on Thursday to catch the subway to Roma Termini

- then the 45 minute train ride to get to Aeroporto...then transit lounge until 5

- then a 3 hour flight to London...met up with Tony & Jez ( who had just returned from Russia & Ireland and joining on the Phuket leg) at yet another transit lounge...

- at 10pm UK time we caught a 12 or 16 hour flight to Bangkok....

- then 3 hours at another transit lounge at Bangkok Airport then a flight to Phuket...

- then a 1 hour coach ride to the hotel ....arriving at 9pm Friday night!!!!!

Needless everyone met us at the hotel...Andy and I went to the hotel room so I could give him all the gifts...then he gave me the best shag of the year (I got a bruise on my arm and still do not know how) then we all went to Tuk's Bar (our new friend) and got pissed.....

Big Trip from 2005 - Viva Italy! Part 5- Venice, Murano & Bologna

The Rialto Bridge..another landmark you don't realise you are on until you see the view of the Grand Canal...

A short ride over the lagoon from Venice is the Glass Mecca - Murano...

A spent most of a day there being an avid collector of glass, especially Murano glass...













As I took disposal cameras as well as the digital I have only these...which knowing me is probably a good thing...otherwise there would be glass for days


Bless the Italians...they certainly know how to do a chandelier...

After a few Days in Venice, Ronni and I said 'Ciao' - she was off to Sicily and I was off to visit the city of Bologna...known for three things..the 'learning'(of the University), the red (of its walls) and the fat(the fantastic food)...

Noel and Alberto met up with me from London and it was fun weekend...in a nut shell

- Get to Bologna...raining...Hotel room flooded so they put me in a serviced apartment...we wander around the city and visit some it's great cafe's and bars...We meet up with Mirko, a friend of the guys, he takes us to a Friends house for dinner...car breaks down as battery flat...Mirko's brother comes to our rescue then an hour drive to Modena for dinner... Dinner was ace and got very drunk...we drive back to a Bar in Bologna at 1am in the morning...Noel and I fall asleep in the back of the car...Wake up and go to Bar...drinking continues as the most odd gay bar ever I have been to in my life...leave bar at 4am and crash...wake up very hungover...go shopping and eat a fantastic lunch...then need to go to the toilet for over an hour...Say ciao to Noel & ALberto and catch train to Florence...Sun is shining...

Noel and I before the drunkiness...

A nice shot of Alberto and me trying to impersonate a lamp...I have a whole collection of me doing this...lamps, vases, flower arrangements and furniture...but that's not for here...

Big Trip from 2005 - Viva Italy! Part 4 - Venice!

So after the beauty of Paris..I caught the train to Venice...other than the water, and the city has been the same for hundreds of years...the fact that no cars are present enhances what was one of the most unique experiences of my life...

The Garden Gate at Peggy's House(I thought the B & W pics of her in the house and the history of the Pallazzo and of Ms Guggenheim was far more interesting that the art!)

Me on the Academia bridge - Trying to blend in as a local...not succeeding

Meet Ronni...we met at Italian Class (yes I did a crash course in Italiano! Not that I was any good mind you) and she so happened to be in Venice so we hung out and saw the sights together...that was another highlight of my time in Venice...

St Marco's Square at 8am

St Marco's Square at 1pm

Moral: Go early

What I loved about Venice was that time moves at a different pace...No cars present so that helps...the air is very clean because of this so the locals ( if you can find any remaining) say...Yes you pay 18 Euros for a Bellini at "Harry's Bar" and you need to sell your grandmother to eat and for your hotel room, but the experience of this amazing city on stilts has to be visted at least once in your life...