Venezia in a few short pictures

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures from Venice. It was extremely hard to choose which ones to post, and even harder since my online time is almost always limited. Right now we're in Lyon and actually have free wee-fee, which is why I'm writing now. All of us are pretty homesick. I feel like I'm coming down with a some kind of cold and have a headache, stomachache, and heartache all at the same time. I just took about 5 different medicines and hope to go to bed pretty soon. We're heading out for another 3 hour train ride to Paris tomorrow. I almost want to just head back to Dijon and lay down for the rest of the weekend, but I'm already in, payment-wise, for the hotel in Paris so there's no going back now. And it's incredibly hot here, and I'm sunburned, and we've been sweating for about 15 hours straight. Oh well.

Venice. I'm already missing Italy. It was like a dream come true ... we almost went back again this weekend because everyone loved it so much. Must go back there as fast as humanly possible. Here are a few pictures:



One of the first pictures I took in Venice, on the waterbus. I loved taking the water taxis everywhere. Riding down the Grand Canal was one of my favorite things because you could see a lot of Venice.



My traveling companions: Jenna, Reddy, and Lauree. The others in our group were me (of course), Brian, Katie, and Amy.



Gondolas on the Grand Canal. A busy day on the water!



San Marco's Plaza, just after the rain began ... all of the pigeons that flood the square flew off as soon as it started raining. It continued raining for more than 24 hours afterward ... as I've mentioned, my "souvenir" from Venice is a new umbrella.



From the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal. Breathtakingly beautiful.



On the Bridge of Sighs, inside the dungeons of the palace in San Marco's Plaza. It's the bridge that prisoners walk over just before they're executed, and this is the last view of Venice and the outside world that they see before they die.



Me, just excited to be alive and in Italy and with my buddies ... and also wearing about 17 items of clothing since it was cold and rainy!



An aerial view of San Marco's Plaza from the big bell tower (as seen in an above picture - the reddish tower) ... it was 6 euro to go up to the top, but it was so worth it to see almost all of Venice from above. You can see the pigeons pecking around down there.



Me, in a new French shirt, on the one sunny day we had in Venice. Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.



More waterfront Venice.



Jenna, me, and Lauree on a little bridge in Venice ... we were rocking our new umbrellas! Reddy made us stand and wait for a gondola to come by before he took the picture ... the gondola rides were about 120 euro, so we didn't end up doing it! (120 euro = about 180 bucks)

Well, that's all for now ... I'm about to get some rest here in Lyon. We had an ok dinner that was cheap, all of us are tired, and we're going to sleep in tomorrow. A very rare occurrence. Love to all, and don't forget to write me!

Jennie