Ciao, Italia!

I am writing this post from a "campground" outside of Rome.  By campground, I mean a rustic Italian building containing a full bar, pizzeria, flat screen TV showing the Good Friday proceedings in the Vatican, a convenience market, shuttle bus, heated cabins, and, obviously, wi-fi.  Oh, and a Ducati motorcycle parked inside the bar.  We are officially Euro-camping.  And it is fabulous.  Fabulous and budget-friendly!    The lush springtime foliage and perfect weather are just what we need after a challenging few days on the road.  

After setting off to Trieste, Italy from Split, Croatia by bus on Tuesday night, we arrived bedraggled at our destination early Wednesday morning after crossing the freezing mountains at the Slovenian border.  Expressing a need for coffee STAT, we found the Italian espresso was just what the doctor ordered.  Indeed, it is difficult to stay tired in Italy.  We proceeded to power through a magical 24-hour stay in Venice, ending with a sprint across town to visit San Marco's Plaza before our bus left.  Or so we thought.  Then one of our travel nightmares occurred: we missed our bus!  There's always a first, but Lordy, does it smart!  Non-refundable tickets!  Tough to swallow, but I think I'm over it....      

Anyway, after a night spent at a bar in Bologna and the train station, we finally arrived in Rome.  And it is totally rocking!  We may stay longer than anticipated....  Time to organize our activities in this city jam-packed full of sights and events, especially over Easter (you may have gathered that we are last-minute planners, which usually works out fine, but occasionally comes back to bite us in the arse...).  I leave you with a few photos of Venice for starters.



Arriving at the train station in Venice....  Like a living postcard.



Rainy day in Venice- the subdued beauty of an alley.



San Marco's Tower, where my grandfather, Linus Burger, was stationed in World War II.  Happy Easter, Grandpa! Hope to meet you someday :)