Bonjour Paris!

Sorry for the lack of updating the past couple of days, but we just could not justify spending €8/hour per person in Venice. That is over $10 an hour just to use the computer! I guess we are getting cheaper as the trip comes to a close, or at least I am.

We left Cinque at 9 a.m. (after sleeping through a huge rain storm that brought in some rain through our window) and then proceeded to travel by train for the next ten hours. We didn't realize it would be such a long day of traveling, so once we finally made it in to Venice, we basically found our hotel, ate dinner, and got ready for bed. The hotel was really nice and close to the train station - and the best part was it had a/c!!! I haven't quite adapted to the true European lifestyle cause I definitely slept better with an air conditioned room.

Yesterday we explored Venice by foot in less time than we had predicted, so we had several hours to kill before our night train left for Paris. We went to St. Mark's basilica (the biggest in Italy), the main sight in Venice and definitely worth going to. You can check it out for yourselves here:





Most of the tourists in Venice were gathered in the piazza by St. Mark's, so we quickly saw the church and got out of there after feeding the pigeons. Who knew that Katie was afraid of pigeons??? haha... I had a good laugh watching her attempt to feed them, only to drop the food and back away. I forced her to do it, though, because I AM the trip photographer, and need these priceless shots. She said I was mean and was like the old bird lady in Mary Poppins, but did it anyway.



The night train was an interesting experience. We reserved a four person car with two other females (mother and daughter from San Fran). The space was a little tight but manageable. The only complaint I have was the smell of the bathroom this morning after getting used all night, but I suppose that is to be expected. We are just having fun exploring and learning as we go.

Now we are in Paris across from our hotel and waiting for our room to be ready. The weather is cold - in the 50's! It is supposed to warm up to the low 70's, which will be a nice change from the heat in Rome, but I definitely need to pull out my jeans and rain jacket. This Texas girl isn't used to this kind of weather in August! We are heading out to the Louve this evening, and will probably just explore our neighborhood and surrounding areas until then. 3 more days to go!!!