Ok so we started queuing again

The last week has been a blur of priceless artwork, pizza, panini, gelato and train rides.  For instance we did the Vatican museums, Galleria dell' Accademia and Galleria degli Uffizi over three consecutive days.  In the Roma post we said that we didn't want to spend our holiday lining up, well in Florence that is exactly what we did, three hours to get into Galleria dell' Accademia and two hours to get into Uffizi. This was worth it though, David took our collective breath away, there is a copy of David in the place where it used to stand and its just not the same, Michelangelo could swing a hammer. There is also a collection of priceless musical instruments (eg. Stradivarius violins) as well as more statues.

The collection artwork at Uffizi has to be seen to be believed, there is just so much another overwhelming experience. They are mostly religious. What was of interest to Craig was that the paintings from Medieval times were mainly saints and Jesus but the paintings from the Renaissance seemed to mix Christain saints and Roman gods, sort of a mix between the old and the new.

Whilst we were waiting in these lines we managed to strike up a conversation with fellow queuers. There is a sort of comeradership that comes from waiting so long, so of a collective stubbornness of resisting the guided tour option to short cut the queue.

When we arrived in Venice we both decided enough waiting in line to see priceless treasures, there is only so much culture our brains can take, so we dedided that we would just wonder around and just check the place out. We were lucky enough to be in Venice whilst Eurail.com were offering free gondola rides to pass holders, so happy days.

The alleyways of Venice are very easy to loose yourself in, which is exactly what we needed to do after three intensive days. The place is like a five hundred year old shopping centre, there is a myriad of little shops selling all sorts of stuff. We never really were lost though, Leena's navigational skills are really good, which makes up for Craig's very average navigational skills.