These Gondolas were two of many we saw that weekend. It is crazy to think that gondolas were the main means of transportation within Venice for centuries, but is is understandable once you've been there to see the practicality of them.

I got this shot out of luck, as an Italian woman was looking outside her window for whatever reason. Personally, I think this is a good depiction of an older italian woman.

 This photo was taken from the Ponte di rialto (Rialto Bridge) looking over the Grand Canal in Venice. We went for Carnevale di Venezia, and you can see two elaborately dressed women in the bottom left of the photo.

I cannot describe the beauty of Venice, nor can a few photos justify what Venice was like. It was truly unlike anything i've seen before. There were no roads for vehicles, only canals for boats, seen here. 

 This is one example of the elaborateness seen in Venice for Carnival. There were many more, much even more elaborate than this. This person was near Piazza San Marco, the main public square in Venice.

The history of Venezia is mind boggling.  From the origins of the city being where it is geographically, to aqua alta (Which we saw partially around 2AM on night), Venice is hands down the most beautiful city i've ever been to. This particular canal holds more of a story than others for me. I snapped this shot minuted before my buddy Tripp accidentally fell into the water, trying to get closer to the water for a 'better shot'. 

"Born in Syracuse, since an early age she distinguished herself for her virtues. She dedicated her life to God, and she showed great inner strength against the pagans persecuting her. On December 13th, 304, at the age of only 23 she heroically died foreseeing better times for the church. Her body was buried in the catacombs by he Christians. She accomplished so many miracles that soon (in 314) the believers built a temple in her honour on the site of her martyrdom. Her remains were taken to Constantinople (1038); at the time of the 4th Crusade they were moved to the Basilica of St. George Major in Venice (1204), then to the church built for her during the Republic (1313) and finally into the church of St. Jeremiah (1806). Here they still rest, venerated by the faithful from all over the world, who consider her the Protectress from eye diseases."  This is what the sign read in the church of St. Jeremiah in Venice.

Before going to Pisa, which is about 30 minutes from Florence by train , I was told you can spend 3 hours there and be content. We spent 3 hours there and were content. Besides the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Piazza del Duomo, there is not much else to see. However, the city's history is very interesting. Pisa fought many battles, and was once a naval port, but now does not sit on the coast as it once did. The Arno River has been depositing silt for centuries, furthering the distance the city of Pisa lies from the ocean.

This picture was taken by a complete stranger, but you get that a lot when you're traveling. We were at the Boboli Gardens when this was taken. The gardens are behind the Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace), whose construction started in 1458.

When we made it to the top of the Duomo, the view was spectacular. This is a shot looking towards the Basilica of Santa Croce.  This basilica is the final resting place of many influential people, such as; Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Foscolo.

This is the ceiling of the Duomo, I took this picture as we headed to the top of the structure. The fresco was painted between 1572 and 1579 by Giorgio Vasari and Frederico Zuccari, depicting the Last Judgement.

You know those people you will remember for the rest of your life? These are a few of those people. We took this in a random alley in Venice, one of the coolest cities I've ever visited with some of the coolest people.

This is the beautiful city I am studying in this semester, Florence Italy. Click here for Florence's history. It is by far one of the more interesting cities in Italy, from the food to the attractions. This picture was taken from Piazzale Michelangelo, one of my absolute favorite spots in Florence. They often have live music as the sun sets, weather permitting, which adds to ambiance of this amazing view.