Italy

We made an early start to try and get to Pompeii before the crowds, but that was impossible. It was madness at Pompeii but we still managed to see some of it. It is just very hard to comprehend that the entire city was built over 2000 years ago. Absolutely amazing. After a quick lunch we made our way to the Amalfi Coast and to a little place called Possitano. The roads are so narrow that we had to hop off our coach and go down to the town on 2 small buses. Those bus drivers are amazing, negotiating those very very narrom roads and tight bends. Spent a few hours there and then made our way back to Sorrento for a stroll around the town. Our hotel for the night had the amazing views of the bay of Naples, really beautiful.

Arrived in Rome from Venice mid-afternoon. We were taken on a guided tour of the some of the city, including the Spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain. From there we went and found ourselves a quiet sidewalk restaurant where we sat with a few of our tour group and had a pleasant dinner. We then made our way to the hotel to check-in for the night.

Up early the next morning and back into the centre of Rome. First stop, the Vatican City and St Peter's Basillica, absolutely beautiful. We were lucky to get in early because by the time we came out the queue to get in was about 500 people strong and would have taken a good few hours to get around. By now Jan was getting tired of pasta and pizza and we were lucky to find a place selling hamburgers which were quite good. From there we made our way to the Colosseum. It is just incredible to think that a place like that was built by hand, no machinery, more than 2000 years ago.

That night we went with the group to a supper theatre where we had a really good meal and great entertainment and lots of free booze. There were a few sore heads the next morning.

Travelled from Austria to Venice, slight improvement with the weather. Stopped off in Verona for a few hours where we saw the colosseum there and had a stroll around the streets and visited Juliet's Balcony. Had a good lunch and finished off with an Italian ice cream, lovely

Got to Venice lat afternoon and went a gondola ride through the canals of Venice, beautiful. Jan almost killed our Gondolier when he popped the cork for the champagne while on the gobdola, hit him in the head. After our gondola ride we walked through Venice and sat and had drinks in St Marks square, really beautiful btu quite busy with people. From there we took a water taxi back to our coach through the Grand Canal and then back to our hotel for dinner.

Next morning, up bright and early and on a water taxi into Venice to visit the Murano Glass Making Factory. Amazing the work that those glass master do, absolute skill. From there we spent a few hours walking around Venice and shopping and then joined up with the rest of the group for a boat trip to the island of Burano, one on the many islands that make up Venice.

Had an awesome seafod lunch there and rolled out of the restaurant to get to the boat in time to tkae us back to St Marks and then on to the coach and bacxk to the hotel. Relaxing dinne rthat eveneing and a few drinks out in the garden to finishe off the evening. Venice is really beautiful, but we were glad to get out of there, far too many people as the day wore on and lots of "Gypsies" - pickpockets. One of our group had her camera stolen which was not a good end to their day.