Tuesday, April 8, 2008 Morning in Venice-Forence Area

The morning begins with a boat ride tour and a visit to St. Mark's Basilica. It is much more crowded during the day. We tour the Murano Glass Factory and observe a man making a vase. I didn't opt to take the Gondola Group Serenade and Catherine and I walk around Venice. It's appalling how rude people are and how dirty Italy seems along with the graffiti. We leave Venice and head to Florence.

We stay at Hotel Europa for two nights in Florence. Since the first night dinner is on our own, TG suggests that for 15 euro we can eat at the hotel. Unfortunately the hotel doesn't take credit and there isn't anywhere to convert money. TG says that I should have converted in Venice this morning. Nice after the fact. The waiter for dinner was a complete and utter jerk, to put it mildly. He snaps at me three times during the course of dinner about the ice cream, the cost and then because I'm talking to people that are eating. He doesn't only single me out though and is disrespectful and rude to most. Dinner consisted of three five-course choice meals pork steak, chicken or swordfish. The stench in the dining room was appalling and we couldn't find the source from the linens to the Parmesan cheese. It was the smell of moldy damp clothes. The most entertaining portion of dinner was that the dessert - if you ordered fresh fruit was a whole apple and a whole pear on a plate with a knife.

After dinner, a group of us venture out and hit the ATM machine after dinner while we are wandering around town. The most exciting thing is a condom machine in the middle of the sidewalk. We return back to the hotel where Paul and Christy come up to our room to play some cards. Finding a game to teach or that everyone knew was a bit tricky. I teach everyone "golf" and Tania and I split a Birramoretti beer. Playing cards was fun although Tania out of sheer boredom of being knocked out of the game first yeilds to drinking and making passive aggressive slams. Fortunately the recipient seems to be clueless or either takes it all in fun and doesn't ever respond.