Leonardo da Vinci in Venice
I was roaming the streets of Venice and somehow found myself in Campo San Barnaba, where the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit was happening.
A lot of his inventions were about flying, like this giant glider and helicopter.
But it turns out that da Vinci came out with a lot of other stuff too, from weapons like machine guns and warships...
...to musical instruments like this dragonhead citar.
Link to the album:
Weekend in Venice
Just came back from a 3 day weekend in Venice. It took six hours door-to-door each way, but it was well worth the trouble. This was actually the first time I've been out of the country since I landed in France two years ago. Here are some of my best shots from the trip. Blogger can't handle all my pictures, so I put links to each of the albums below.
My favorite part of Venice were the masks. There are Chinese copies everywhere, so it was real tough to find authentic ones at first. But after looking at a dozen or more stores, I got to the point that I could tell them apart. Take these gold leaf plated ones for instance. The big one at the top goes for over 500€.
Link to the album:
Venice is, of course, best known for its canals. You literally can't take a bad picture in Venice. Just point anywhere, shoot, and Presto! There's your desktop background.
Link to the album:
Next are probably Venice's gondolas. They're about as romantic as things get (right after proposing at the Eiffel Tower). Great way to light up your romance, if you can afford it (they're like a hundred bucks a ride).
Link to the album:
Venice was apparently and empire that ruled the seas once upon a time, and Piazza San Marco was the heart of it. The whole place just reeks of power and money.
The Piazza was kind of a bummer since they were doing renovations and there was scaffolding all over the place. Completely ruined the view. I might have to go back just so I can get a decent shot.
Link to the album:
Other than the boats on the canals, Venetians get around the city entirely on foot. I thought living in Paris would have trained me for all that walking, but I was so wrong. My feet still hurt.
The city is truly a labyrinth of tiny passages. Some streets are barely wide enough for a person to pass thru. You could probably shake hands with your neighbor across the street from your window. There are some parks here and there that are a bit bigger and give you some much needed breathing room.
A fair was going on in one of the neighborhoods when I was in town. I tried a Fritelle for the first time (it's like a churro, but round). Delicious, but I had to skip lunch to compensate.
Link to the album:
Venice has been known for its glass for centuries. The guidebook said that a long time ago they moved all the factories and the glass blowers to the island of Murano to keep their trade secrets safe. Authentic Venetian glass still comes from this island (and it's super expensive).
One of the glass factories was open even though it was Sunday, so I had a chance to see their work. The glass blower took a glob of molten glass at almost 3000°F and made a little vase out of it. No PPE like gloves or goggles or anything by the way. Safety Violation! Where's my SOR form?
Link to the album:
My last stop was the island of Burano, which is known for its lace making and its colorful houses. It reminded me of La Boca in Buenos Aires (but way classier).
Here's another famous site of Burano: its leaning bell tower. Google says it leans 5 degrees, just like the world renowned tower of Pisa.
Link to the album:
It was a great trip overall. Venice is one of the most beautiful cities I've seen so far (although I still think Paris is better).
Here's a link to all of the pictures:
My favorite part of Venice were the masks. There are Chinese copies everywhere, so it was real tough to find authentic ones at first. But after looking at a dozen or more stores, I got to the point that I could tell them apart. Take these gold leaf plated ones for instance. The big one at the top goes for over 500€.
After combing through the entire city, I finally found this little store in Dorsoduro that had exactly what I was looking for. All the masks were hand made right on site out the workshop across the backyard. Take a look at the showroom:
Link to the album:
Venice is, of course, best known for its canals. You literally can't take a bad picture in Venice. Just point anywhere, shoot, and Presto! There's your desktop background.
Link to the album:
Next are probably Venice's gondolas. They're about as romantic as things get (right after proposing at the Eiffel Tower). Great way to light up your romance, if you can afford it (they're like a hundred bucks a ride).
Link to the album:
Venice was apparently and empire that ruled the seas once upon a time, and Piazza San Marco was the heart of it. The whole place just reeks of power and money.
The Piazza was kind of a bummer since they were doing renovations and there was scaffolding all over the place. Completely ruined the view. I might have to go back just so I can get a decent shot.
Link to the album:
Other than the boats on the canals, Venetians get around the city entirely on foot. I thought living in Paris would have trained me for all that walking, but I was so wrong. My feet still hurt.
The city is truly a labyrinth of tiny passages. Some streets are barely wide enough for a person to pass thru. You could probably shake hands with your neighbor across the street from your window. There are some parks here and there that are a bit bigger and give you some much needed breathing room.
A fair was going on in one of the neighborhoods when I was in town. I tried a Fritelle for the first time (it's like a churro, but round). Delicious, but I had to skip lunch to compensate.
Link to the album:
Venice has been known for its glass for centuries. The guidebook said that a long time ago they moved all the factories and the glass blowers to the island of Murano to keep their trade secrets safe. Authentic Venetian glass still comes from this island (and it's super expensive).
One of the glass factories was open even though it was Sunday, so I had a chance to see their work. The glass blower took a glob of molten glass at almost 3000°F and made a little vase out of it. No PPE like gloves or goggles or anything by the way. Safety Violation! Where's my SOR form?
Link to the album:
My last stop was the island of Burano, which is known for its lace making and its colorful houses. It reminded me of La Boca in Buenos Aires (but way classier).
Here's another famous site of Burano: its leaning bell tower. Google says it leans 5 degrees, just like the world renowned tower of Pisa.
Link to the album:
It was a great trip overall. Venice is one of the most beautiful cities I've seen so far (although I still think Paris is better).
Here's a link to all of the pictures:
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