last day in italy

This trip has been really enjoyable, and compared to the first leg of our Europe adventures - much more dry. In numbers:

8: the number of cities we visited (Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Florence, Sienna, Pisa, Venice, Verona)
15: the number of gelato cones I ate (strawberry "fragola" is my favorite, expresso "caffe" was my least)
10: approximately the number of pizzas I ate here
.50 = the cost in Euros of the cheapest Diet Coke I bought in this country
2.50 = the cost in Euros of the most expensive Diet Coke I bought in this country (hey, when you need it . . . )
0 = the number of coffees I had
25 = at least the number of espressos and cappuccinos John had
12 = number of nights we had in Italy
3 = number of nights we had in Italy where we had our own private bathroom (it's some sort of heaven to have to walk less than 5 feet to your own bathtub).

We were told not to spend more than two days in Venice, as while beautiful, it does gets dull, so we saved all of our sightseeing adventures for our only full day in the city. We started in Piazza San Marco (with the pigeons) and took the "secret itineraries" tour of the Doge's Palace (the head governmental building of the Venetian Republic) and learned how Casanova escaped (with the help of a priest, and a piece of iron). From there, we had paninis for lunch, some gelato, wandered the closing markets at Rialto, walked over to the suburb in Venice where people actually live (Santa Elena), and took a break at the hotel. We're off to have dinner at a wine bar, and then back here to pack up. We head to Oxford, UK tomorrow at 10:30, and after we spend a few days there with some friends from Jewell, it is back to the Cam for school. Boo. Traveling trumps studying, I believe.

Much love.