Assisi, San Marino, Siena, and Venice
Er, plains of Assisi?
Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi
We weren't allowed to photograph inside the church. It's really quiet inside, quieter than some of the churches I've visited in Europe if you can imagine. Inside the church are the many majestic frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue. We also went inside the lower church which had a number of naves and which had the crypt of St. Francis.
Our tour guide, Alessandro. Good storyteller, this guy.
We had a proper picture but I prefer this one. St. Francis used to sign his name with a pax sign, thus the significance of this landscape.
And this is the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. There's a little church within this church -- the Porziuncola where the Franciscan movement started 'cause St. Francis and his buddies decided to bunk in this li'l church.
That dove is for reals, people. It just stays still there for the longest time.
And just a few steps away is the rose garden where thornless roses grow (which you can't see because it's not yet in season, eheh). Apparently, St. Francis rolled naked in the thorny rose bushes (because he wanted to resist the temptation of leaving his way of life) but since he was so good (that's what the tour guide said), the roses grew without thorns. If I rolled in a thorny rose bush, I wonder what would grow after. ("Nothing. You'd be left with nasty cuts though. Now, move it along and stop the stupid patter." - God) ("Thanks." - Me)
My cousins staring down a, er, well.
Passed by Siena, a Tuscan hilltown, late in the afternoon.
Piazza del Campo
...which reminded me of the plaza mayors we visited in Spain.
Where we ate rebolita and other stuff. I think rebolita is just a fancy word for bean and rice porridge. But still, doesn't mean that it isn't tasty. Those are my li'l cousins right there.
Hello, San Marino the fifth smallest sovereign state!
...and extreme bicyclers? Don't know what this is called.
Sayang at di kami nakapasok dito. May dala kasi kaming mga 5-year old kids.
Tiramisu which leaves no room for tiramoko. ("You are lame." - God)
Governor's palace.
Absint = Party = HEE!
Souvenir shopping is hard! Kahit na cute yang mga stuff toy na yan, hindi ako bibili. Wala pang nakalagay na "San Marino."
One of the coolest things about this trip is that I finally got to wear my boots. I mean, saan ko naman isusuot dito sa Pilipinas yan ngayong summer na? And, er yeah, this is Basilica del Santo.
The whole gang (minus my brother because he got separated from us).
Venice by night.
St. Mark's Square
St. Mark's Basilica
Some masks and trolls.
Venetian bookbinding. Mahina siguro ang 100 euros dito for that one book.
Doge's Palace
Venice by day naman.
Where coffee is 4 euros and where they charge you 2 euros extra for "ambience."
*drool*
La gondolas to ride in to smell l'aqua canal.
One of the more decent pictures I have while on the gondola.
Rialto bridge
Since it's nearing Easter at that time, chocolate bunnies! (Hinayupak, 7 euros!)
Parting shot: the cute driver (who looks ready to model Armani in a blink if needed) of the speedboat we rode in.