Ciao bella!

The city of Venice is famous for several reasons, most notably for its beginnings: someone looked at a series of small islands and said, "Looks like the worst place ever to build a city. When do I start?" With canals where roads should be, exploring Venice is a truly unique experience.

Gondolas are the way to see the city from the water. You are paddled in and out of small waterways to see sights you can't see as well from the narrow alleyways, and it only costs over $100 USD. Maybe next visit...

With no roads, there is no fear of being run over. Granted, with all the small allies and twisting walkways, there is a risk of being lost forever. Also, there is that whole drowning issue that you don't encounter to such an extent in other cities.

When you live in a cold climate, snow and ice are no reason to shut down schools. When you live in Venice, high water is no reason to evacuate. Instead, raised sidewalks are brought out, the locals put on their galoshes, and hotels replace the rugs in reception with pool floats.

One couple takes a gondola ride along the canals.

This is St. Mark's Square and Cathedral. The body of St. Mark is buried underneath the dome of the church. Again, you can see the remnants of the last few rainy days in Venice on the square.

Even though all the buildings fit together tightly, they each retain their own individuality. Like a manicured lawn next to a lawn where the grass has gotten a little tall, you can see where one building ends and the next begins, even if they share the same wall. Each building's walls are painted a different color and the shutters are different shapes, creating a spectacle to enjoy.

Another shot of Venice. Please note the reflection.

Milan was not originally on our itinerary, but everywhere in Italy we saw MTV Italia, and one of its shows is shot in Milan, with its famous Duomo in the background. So, we decided to add a stop to see the Duomo, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world which only took 600 years to complete. You'll notice that the weather was not very hospitable, so after visiting the cathedral, we quickly left for Genoa.

Britney may have been no. 3 on TRL's countdown, but she was no. 1 in Jessica's heart.

If you're curious about numbers (and we know you are), there are 3400 statues, 135 spires, and 155 gargoyles on and around the Duomo. That's right, eat your heart out Fable lovers (that's a video game reference that only Justin can make).

Our last sunset in yet another country. Ciao, Italy!