Ahoy! Nothing for awhile, but that comes from the total and complete lack of any free wireless internet in Venice. I did find a place, but it was sitting next to a capped artesian well at 12 a night, by accident, while I was writing an entry, and it lasted just long enough to see all the emails that had built up. So eh.

Venice! City of bridges my arse, it's really the city of many small bridges and very few major ones. The city of walking huge lengths of path until you stumble upon a way across the Grand Canal. It's a gorgeous city though, absolutely gorgeous. The water is this amazing turquoise, the houses reach haphazardly for the sky, and the people are friendly. It was, of course, hot and humid. This is a seaside Italian town, after all.

So, day one:

From Venice

Murano, an island with all the appeal of a Charlie Chaplin lookalike, because unlike the rest of Venice, the inhabitants are rude and strangely mute when you try to speak to them, the island is ugly both to the eyes and the nose, and the glassworks galleries are wonderful look-but-don't-touch affairs.

From Venice

Burano, the exact opposite of Murano, this time with lace instead of glass, I think, but more importantly they specialise in the ancient art of attempting to hold onto visitors for more than the half hour it takes for the next boat to arrive when they realise that there's nothing really there.

And that's basically that for day one. I had some dinner and went to bed. Day two!

From Venice

Score for timing!

From Venice

Taken from a water taxi.

From Venice

I still don't know why this happened, but it happened right before the Andrea Bocelli concert started. Yes, I got to "see" Andrea Bocelli live in concert, from the other side of high black panels designed to stop me doing exactly that. Ha!

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Okay, moving on to Salzburg, an act that took me 8 hours on a train but will take you only a few second more...

From Salzburg

Contrary to what it looks like, it tastes exactly like normal tea and does precisely squat all.

From Salzburg

This couple had just come out of the museum, and I have to say it looked like every preconception they had about Mozart had been squarely shattered.

From Salzburg

Hehehe. Language barriers rock.

From Salzburg

Lastly, in Mirrabell Gardens, there are four statues that can only be described as GO PLANET!

Bear with me -- there's a few more to go!

From Salzburg

That afternoon, I went to the world's largest ice cave, hiked a kilometre up 1400 steps, and saw some amazing constantly shifting ice formations. Sadly, photographby inside the cave is prohibited, but this photo is the entrance.

From Salzburg

Salzburg. Fairytale city.

From Salzburg

Today, I got up early to go and see the Eagle's Nest...

From Salzburg

... And I discovered this abomination within it: a restaurant, a snack kiosk and a souvenir shop! Hitler's 50th birthday present, a symbol of the power of the Third Reich, and it's become what I can only say with venom is a tourist attraction!

From Salzburg

Didn't stop me having a bier at Hitler's place, though.

From Salzburg

One of my favourite photos.

From Salzburg

At the Salzburg fortress. Marionettes are WEIRD and CREEPY.

Anyway, Vienna next, then probably Prague. I'm still looking for a way to get to Kiev for cheap and quick, though, if anyone has any ideas.