In Which Tigger Has Trouble Communicating

No, we have not given up the blog.  *Note: Badger wrote most of this in October, which is why it starts with an apology for lengthy silence despite being published minutes after the last entry.* Having been recently reminded that this blog is still unfinished, Badger and Mouse are determined to finish the blog before the details completely escape us.  To summarize, Mouse, Badger, and Tigger have just spent a wonderful couple of days in Switzerland. They took it kind of easy because the last 5 days of the trip (for Badger at least) were full days. This is a recount of  Thursday, June 27th.   

Mouse and Badger both decided they wanted to see Venice, but were reluctant to use a travel day on the rail pass for it.  So, they decided to see it in an afternoon on the way to Florence.  They hit the train station early that morning and headed to Venice via Milan.  We used this trip to take a last look at the lovely Swiss Alps. 

Mouse gets to see her snow-capped mountains.

We also spent this time reading the phrasebook in a last attempt to absorb some Italian.  Neither Mouse nor Badger had experience with Italian, so this was going to be an interesting week in terms of communication. Tigger assured us that speaking Italian is what Tiggers do best.

Mouse is fairly certain that this is Lake Como. As in Lake Como, the filming location. Unfortunately, Tigger refused to pose until after the most distinctive and scenic portion had passed us by.

Our first look of Venice getting out of the train station

Having arrived in Venice, we stored our big suitcases at the train station and headed out for a few hours of exploring the canals.  Our destination was St. Mark's square at the other end of the city. We didn't want to get too lost and miss our train, but there were helpful signs pointing us in that direction, and most of the crowds were headed that way as well.  The streets were narrow and designed for pedestrian traffic, taking us over the canals on bridges. 

Tigger, the umbrella is to shade the restaurant patrons, not to provide you with a sunny lounge chair facing the Rialto Bridge.

One of the things that was an absolute must was sampling the gelato.  Mouse had heard that Venice was known for having some of the best gelato in Italy, and therefore the world.  Badger, being a scientist, felt that an experiment was called for.  We each tried to flavors while we were there, and were not disappointed.  Badger, at least, by the end of the trip, agreed with the claim. Mouse maintains that the coffee-flavored gelato in Florence was superior.

We arrived in St Mark's square, where Mouse hoped to feed the pigeons as she had done on her last visit with her family.  Unfortunately all we found was a sign saying not to feed the pigeons.  Mouse was slightly cheered up by the music form Sound of Music being played by the band.

Please, don't feed the pigeons

Mouse and Badger were both planing on splurging for a gondola ride in Venice.  However, when faced with the actual prospect of paying for it, all parties seem agreed that it wasn't quite worth it. 

However, our trusted guide to Europe on a budget mentioned the existence of traghettos, or gondola ferries.  These boats are essentially gondolas, but they just take people across the canal, so the ride is only a couple of minutes.  But, as Badger insists, it is STILL a gondola ride.  To be perfectly honest, the canal stinks, and a couple of minutes was plenty of time to actually on the canal.  

Tigger gets closer to the water than anyone should be allowed

One of the docks for the traghetto

We had to choose between buying another ride immediately back across and looking foolish, or walking fifteen minutes back to the starting point via bridges. In a hurry, so we could catch the train. We had a lovely walk.

So, after an afternoon of navigating streets, waterways, and street vendors, it was time to head on to Florence.  We arrived rather late, though we were used to this by now.  Here's our first view of Florence:

Now we just had to find the hostel.  No problem right?  Except we didn't have very clear directions and it was kind of dark.  We ought to have learned in Scotland the importance of finding out where to go before we go plunging off into dark streets.  (Not mentioned in the Scotland blog, we arrived in Edinburgh around midnight, got off the train, and realized Mouse only remembered generally where to go. *Mouse would like to apologize again to Badger for the confusion and thank her for her generosity in describing the situation.* After stopping and looking at a map, we encountered some policemen, who were able to point us in the right direction, though not without giving Badger a case of nerves while they talked to Mouse). Fortunately Badger was able to figure out the map and get to the hostel with only one or two stops to redirect. 

Once at the hostel (another recommendation from the guidebook and one of Badger's favorites), Tigger was quite ready to crash into bed.  However, the drama for the day was not quite over yet. This particular hostel assigned beds, but not everyone realized that.  Badger and Mouse found that someone was already using the beds they were assigned as a dumping ground for their luggage. Neither Mouse nor Badger spoke much Italian, which was okay in this instance as the Chinese girls using their beds didn't seem to either.  We learned how to use hand gestures and pointing to get our point across, a skill which would prove very useful in the next few days.

Finally, after a long day, Tigger and Co. were ready to sleep, which they would need for the next day.

Containing Some Mention of Previously Mentioned Secrets

Hello there! Mouse is contentedly enjoying the last embers of the fire and the moment of silence after everyone has finally gone to bed. A new year! and yet, in some ways, we seem to be stuck in June 2013.

Tigger is most displeased at Mouse's frantic preoccupation with "work" and "students". He wishes to know why there is still a half-completed post unpublished involving the trip from Switzerland onward. (To which Mouse can only ask Tigger to go ask Badger. If he wishes to disturb her in the lab tonight. Mouse would not recommend such an action. Tigger would probably do better to go play with the plushie leukocyte and erythrocyte in Badger's room. Because do you know what happens when you disturb Badger at the lab, Tigger? You get left behind on the next adventure.)

Mouse, however, is of the belief that this delay is for the best. If we hadn't been delayed in such a shameful manner, we would not be able to safely reveal...

... the presents!

More or less.

Okay, not really.

For instance, in Luzern, we spent much of the afternoon here:

where Mouse bought the following items:

[not pictured: toy clocks for sisters (as joke referencing one family vacation when Mouse planned to purchase a clock and sisters latched on to the idea long after sisters' souvenir money was spent)]

[not pictured: silver souvenir spoon for family gift]

[not pictured: small assortments of Swiss chocolate]

Wait, did you think this was an actual purchased item? It is to laugh. Mouse did seriously consider purchasing this for her father in lieu of a knife which he would rarely be able to carry (Mouse's father's job involves regularly passing through the sort of security where any knife is viewed as Extremely Dangerous and To Be Confiscated).  However, it was decided that it would 1) be too bulky for the remainder of the trip; 2) be too difficult to hide during the family portion of the trip, and 3) probably be gleefully received only to remain unused.

So instead, Mouse purchased this:

[not pictured: a smallish sturdy metal flashlight painted to match above bottle and every stereotypical Swiss Army Knife in existence]

By the way? Come Christmas morning, Mouse's father was bemoaning the complete absence of AAA batteries about the house. The flashlight came with three AAA batteries included. So whether or not Mouse's father gets any use out of the flashlight, there was certainly use from the rare, exotic AAA batteries from Switzerland! We are all grateful that the guitar tuner will continue to operate.

Badger, meanwhile, found the perfect gift for the men in her family.

[not pictured: 3 card-sized utility kits much like Swiss army knives, but shaped to fit in one's wallet]

Badger was also able to find the personal souvenir she was most anxious to find: Swiss chocolate.  

Oh, and one more Christmas-relevant thing!

Alert: The following is from back in Scotland, waaaayyyy back on Tuesday the 18th, and not the current point in the blog.

Got that?

Good.

While we were on the Isle of Skye in Port Rìgh/Portree, Mouse and Badger were delighted to find an unusual little shop which we were forced to omit from the Scotland blog for two reasons.

First, we couldn't figure out a way to explain the significance without giving away Christmas gifts.

Second, Internet access and time.

But look!

One would not necessarily expect to see an Indonesian art form highlighted in rural Scotland. But hey, Java, Skye... both islands on the fringes of Eurasia, right? Only about a third of the way around the world.

And oh, the pretties.

And here, the picture we most wanted: the pretty, pretty scarves at great prices that Mouse and Badger purchased in large quantities for the use of various Important Women back home. Important Women such as Badger.