Vemu will be gone july 13 to 22

[VemuKhaham]

As the title says, I'll be gone from Friday, July 13 to most likely Sunday the 22nd. I'll be going to Northern Italy, Garda Lake, sitting on a beautiful beach in the sun just south of the Alps and making trips to beautiful places like Milan, Venice, Verona and the like. (Perhaps Florence but that's just not sure yet, though I really want to... )

This means I'll not be able to post at all for one week, sadly because I'm noticing that they're currently becoming very interesting.

For my own campaign Rinascimento it means things will stop, but I'll come back with hopefully some new inspiration about Renaissance Italy to use in the game.

To the players and DM's of the other campaigns I am in, I hope you will be able to keep my characters alive and at least somewhat tolerable for the other characters to be around with. Tell Furni not to be so grumpy all the time. Make sure Gildas doesn't go trying to wipe out all Exhumt when he gets there. Otherwise, feel free to take them over while I'm gone.

[K Man]

Have fun Vemu!

And although my jealousy burns with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns because you'll be sitting on a beach...in Italy...I hope you have a good time.

Take care and travel safe.

[TheUdjat]

admin said:

And although my jealousy burns with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns because you'll be sitting on a beach...in Italy...I hope you have a good time.

Ditto.

Enjoy yourself, be safe, etc - but don't brag too hard when you get back.

[Japic]

yah; and bring pictures. They're worth a thousand words.

[VemuKhaham]

I'm back, alive, and it has truly been a great trip! Maybe soon I'll post a short overview of the week, with pics, so I can brag a lot about it...

But first, I'll try to catch up with the games I'm in. A lot has happened here I noticed. TheUdjat has even found his eye!

[Rojito]

WooHoo!! glad to see your back Vemu!

[TheUdjat]

vemukhaham said:

TheUdjat has even found his eye!

Yay, somebody noticed.

Welcome back, Vemu. Glad to hear the trip was fun!

[VemuKhaham]

Here is a short overview of the things I did on my visit to the Garda Lake in Northern Italy. To anyone with a love for the sun, beautiful scenery, Italian culture and all of that combined in one place, I recommend you go there too. This was really one of my best travel experiences ever.

Day 1+2
We (My mother, sister and me) went by car, which is a pretty long drive so we decided to take our sweet time and do it all in two days. On the second day, we decided to make a visit to Innsbruck, Austria, a beautiful town located in the Alps. Here's a pic showing my sister and mother, and another showing just one of the hundreds of old monuments I would get to see later during the week. After a while you become so satiated by them you don't even bother to take pics anymore.


My mother and sister in Innsbruck

Innsbruck triumph arch

At the end of day 2 we arrived at Hotel Gardesano, where we had booked. It was a good hotel, our room looked out from a balcony on the swimming pool, there was the very necessary air-conditioning on our room, cause temperatures remained far above 40degrees Celsius the entire week and only on the last day did we see a few scarce clouds in the blue sky. As expected, there were lots of other Dutch people there, along with Germans, English, and some others.

One thing that stands out were the "musicians" that were on stage during the evenings. They were really crap. I'm sorry I don't have any audio tapes for you, but it was simply out of tune and still they turned on the volume so hard that you just couldn't escape their terrible voices. We did have some good laughs though when they started singing I.M.C.A. by the Village People instead of Y.M.C.A. Even the lyrics were hard for them. Best thing was that many people started singing along the wrong way...


The hotel

Day 3
Day 3 was our first trip to the lake itself. We went to Lazise, where we spend a day at the beach and visiting the medievalesque town with its Scaligeri castle. The sun was burning so hot though that we ended up looking for the beach's shadows instead of the sun. No really interesting pictures here, but the village was nice.

Day 4
Today we went to the village called Garda, situated at the lake and north of the Rocca, a 300meter high rock. While the village itself was very nice and all, the sun was still hot and my mother and sister were kind of exhausted by it. They sat down for a drink while I went climbing the Rocca, because there was supposed to be a walking route up there and a great view. So I went off alone and at first it was going well, until I came to a split in the path: one went up and the other down. There were no signs as to which of these paths was the route so I decided with my common sense that the path going up would probably bring me to the top of the mountain.

It did: the path went directly up to the mountain, becoming ever more steep, while the other path, I learned later, circled up the mountain at a relaxed pace. So in the end I was climbing the mountain by grabbing tree branches and roots and rocks instead of walking along a nice path. The path was so steep I couldn't turn around and go back to the easier part, so I kept on going forward. It was quite a thrill, and when I reached the summit finally, it was ten times as great as when I would've reached it by the normal route. The view was astonishing, but not only that: there were these remnants of an old prison ruin on the top, where in the 9th century a queen named Adelheid had been imprisoned because she had tried to compete with another competitor for the throne. In the end she escaped with the help of a monk and a fisherman and managed to take the throne from the other guy. Here is a picture of the Rocca, the easier part of the path up where I could turn myself to make a picture, the ruins of the prison and of course the superb view from the top. Also, I took the easier path down, which brought me along some natural caves which were dark as night but I couldn’t help but enter just a little. There were many flies there, but after the first corner I arrived at this beautiful place where the roof of the cave opened to the sun and the forests above while at one end still continuing further into the mountain. I decided to stop there and head back. The picture may be a bit weird, but that was because of the strange angle I had to put myself in to make it.


View on the lake from Garda

The Rocca

The part where I managed to turn to make a picture. I swear, it looks less steep on the picture.

The prison ruins

And of course the view from the top on Garda

And one on the lake from the top

The cave, where the roof opened to the sun and the flies were buzzing around me.

Day 5
Day 4 we went to the city of Verona. At first, finding a parking lot proved to be a bitch, but when we did the city was really worth it. To name but a few things we saw: the famous amphitheater of Verona, which is actually turned into a modern concert building. To give you the idea: the night we were there, Muse played in the theater. Too bad we couldn’t stay for it. Besides that, we visited the house of the famous family of Juliet from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, where her balcony still overlooks the small courtyard where Romeo had visited her. There was a statue of Juliet, and touching the statue’s breast was supposed to bring good luck in love. Of course I couldn’t pass on that opportunity! Finally, the entrance to the balcony was literally covered in small love notes and messages, which was also a nice thing to see.

Besides these places, there were of course the usual churches and castles and city views and squares and more things like that…


The Maffia Museum

The amfitheater

Inside the theater (preparations for the Muse concert

Balcony of Juliet

Me and Juliet. Sorry for the shades. She looks away... I wonder what it means.

Love messages on the walls.

Another huge cathedral in Verona.

The castle of Verona on the hill.

Day 6
Today we went to climb another mountain, the Monte Baldo, the highest mountain at the lake with 2200meters. We went as far as our car could bring us, but from there it was still a six hour walk until the top could be reached and it was simply too burning hot for that. Besides, the view was good at 1500 meters already.


Our car, my mother and sister in/near it, on the road up the mountain. I tried to make it look very speedy, like a space shuttle or something, hence the car seat.

A view from the mountain

Another beautiful mountain. I like mountains because we don't have any where I live.

Day 7
So what about the lake itself? Well, there was this very long and thin, almost unnatural looking peninsula reaching far into the lake, and upon it was the village Sirmione. We went there by boat from Peschiera, another nice town. From the lake it was truly great to see the peninsula, especially because at its utter end there were this old Roman villa ruins with an olive yard hidden among the rocks and beaches. The villa was rumored to have once housed the famous Roman poet Catullus, but that proved to be just a fancy story.

Besides the villa which we visited, there was yet another Scaligeri castle on the peninsula with a well fortified port and I entered it but I forgot to take my camera with me there… It was actually a very intact castle with gates and a bridge, a moat, a port, some towers which could be climbed giving an even better view of the surroundings (water at nearly all sides).


A distant picture of the entire peninsula from our boat. Notice the castle towers in the middle.

You can see the villa ruins here from the lake, though barely.

The castle and the beach.

Roman villa ruins.

More of them.

Day 8
The day which I had initially longed for the most, because we went to Venice today, by train. What can I say but that the city is everything you had expected about it: canals instead of roads, boats (and gondola’s) instead of cars, narrow streets and hundreds of bridges, and of course the usual big churches, cathedrals, palaces, towers, whatever. There was the San Marco square with the palace of the Doge of Venice, the San Marco’s Cathedral, and more. It was too much to see it all in one day; I’ll definitely go back there some day to see it all at my own pace. We spend the evening there and while we were on the inevitable boat trip through the city the sun sank behind the buildings which was truly a gorgeous sight.


Just a picture representing Venice

The Rialto bridge

Prove that I actually was there and this overview isn't simply one big lie. Taken on the Rialto Bridge.

San Marco Square, part 1

San Marco Square, part 2

San Marco Cathedral

The Ducal Palace. Really one of the most fascinating buildings ever.

Of course Venice isn't complete without gondola's and islands on the background.

Sunset in Venice, taken from the boat.

Day 9
Our last day in Italy, spend partly at the hotel’s swimming pool and partly in Riva, a town (also with a Scaligeri castle) at the northernmost tip of the lake which is hidden in the Alps. The place itself wasn’t really special I thought, but when we went a little further into the mountains we visited a site called the Cascata di Varone, or the Varone Falls. It was a waterfall coming down from the mountains through a deep vertical gorge which was like a vertical cave open at the side. You could enter it both at the top and below, getting all wet in the process, but it was truly a spectacular site.


You're just riding in your car and Scaligeri castle's keep popping up at the side of the road. I can show you more pics of such castle's.

So why not? Here's another one, in Riva. This one was a little more modern.

Taken from the bell tower in Riva.

This pidgeon was enjoying the view as much as me.

Picture of the waterfalls, though it was impossible to get the entire falls on one picture and it might be a little confusing.

Day 10
A long ride home, with little special occurring except that it started raining when we got back, and it has been doing so until now. Bah, I hate the weather here.

Hope you enjoyed the show. Thanks for reading it.

[Japic]

Good write up Vemu! Thanks oh so much for the pictures too, it sounds like you had a good trip overall; I'm glad for it.

Someday I'll have to visit overseas; there's just so much to see and do... maybe I should go more than once? Yah; that'll be ok. I'll do that. Someday.

[TheUdjat]

Lots of awesome pictures, Vemu! That cathedral is freaking gorgeous! Man.

Also... are you groping that statue? You lecherous man! No wonder she's looking away.

[VemuKhaham]

Also... are you groping that statue? You lecherous man! No wonder she's looking away.

LOL, the poor Julia had to cope with endless lines of tourists like me all wishing to touch her breast. I guess she must've grown tired of it.

And Japic, I share your wish. I've never been overseas either, the States sound awesome. I want to see Manhattan someday, and the Grand Canyon. That's not too far off from where you guys are, isn't it?

[Fangor the Fierce]

Well, with the new pics from Vemu's trip and KMANs voyage, I think I might have to take some time to do my own pics and update. I will be heading to Argentina again, next month, and will see what pics I can come up with. Nice job Vemu!

[TheUdjat]

Only about 452 miles from Denver to the Grand Canyon, or around 727 kilometers. The distance between Amsterdam and Le Mans, France - for European reference.

Google gives it a pitiful 7 1/2 hour drive.

[VemuKhaham]

Damn, America is big. The thing is, in Europe you don't think of countries being that large, so you automatically think of the US sort of like the same you: as a big country. But the US is half a continent, and at least as large as Europe. It's just weird.

And Fangor, good to hear you're going to make your own travel post. I was hoping other people would follow.

[TheUdjat]

Yeah, I think everyone has a habit of thinking of countries in terms of countries, rather than equivalent size. It's probably more accurate to think of states compared to European countries. Travelling from Colorado to Arizona (Denver to Grand Canyon) is like going from one country to another in Europe. Similarly, travelling down the coast of the US from Maine to Florida is probably most similar to travelling the northern coast of Europe from St. Peterburg, Russia to Lisbon, Portugal. The states is huge, yo.

And that's not counting Alaska, which even Americans forget the size of.

[Deekin]

vemukhaham said:

Damn, America is big. The thing is, in Europe you don't think of countries being that large, so you automatically think of the US sort of like the same you: as a big country. But the US is half a continent, and at least as large as Europe. It's just weird.

And Fangor, good to hear you're going to make your own travel post. I was hoping other people would follow.

Your telling me? I drive about an half-hour to get to school each day. California itself is huge.

Also note: In California, people don't give directions based on distances in miles, they give directions based on travel time at 70 mph on the freeway.

[K Man]

Sorry I didn't reply to this sooner Vemu...I was still getting over my jealousy--and the pictures didn't help.

It all looks awesome! Seems like you had a good time and I'm glad you shared with us. Bummer about not living near any mountains though, I've lived near them my whole life so I get to see them all the time. Maybe I'll put up some pictures of my home state sometime.

Thanks again for sharing pictures!

[VemuKhaham]

Mountains finish the picture. Without them, the horizon's simply too empty and it's boring. And the best thing is that they come in so many sizes and shapes that they always remain interesting. But we don't have them in the Netherlands, not even any noticable hills. Most of the country is below sea level so we only have miles and miles of farmland.

I miss the mountains already. In fact, I would've been in Belgium in the Ardennes mountains this week with my friends on a survival week, but it got canceled at the last minute because the organisation organizing the survival weeks appeared to be hostile to customers asking for fair treatment. Long story, but sad ending. I won't bother you guys with it further.

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? Udjat said it was a long distance from you, but still I'm curious.

[TheUdjat]

You know, Vemu, it might be ideal time to visit the Grand Canyon in the near future. I've heard (through my job, which deals with American Indians) that one of the tribes around the Grand Canyon is putting up a sort of bridge (more like a balcony) that goes over it. It's glass, so you can walk on it and look directly down into the vastness of the Grand Canyon (though it's kinda scary). Really cool, though. There's also helicopter rides you can pay to ride over it, but that's nothing new.

As for mountains themselves... We have kinda pathetic mountains out East - in fact, most people from the West laugh when we call 'em mountains. I mean, sheesh, they still have trees covering them! But out west, the Rockies are pretty damn impressive. But on that same note, I'm really impressed by the vast expanses of nothingness you take for granted. We have so many buildings and trees out East, I've never been able to look out over the horizon and see nothing. But being out in, say, Montana, I was impressed by the sheer vastness of it all. It was just really cool to me, that emptiness and infinity stretching out before me.

And they had far more stars, which I'm crazy jealous of. We don't get many stars in the city.

[K Man]

I have been to the Grand Canyon Vemu. I've walked along its rim and hiked down into it a little ways. I've even flown over it at 37,000 feet and it's still damn huge. Also, the bridge Udjat mentioned is now completed.

Here's a conceptual drawing:
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0826_050826_grandcanyon.html

Here's the actual bridge;
www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/
(Check out the gallery section for pictures of it)

If you're into heights and thrills with them, the Royal Gorge here in Colorado has the highest suspension bridge in the world at 1,400 feet up. There's a trolley car that goes over it, railcars that head to the bottom...kind of touristy and campy, but what else would you be if you came to Colorado?
Link here:
www.royalgorgebridge.com/

Anyways, I would laugh at Udjat for calling the Appalachians "mountains". In Colorado alone, we have over 16 mountains that are 14,000 ft + in elevation--including the majestic Pikes Peak. We only have a month or so where there may not be snow on the ground. We have a lot of open space, but also alot of buildings and developments.

Nothing like out East though. I was in DC and New York...it was freakin' crazy. You feel like your driving through a forest, but it's really nothing but one giant suburb out there.

Don't take my word for it, get over to America man!


Personally, I'd like to get my ass to Alaska. I hear that wilderness is a sight to see!