Venice, Italy

Dates: 8/1/09-8/5/09

Transportation: You will take a direct flight from Cairo, Egypt to Venice, Italy departing Cairo at 2:45 P.M. and arriving in Venice at 9:50 P.M. Once in Venice, all your travel will be done by gondolas and ferries. The hotel is a 15 minute ride from the airport costing only $20.

Geography: Venice is a city in northern Italy comprised of 118 islands. This is along the Adriatic Sea. It is an archipelago city, using 150 canals.

Climate: The climat of Venice in August ranges from 63-81 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a moderate climate with medium amount of rainfall.

Stay: You will be staying in the hotel called Gritti Palace. This is where Ernest Hemingway stayed after his second crash in Africa. He came to this hotel to recover. It will cost 325 Euro($440) for four nights.

Activities: 1. In Venice, you will be going to Harry's Bar. This was Hemingway's favorite Venice spot. It is a five minute walk from the hotel.
2. You will be visiting the Gritti Palace Luxury Suite. This is the best room in the entire hotel, and it is where he wanted to be brought to recover from the severe injuries of his second plane wreck. He stayed here for over a month and would have friends come and visit often.
3. You will also want to visit the Grand Canal. This is the most important canal in Venice. It is a sight that Hemingway admired, and you will to.

Language: The official language of Italy is Italian. This and English will be spoken in almost everywhere you go.

Government: Italy is a Parlimentary Republic. This is a kind of government where the head of state does not have broad executive powers because most of those powers have been directed to a prime minister of some sort.

Currency: The official currency of Italy is the Euro.
1 Euro= 1.35 U.S. Dollars

Time Difference: They are seven hours ahead of Oak Park.(+7)