Usually the rule of thumb is do that one post a year so you can still boast about how you are still an “active” blogger.  Well I didn’t even manage to do that. But I do have a good excuse and for those who can be bothered to read it, it’s down below (in fact some of it is still broken, so bare with me while I try and fix them). But long story short, Ruki is still alive and will slowly (so don’t expect it to be like 2 years ago with multiple posts per day) start to fill itself up with more fresh content soon once again. To the followers of this blog (if there are any left lol), I am back! To those  who are new to the blog, please be patient and why not read about my Aria pilgrimage while you are here ? I mean after all I am the first to do an Aria Pilgima…. I am very modest.

So where have I been the past year and a bit. Well…. exactly where I’ve been for the 2 years before that! If you’ve popped onto various blogging oreintated IRC channels you probably would have seen me on there at some point, lurking away in the corner. The real reason why the blog has been dead for so long was…. laziness, but it’s not the kind you are thinking of! Basically sometime in 2009 I tried to migrate hosts because I was spiralling down the path of poverty and had to adjust my expenses accordingly. What should have been a straight forward process turned into a big mess kind of like gantz. The fact that I was not the most tech-saavy person didn’t help either but let me try my best to explain what went wrong.

My old host had set up my sub domain as “www.ruki.flame-haze.net” which worked perfectly fine up until the point where I moved to my current host. Once I got the domain moved and all the files uploaded, I set up a subdomain, “ruki”, exactly as I did before. However, nothing worked. I tried everything my technical knowledge would allow me to but still no luck, in fact i couldn’t even find out what the problem was. Frustrated at that point, I just left everything there to rot. This would explain the period that the domain pointed at nothing. That was untill the day I randomly brought up the issue with some very technologically advanced bunnies. They called themselves Astro and Mellow (seems like his domain is gone). Apparently the problem was within the subdomain itself, the “www.” part to be precise. My new host is apparently incapable of setting up a subdomain with “www.” in front, again I tried everything from setting up a subdomain of “www.” within the subdomain, to spamming them with angry emails, to giving up and go read some Aria instead. Very fortunately the bunnies were there to help, they came up with a solution that would fix most, but not all, of the problems. From what I can make out from the technical jargon here is how it goes, everything in my databse and wordpress were pointing to “www.ruki.flame-haze.net”, which does not exist any more. So what I needed to do was just open up my .sql file and do a find&replace, replacing “www.ruki.flame-haze.net” with “ruki.flame-haze.net”.  Like Akari would say “Suteki!”, worked like a charm.  Of course, this only got the blog working and there were still alot of broken links internally and externally  to and from the blog, which I can do nothing about (take that hotlinkers!).  Of course this includes the AB Antenna and Anime Nano. But main point is, at least it’s working! So a big thank you to Astrobunny and Mellowbunny!

To be honest, dring this time I haven’t really been reading other blogs and keeping up with what’s going on in the blogosphere. So much have changed, some old timers have left, other blogs have resurfaced, whilst other authors have migrated to other blogs and some even got married to their readers! Thanks Nova for the update today, apparently his one man troll army had evolved into a duo in this time as well, go check them out. Speaking of fellow bloggers, I was lucky enough to actually meet a few of them in London. Omisyth apparently goes to uni a few hundred metres from me, talking to Danny Choo and Deranged (blog now dead) at SOAS was surprisingly inspiring and TJ’s visit was filled with fun and humour. I’ll save those story for another time though.

I believe this man needs no introduction. He is the one behind the character designs of Last Exile, Blue Submarine No.6 and the upcoming sci-fi series, Shangri La. Of course, Range Murata is involved in much more than just anime, as you will soon see items of clothing, furniture and much more exhibited in Form|Code.

I actually bought this last year while I was in Japan, by then I was already in love with Murata’s style. This version of Form|Code is a little different from what you’d normally get, apparently it is the limited edition. I had the choice between the LE of this and Futurhythm, it was a hard choice. In the end I went for the former simply because I had already seen the scans of the other before. As promised, here is a “review” of the art book. It’s a “review” because I don’t really know how to do one on an art book. I would like to do one similar to one of Icie’s, however I don’t have a scanner nor the experience to do it. Before I begin, let me apologise (as usual) for the bad photos, I am no good with the camera at all, but do try and enjoy them.

The box itself is made out of thick cardboard, with the title of the art book and pricing presented clearly on it. This is probably because the product inside is very heavy, that is why it needs to be packaged in such way.

On top of everything else is a printed piece that appears to be coloured using markers which is rather rare given that most of Murata’s work are drawn and coloured using a computer.

After putting aside the first piece, the actual art book is sandwiched by two slabs of polystyrene for extra protection. At this point you may notice that this isn’t actually an art book, it is an art folder, a ring binder folder with a metal spine. This is why the package is so heavy.

First page is once again, protected by a glossy piece of plastic with Form|Code written in the middle (cannot be seen in the photo because I suck T.T)

A very clever and simple start to the collection, it even has instructions (the back of the previous page) on how to use the folder. It is little detailed things like this scattered through out the book which makes it even better than it is!

The Awesomeness begins here!

Most of these are used in magazines, covers to some of his other works and some of which are even used to make figurines.

I don’t actually own a standard copy of Form|Code so I can only guess, but I think these are some extra bits included only in this version. For those are sharp, I am sure you would have notice that the above picture is used as one of the ROBOT covers.

In fact, it came with quite a few, presumable covers to all the ROBOT volume published at the time (2006).

More delicious pictures!

Eventually, one will stumble upon many catalogues and design plans. Inside are many of Murata’s products, such as the ones from the P.S.E collection as well as plans to construct some unique furniture.

At the end of all this is a booklet titled Future Graph. It is a calendar. A bloody awesome one.

So there you have it, Range Murata’s Form|Code. A brilliant art collection of magnificent quality. Most of the earlier pages are printed on thick cards and the later ones on specialised paper. From the packaging down to the every minute detail, this product radiates awesomeness beyond human comprehension. It really does give us a taste of Murata’s unique style as well as, according to TJ, 3 main types of characters he likes to draw; “Cute young girls, exotically dressed fancy clothed alienish girls, and guys/girls in black uniforms.”

These are my personal favourites from the book. One of which has been made into a figure, as you can see above. I really regret not buying the LE Futurhythm as well, but I guess I can’t blame myself for being poor. (God damn it, the Futurhythm box had a leather cover! LEATHER!) Hopefully this will convert some of you into Range Murata fans and make you look forward to Shangri La a little more because, Gonzo aside, I know I am!

I never said I didn’t buy the normal copy though, haha. It was, after all, only a third of the price. Review to come next time!

P.S – Would be great if any of you can give me feedback on my photography ^^. I was using a Nikon D40 with a Kit Lens and a 50mm f1.8. I had trouble with setting the white balance… the camera won’t acquire the data it needs even though I was aiming at a blank piece of paper. Another issue was the natural light, since I was there for ages (carefully turning over each page making sure I won’t damage the book!) the amount of light coming through the window was constantly changing. Larger Resolution of the photos here.

*Goes back to revision, ignores Shangri La RAW*

It’s been two years. The blog has been running for two whole years (apologies for the pun). So what now?

To be honest through out the whole of year two, it has not been as eventful as the previous, at least in terms of number of posts. But I have to say, I had a lot of fun writing some of the posts during the year. A lot of Aria related posts, including diary entries of my pilgrimage to Venice, as well as my first proper editorial. These attracted more comments than any other posts that came before it. So, let me thank you all for reading my blog, especially those who were kind enough to leave me a comment or two.

Here I have to apologies yet again, for leaving Ruki out to dry. Some things are dominating my life at the moment and I need to get them sorted before I can turn to blogging again. I am having a hard time keeping up with watching my favourite shows, let alone writing about them! But I promise… when summer comes, it will be resurrection time!

Good bye for now. I will try and get a few art book reviews sorted for the next few weeks.

/me goes back to writing his 5000 words essay.

Just got back home from university and going to leave in a few hours to Manchester and since I am heading straight back to my Halls after the trip I probably won’t get to go home for another while. So, let’s take a quick look at Avvenire, the Aria  artbook published last year on Christmas Eve. It’s frustrating that I only get to open it now since I knew it had arrived for a good couple of weeks but I just never had the chance to come back home untill now.

Avvenire is basically a collection of Aria images from posters, magazines, DVD covers, OST covers and other Aria products. There is even an appendix at the end of the book stating where each image has come from. So in terms of “new” content, there aren’t any. Since the majority of these illustrations are from magazines and whatnot, the level of detail isn’t as orgasmic as ones found in Amano-sensei’s previous artbooks (Alpha, Stella, Cielo). Also because of this, the style tends to change a bit through out the book, this is especially noticable in the PS2 game section. Most probably because alot of these illustrations are not drawn by her.

Anyways that is it for now, let me leave you guys with one piece of wisdom…. BUY IT.

The 2009 Aria Calendar by CDS is now available for pre-order. CDS has quite a few artists with unique styles which I think could make this Aria product interesting. I must thank them for doing a project on one of my favourite series of all time and hopefully it will help spread the Aria love to more people. Be quick, you never know when they are going to run out!

More Aria stuff! Some time in November I pre-ordered Avvenire, an Aria art book released on Christmas Eve, and apparently it arrived back at home a couple of weeks ago. So that means it must have been delivered just after I left for university again. Next time I go back home, I’ll do a review of it. I can’t waaaaaaaaaaait!

Now that I’ve got the important stuff sorted out, let’s move on to why I’ve left this blog to dry for four months. Well, I guess the simple answer would be that I’ve been busy but I think what I really ought to say is that I am lazy. Apologies to all, especially those who’ve been waiting and expecting some kind of update. Though, for it is worth, I did attempt to produce some kind of post during these four months but I never really had the time to finish them. Do expect them in the future though, I’ve started them already so just need to put in that little extra bit of effort to finish it.

After reading about this new Range Murata’s Robot Calendar over at  Hunting the Elusive I tried to do a review of something I picked up in Japan last summer. Never got to finish taking all the photos I needed to do the post and again, it’s at home so I won’t be able to finish this any time too soon.

Another Aria related post I had in progress was a map for pilgrims. Labelled locations of where you’d find some nice references and enjoy Venice. The reason why this was never finished was because of my incompetence in using photoshop. May be in the summer, when I have more time, I’ll finish this. Perhaps some other aria pilgrim will see this and actually do it before me, who knows. All in the name of Aria! Banzai!

So that is some of the stuff I’ve had planned for the blog but never did do them. As for what is going to come in the future, I think I’ll start blogging again at a gentle pace with some posts about what I am following at the moment. So sorry again for not posting for so long, let’s start afresh!

By the way, go read Amanchu! Amano Kozue forever! It’s awesome! PORK SOUP!

Anyways, grab the release here!

As in HERE.

http://that.animeblogger.net/2008/09/18/aria%E2%98%86waha%E3%83%BC2-non-h-aria-doujin-by-churuya-author/ < HERE

To luppus: Hopefully I just got you 3 clicks.

ARIA BANZAI.

Day three: Gratzi

After packing my things I headed over to the hotel reception, which was located another building. It was check out time. Of course I still had until the evening before my departure so I decided to leave the luggage behind at the reception. Even though it wasn’t that heavy, it would have been inconvenient to carry a suitcase around for the whole day.

Since it was close by, I headed over to the Bovolo Palace once more with the hope of it being opened. On the way there something caught my sight, it was an umbrella labeled Amano. I wonder what it meant, perhaps Amano-sensei doesn’t only draw manga but also make umbrellas?

Once again I was at the base of the tower, still the entrance was sealed off. I didn’t even see any reconstruction being done, so I was beginning to wonder if some else was going on. After all I had no clue what it said on the notice pinned up at the door.

Just like the previous two days, the sun was blazing and it was hot. it was time to pay the supermarket another visit for some cheap water and snacks. Water alleys left and right, even though it was my third day in Venice I couldn’t help but stop and enjoy the view every time I walked past one. Pretty much the first thing I saw when I entered the store was Nippon Choco, tempting but no.

The breakfast provided at the hotel was really basic and I really needed something more. Nocciola ice-cream! I didn’t even know what Nocciola was at the time, but hey! Isn’t Aria all about discovering new things?

Time to visit Anno Namihei! At first it was a little difficult locating the entrance since the streets were so narrow and they split in many directions but as I studied the map I realised the building behind me was the one that I had been looking for.

Anno Namihei is the postman of Neo Venizia, so it was only natural that I went to a post office. Of course being an Aria fan, you readers already knew right? RIGHT? Here, I sent a post card to some friends, relatives and of course, myself. The building itself was very spacious, in fact it felt somewhat like I was outdoors perhaps this is due to how tall the ceiling was. The front entrance lead straight to the Grand Canal where the water sparkled under the sunny sky. Unfortunately it was blocked off and only staff members could go further.

The streets were packed with people, there were locals trying to commute, tourist shopping around for a good bargain and traders trying to sell their goods, just like a certain scene in Aria. It was indeed a vibrant city and it really made me feel apart of it. Having lost the general sense of direction, I followed the flow of the crowd.

Eventually arriving at a local market. At least it felt like it was pretty local since there was an obvious absence of tourists. Under the sheltered stalls were people offering a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Although I can’t remember off the top of my head if there were an episode of Aria about a market like this, but in episode 4 of Origination Akari goes and work on a Traghetto which happens to be just by a fruit and veggie market.

Shifting further along I saw yet another market, this time it was one that sold seafood. I love seafood, the flavour is always so rich and unique especially served raw, like sashimi. However, I wasn’t prepared to carry an octopus back to the UK.

Right outside the market were Traghettos transporting customers across the grand canal. Perfect! Gondolas were too expensive for me, I had been quoted about 80 Euros for 40mins. Whereas riding a Traghetto is only a fraction of that price, of course the riding time is significantly shorter and I wouldn’t be hearing any singing or tour guiding but at least it was a chance for me to experience being rowed across the Grand Canal.

As I waited for the Traghetto, I felt a bit uneasy. The thought of me falling into the water was quite nerve racking but what was worse was the thought of dropping my camera into the canal.

On I went. At that moment, I realised it wasn’t rocking nearly as much as I had imagined. So I thought I would be brave and stand for the ride. Being the only one standing was a bit awkward but it was better for taking a few photos at the centre of the canal. Before I knew it I was already on the other side. Ca’D'Oro, the golden house of Venice was just near by so I decided to take a look. However, the entrance was sealed off again… just what was going on?

Ops.. wrong anime reference. Anyways, getting off at a random vapouretto station, I decided to do some exploring and hunt down some food at the same time. For a short moment I thought I had found Cait Sith dressed up as Casanova, however it was just a costume. While taking photos of this, it came to me that it was actually quite creepy, a figure dressed in black with a mask standing in the middle of an empty alley. Really like that freaky episode where a ghost kidnapped Akari…

Giant slice of Pizza! Not as cheesy as I would have liked it to be but still, it was good. Fresh out the oven, nice and hot with a crispy crust.

By the time I had finished eating I only had a few hours left before I had to leave for the airport. But there were two more places I wanted to go before departing. One of which is the Academia Bridge, one of the three famous bridges in Venice. I am sure there are some coverage of this in Aria but I will find reference photos later. After crossing the bridge I decided to travel to San Marco Square on foot since I thought it would be nice to get as much of Venice as I could.

On the way to San Marco Square I encountered some sort of Lava Wheel. Even now, I have no idea what it is but it looked cool. It was basically as you see it, a big black circle with a whole in the middle where red liquid would move about. Perhaps it’s a piece of rock … from Mars… and they are doing research on it with the hope of unlocking the key to terraforming…

It wasn’t long before I was at the heart of Venice again, streets were buzzling with life and I, once more, was part of the ocean of people..

Turning a few corners and advancing a few steps, San Marco Square came into sight. An arch stood in front of me, one which was awfully familiar. This angle was particularly good to look out and around the buildings in the Square since you can really feel the contrast between what you are looking at and what is in your immediate surroundings. Not to mention that it provided great shelter from the scorching sun.

My final chance to hunt down some Aria places. Again, really regret not doing enough preparations for the trip.

While taking photos it was quite frustrating to have other tourists walking in front all the time. One group even stood in front of me and wouldn’t move, I suspect they were waiting for someone or something..

Cafe Florian, the place where Akari goes for a cup of coffee. After seeing the price at the entrance I came to the conclusion that Undines must have been paid incredibly well. The smell of coffee and cakes were very tempting at the time, but no matter however much I wanted to go in I wouldn’t have had enough in my wallet to pay for it anyways.

The suspicious looking revolving door, something was up. I had to go and investigate.

As I entered the door I was stunned at what I saw. Everything was made out of precious stones, gems and whatnots. It was a really posh hotel, a very familiar looking one too. Reception seems to be the same as drawn in Aria, the ceiling also has the same design. I could only conclude that this is the origin of the building in Neo-Venezia. So… what is this building? To solve the mystery I took a few steps back from the building…

Turns out I was in the building which Himeya Company was based on, the Danieli Hotel. If I had known I would have stayed there for the trip, again I guess this is the result of no preparation. But then again, that place didn’t exactly look cheap…

At this point I had already run out of memory for any more photos, which is really unfortunate. However, by the time I finished with the Himeya investigation it was almost time for me to leave anyways. I headed over to Lido, a neighboring island, and back. Then I went to pick up my luggage at the hotel.

On the vapouretto, as I squeezed one last photo out of my camera, I said good bye to Venice.

Gratzi

END

Thoughts on the whole trip will come later, because it’s nearly one o’clock in the morning and I am really tired.

Any suggestions and advice as to how to improve my photography are welcomed (in fact, please tell me how to improve, haha)

P.S – Should get Aria Pilgrimage Day 3 sorted out for tomorrow, apologies for the wait.

Warning: Picture intensive post.

Day 2: The wonders of glass, laces and more.

By the time I woke up it was already morning, the second day of my pilgrimage at Venice. I could already feel the fatigue from all that walking during the previous day, but still, I got up and prepared myself because I knew Venice had still got a lot to show me.

This time I headed off to a different direction, away from the Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal. Walking in the narrow streets of Venice once more, I began my journey again. Very soon, I noticed an ice cream shop to my left, I had heard from a friend about this shop and apparently they are infamous. However, as much as I wanted to try out every single flavour they had, I had to move on since the day was hot and I knew I would be having a lot more ice cream later.

The buildings were so huge and grand, sometimes it’s a little hard to imagine how they built those things, centuries ago without the modern technology which we enjoy today. Even with a wide angle shot and my back against the wall opposite, I could barely get the top. It was weird since most of the time these buildings are so close together that you really loose a sense of size and magnitude, at times even direction because they all looks so familiar. It’s almost like that chapter when Akari and Ai-chan got lost, except I didn’t bump into Cait Sith.

I was getting close to the shore, this part of Venice is a lot quieter and feels much less like a tourist area. It was a calm place and with a slight breeze coming from the ocean it was just about perfect. I remember reading on Amano-sensei’s website that visiting Venice during the non-tourist season is the best since you get everything to yourself and you can really feel the locality of the surrounding area. I guess she was right.

By the time I got to the Vapouretto station one had just arrived, perfect timing. I was about to take a few photos when I realised my memory card was full. I was in a panic because I only had two, one gigabyte SD card with at the time and it looked like I had already filled one of them up to the brim. Not only does that mean I had to be a little reserve for the rest of the pilgrimage in terms of photography but by the time I’ve finished day dreaming, I had already missed the chance to take a photo of Venice along the shore.

An unexpected find! What lied before me looked awfully familiar and when I saw one of the Vapouretto stops, I was sure. The station was called “Cimitero”, sounds a lot like our English word cemetery, right? Unfortunately I had no time to spare, there were places I needed to go so I didn’t get off and take a look. Besides after seeing that episode of Aria, the thought of wondering in that place chills me to the bones, fore I knew if anything did happen Cait Sith would not come to my rescue. Of course, with a nickname like “the island of the dead” who wouldn’t.

Before I knew it, I was already inside a work shop in Murano. As one would expect, a workshop for glass making. Watching the men roll the glass into different shapes made me realise why glass can be so expensive. At first it was just a blob but slowly after heating, blowing and skillful handling, something very beautiful was born. Perhaps what was more admiring was the conditions these men had to work under, I was standing a good ten/twenty meters away from the furnace and I was already sweating like a pig, it’s hard to image what they do is good for their health.

After the demonstration it was time for the shops. Even if I had no intention of buying anything I thought it was courtesy to at least look at what they had on offer, after all the demonstration was free. As I entered the shop the guard told me to put the lid back onto my camera lens since photography was prohibited there, but being the rebel I am, I had to take a few shots. Slyly and secretly of course (hence the dodgy angle). I was beginning to feel like Akari in Aria the Natural, discovering the glassy wonders of Murano.

By then it was already lunch time so I decided to wonder around town for food. Again, unlike San Marco Square or the Rialto bridge as well as many other touristic areas in Venice, Murano felt surprisingly local. Very clam and peaceful.

After my little adventure through some alleys and residential areas I finally found my way back to the main street. Time for some food! Mr Sun was working hard that day and I just wanted to find a place to sit and enjoy some refreshment. So, I popped into the closest store that resembled a restaurant/cafe. There wasn’t a large selection to choose from but what they had were good food. With a bit of toasting the cheese had melted and it was delicious.

Walking through town there were many gigantic glass structures, perhaps it’s a way for the people of Murano to display their pride. Exploring aimlessly, I soon arrived at another Vapouretto station. There were still places I wanted to explore on Murano but since I did not do much preparation (Aria-wise or not) I thought I should head for my next destination, Burano.

While waiting for the transport to arrive, I browsed about the posters and found something rather interesting. It was on Acqua Alta, something I remember reading from Aqua. The content of poster covered the different levels of flooding and the warnings/alarms that corresponds to each one. The general connotation I felt after reading it was that Acqua Alta is just a flood and in most cases, dangerous. It’s amazing how Amano-sensei managed to make it sound so wonderful and even enjoyable.

The sound of churning water once more, the vapouretto powered its way towards Burano. Being the obsessed Aria nut I am, I began to scout around for anything that looked like it was in the series. I guess I’ve only got myself to blame for the lack of preparation and the kind of hobby I got into. Then I saw a building in the middle of nowhere, looked a bit like a house. Wouldn’t it be nice if it was transformed into a hot spring? Wouldn’t it?!

Burano at last, upon arrival I could already see houses in many colours. Dazzling. But first, how could I resist an ice cream now that it was mid day.

Apart from the houses with a wide range of colours, Burano is also famous for it’s lacework. It was almost immediately after I entered town that I saw many garments being sold. Although I don’t know how to tell if the lacework is good or not I assumed it must have been good by looking at the price, or may be it’s just priced like that to trick tourists like myself. Luckily I had no intention of buying anything.

Moving inner into town there were many more vibrant colours in which houses are painted in and there were a lot more trees and greenery than there were in Venice. This gave it a sense of serenity. In amidst the grass and trees there was a house which stood out from the rest, it wasn’t painted in any particular colour nor did it look like it’s meant to be. Again, going off into my crazy Aria thoughts, I thought this could be Anna-senpai’s house. She featured in Aria the Orignation as one of the retired Undines from Aria company.

Going deeper into Burano, my immediate surrounds became much more lively. People enjoying tea under the sun, going up and down the canal and shopkeepers trying to sell their goods. Given the surrounds as well, buildings which were not quite modern, narrow streets and water ways without transport, it felt almost primitive. Definitely what Akari described in the first chapter of the Aria manga. But then I guess that will make me the old man….

While browsing around I saw some shops selling glassware, but what was weird was that they were selling Murano glass at a lower price than Murano. Fake or not, they looked just as pretty as the ones I had seen just an hour ago. Of course glass and lacework weren’t the only things on sale, there were Venetian masks as well, some in the shape of a cat others looked like opera masks.

Soon I arrived at, what appeared to be, the high street of Burano. It was like a market, clothes, food, souvenir and much more.

At first I wasn’t sure if this was pasta at all and I wasn’t sure what it said on the packing but judging by the shape, I had a pretty good idea… Honestly, I am too filthy to be an Aria fan.

Holy place of Burano! Why? It’s because this was the only reference photo I could find for the whole day. Thinking back now I was so dumb as to not follow that canal since in the anime Akari and Alicia were heading to Anna’s house and perhaps if I carried on I would have found something interesting. I fail.

It wasn’t long until I reached the shore again, trees and grass populated the shore which gave me shelter from the blazing sun. It was so comfortable sitting there, soon I lost track of time. By the time I returned from Aria land, a good half an hour had gone past. It was getting late, so I began to head back.

Tracing my way back to the vapouretto I thought I would get another ice cream, this time it was mango flavour. On the way back, I took more photos of the ruins because I really thought it would be what inspired the hot spring chapter in Aria.

The route back to Venice was pretty much the same as the route to Burano except for one major, and disappointing, change. Although this vapouretto took the same route back, it did not stop at all the stops that I expected it to. It was some kind of express and fast line back to Venice with only a few stops. This meant that I would miss Cimitero. I did plan on popping in and take a few photos of the grave yards but it was too late, I got onto the wrong boat and there was nothing I could do.

When I got back to Venice I decided to take a look at the churches and other historic buildings. As I had expected, it was huge and the architectural details were beyond my comprehension. As mentioned previously, perhaps its due to my ignorance but I don’t really know how to appreciate these famous buildings and such. However, what I did enjoy while being in there was the fact that everything was made from marble which made the hall very cool. It was almost like they had the air conditioning on, so I decided to stay inside a little longer and pretended to be interested in artifacts on display.

The evening was approaching, so I decided to head back for a quick shower and a change of clothes before hunting for food. Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to take photos in the restaurant (yes… weird I know… what kind of restaurant prohibits photography). This forced me to use my Murano technique once more. Sneaky, I know.

It was the magic moment again, sunset. Just like the day before the light gave the buildings a tint of every colour. It is truly magically. To compliment this gorgeous time was yet another ice cream, this time it was pistachio flavour.

Taking more shots of the Rialto Bridge and surrounding areas at night before hopping onto the number 2 vapouretto. On board the boat I sat next to an old couple, who started to talk to me upon seeing my camera. It turns out they were too from the UK and it was their second time here at Venice. We talked about how the Venice we had before us was the best at night. They then went on to recommending me to other places in Italy like Florence which was only a few hours away by train. I told them I was actually interested in going there but unfortunately I cannot spare the time this time. Of course I didn’t tell them I wanted to go there because one of my favorite series was set there, Gunslinger girl.

San Marco at last. This time I brought a little helper along to let me fight the darkness, the tripod. Although this is the first time using a tripod, and it was fiddly, it enabled me to take some decent photos (by my standard anyways).

Did a little research on where I should visit for my final day, of course that included Cafe Florian, some reference locations and to solve the mystery behind the revolving door (for those who already knows because other pilgrims have already revealed it, don’t say a word !)

End of Day Two.

Thoughts: Day two of my trip was spent mostly outside of Venice, in Murano and Burano. Although both islands did feature in Aria, the atmosphere in which these islands gave were very different. Both were much quieter than central Venice which came to me as a surprise since I had thought both islands are very touristic. Perhaps it’s due to my aimless and clueless adventures that allowed me to break free from the typical paths a tourist would take and hence allowed me to feel the towns as they are (as i the local atmosphere). So I think I am actually somewhat lucky for not being able to make the preparation that I had originally wanted to. The downside is obviously missing out on all the places that I should have went.

In the last entry I complained about the amount of motor boats around and this time I’ll have to say it again. I think it really ruins the style and atmosphere which the city and towns fought so hard to maintain. As for my Aria reference above about the primitivity, I suggest you go read Aria Vol 1, Navigation 1.

Speaking of buildings, the ones seen at Murano and Burano were very much simple and basic compared to the ones seen at Venice. But to some extent I prefer that since the streets are wider and the whole place feels much less costraphobic. I think, for me, if I wanted to have that “slice of life” feeling, Murano and Burano is much better than Venice itself since it’s just so much more serene there.

The evening was just amazing, although the sky wasn’t as clear as day one, my general experience was better because I had my tripod with me. I know my photography sucks more than anything but at least it enabled to me to take pictures no matter how bad the compositions of them are. Whereas the previous day I couldn’t actually any photos without moving which meant all the photos were blurred.

Look forward to Day three! Apologies to those who have waited ages for this post, hopefully day three won’t take so long since I’ve gotten everything sorted now.

I was sorting out photos from my trip to Hong Kong and thought I would share this one which I took onboard the plane… no your eyes are not tricking you, THEY HAD ARIA!

Also this…. but it’s not quite Aria…