BTW, if you want to get out and see some smaller towns:
https://blog.therealitaly.com/2008/09/26/visiting-the-veneto...
https://blog.therealitaly.com/2015/01/08/pellestrina/
And feel free to hit me up for any other suggestions and ideas; I lived in Padova for a number of years.
A lengthy reply by another contributor was a great help to make a Japan trip of mine most memorable.
Thank you!
It was probably a comment by mikekchar: https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=mikekchar
According to this response by CaptainZapp (the GP) on one of his comments ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17004877 ):
Hi Mike,
About six month ago you helped me through the "minefield" of eating as a gajin in Japan.
Let's call it a rousing success (it helps if you even like natto, but I digress).
Let me state for the record that your posts are shear awesomeness in contents and the amount of information provided.
Thanks!"
I couldn't find the original comment by "mikekchar", but when you google "site:news.ycombinator.com mikekchar japan" you find many interesting comments about Japan.https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15148389
Edited to add:
A reply to Mike's comment reads as follows:
"I just wanted to reiterate how amazing your comments have been here. I honestly feel it's a disservice to you to have your words languish in soon-to-be-forgotten HN threads. I'd love to read a blog of yours, or something along those lines!"
I very much agree. It's hard to describe my appreciation for the time he took out to write it. And it was more than helpful. If you're in Japan and only slightly adventurous when it comes to food those paragraphs include everything, which you need to know about the subject:
Thanks Mike!
Google's ethics my seem questionable, but you sometimes can't fault the results.
For what it's worth, one of my best friends, who grew up in the UK but has lived in Texas the majority of his life, once told me that Venice is Europe's Houston.
This just backs up his viewpoint :)
Also if you disregard the signs while climbing to Cesare Battisti's monument and go through the tunnel meant for cars(which are allowed only at certain hours) you'll experience a few minutes of much needed cooling.
Only thing, its not as long. And no beach wind, but occasionally mountain storms.
Folks back home (South-WA) say its getting colder for them in winters ..
(also, australia has usually much lower air humidity, so it does not feel as hot)
Most of coastal southeast Queensland can expect 70% humidity in Feb/March. Venturing north in summer and you're into 30C+ temperatures despite heavy rain most days.
That said, dew points would probably provide a better comparison.
Holy crap it's hot.
High 30s every day, and perhaps because the towns consist of stone streets and buildings, and perhaps because there's not much wind, but it feels much hotter than the equivalent temperatures we're used to in summer at home. (Edit: Others have pointed out humidity would be a factor too - perhaps the biggest. That may be the case, though at around 50%, it's not as humid as I've experienced elsewhere, including in Australia at times.)
We're heading to southern France next week, and the forecasts suggest the heat wave will still be in force then.
I mean, no complaints, we're feeling lucky to be here and are still having a great time, but boy, this is not what you expect in Europe.