This is the famous Bridge of Sighs which can be found off the Grand Canal in Venice. It's a covered bridge which was used to transport prisoners from the Doge's Palace through to the prisons.

It used to be said that the bridge derived its name from the sighs of the prisoners who would cross the bridge and experience their last view of the outside world. However, it's claimed that this name was popularised by Lord Byron, despite the fact that the cells were mostly used to detain small-time criminals.

In contrast to the previous carnival mask, this one is much grander.

Apparently the mask making industry in Venice was so important, it had its own guild. The status of the mask makers was so great that they apparently had their own laws.

When Venice was handed over to Austria by Napoleon in 1797, the carnivals were banned and the tradition ended for 200 years, only resuming in the 1980's when a mask shop opened in the city.

The tourist traps all around Venice are littered with little shops selling carnival masks.

Apparently the tradition of holding carnivals in Venice dates back to 1268, and masks were an integral part of the celebrations. The carnivals would last so long that it was possible to spend a fair amount of the year in disguise, which would have been useful for the criminal element I'm sure...

Just off St Mark's Square in Venice, there's a little 'square' where the Gondoliers await tourists to take on trips around the city. This Gondolier was just pulling in when we came across the area.

Even a Gondolier needs to take a break from punting tourists about Venice's canals. We saw this guy taking a break on one of the bridges with his hat down and reading the daily newspaper.

It seemed to be a popular spot for just sitting down and taking a break, as most of us tourists stopped for a few minutes in the shade of the alley to cool down and have a drink.

Walking through Venice, I caught this Gondolier during a quiet moment on the canal. He was obviously waiting on his next fare, and the Gondolas were queued alongside the walkway this shot was taken from.

We just got back from our holiday in Italy, and I wanted to post the first picture I took on the holiday for your viewing pleasure. We were out for an afternoon hoping to go to the cinema, but we couldn't find one that was open (damn those siestas - or whatever the Italians call them).

So, instead we dandered across the road to the McDonalds. Before we did, I took this shot of one of their huge communal bins - I thought it was quite a good statement on junk food.