Ciao, Venezia!
Ever since I've been to The Venetian in Las Vegas, I've been wanting to go to Venice. So this day is very exciting to me. I've also seen Letters to Juliet, so I am looking forward to be swept off my feet by Verona, where we have a lunch stop.
After about twenty minutes of walking in Verona, we reach the city centre, and visit Juliet's balcony. I can't believe that this was the same courtyard from Letters to Juliet. There are so many people in this small place! How can people find it romantic? We leave the little courtyard, and I try on the trench coat I've been eyeing in Zara since Florence. Tres chic, but I shake my head and keep it back on the racks.
We want to see more of Verona, but are really pressed for time, so I grab a slice of pizza and some chips, and run back to our meeting place. We reach Mestre, the mainland off of Venice in the evening, and go out for an included dinner. The dinner is nice, and we sing happy birthday to one of the girls on the tour. I get a bowl of salad with my vegetable souffle, which a few of the omnivores are eyeing because none of our recent meals have included any greens, and try as we may to stay away from them when we're back home, we miss them. I find out that I have a strange reaction to rocket anyway (where is the lettuce? Do they not like lettuce in Europe?!) so I pick at the carrots and offer the rest of the greens to a few friends. It is a good dinner, and we laugh long and hard when Libby mentions a funny incident from Rome. Our Venice hotel also has three beds, and we decide it's my turn to take the double bed.
The next morning, we catch a bus into Venice. I'm kind of mind blown by the fact that they built this city on marshlands. Marta takes us through a labyrinth of little streets, explaining to us where we are, and telling us to not worry, 'you'll remember the way back'. Uh, I don't think so! Marta also explains how a few of the bridges have collapsed in the past, and had to be rebuilt. I don't understand why they don't build wooden bridges instead, but they must have a reason. We stop for photos by the Grand Canal, and pass the Rialto Bridge, which, like most things in Europe, is covered in scaffolding. We end our walking tour at St. Mark's Square, and are warned of the cafes and restaurants in the Square, they are quite expensive. We wait around the Square for people to go to the toilet before our lace demonstration.
Two – amongst many other – things about Venice that are quite striking to me: it smells like salt, and there are a lot of pigeons. I have half a mind to swipe at them, annoying little buggers, and then Marta tells us that in Venice, pigeons are considered holy. Holy pigeons. Hah! These pigeons are not allowed to be fed, but there are a lot of men around that have pocketfuls of seeds for people to feed them and take photos with. Also, the selfie-stick wielding men are everywhere, just like the other Italian cities. They say weird things like "looky looky", "sha la la Lady Gaga", and a cheeky one also tries hollering to me in Hindi.
Our lace demonstration is another one of those marketing spiels, but I stay partly because I like lace, and partly because we have a gondola ride straight after. One of the sales women compliments me, and I feel compelled to buy a little something. Ah well, I'm sure my grandma will appreciate the hand-embroidered hanky. I'm surprised to see a lot of people from our group buy lace things.
The gondola ride is nice and relaxing, and afterwards we wander and have lunch at Rosa Rossa, which we find is Johnny Depp's favourite restaurant in all of Venice! Seriously, what were the chances. I try a Bellini for the first time, and love it! Libby and I separate for a while to have some me-time exploring. I write a few postcards*, and walk back to St. Mark's Square, shaking my head remembering the multitude of gorgeous Pinterest photos I've seen of this place looking absolutely mysterious and empty. How are these magical photos taken? Why does every photo I take contain at least 50 tourists?!
There's more wandering, getting lost, and getting annoyed at a shopkeeper who was getting annoyed at tourists (ahem, me) who just look at things, with no intention of buying them (shock horror). Well, good luck with your business.
Evening approaches as Libby and I start making our way back to Piazzale Roma, where we are to catch our bus back to Mestre. I'm so very proud of us when we walk back the same way Marta brought us into the city, without a map. :D
*Postcards that never reach the intended homes :'(
P.S.: Happy update! Postcards do reach the intended homes, albeit weeks late.
Ever since I've been to The Venetian in Las Vegas, I've been wanting to go to Venice. So this day is very exciting to me. I've also seen Letters to Juliet, so I am looking forward to be swept off my feet by Verona, where we have a lunch stop.
After about twenty minutes of walking in Verona, we reach the city centre, and visit Juliet's balcony. I can't believe that this was the same courtyard from Letters to Juliet. There are so many people in this small place! How can people find it romantic? We leave the little courtyard, and I try on the trench coat I've been eyeing in Zara since Florence. Tres chic, but I shake my head and keep it back on the racks.
We want to see more of Verona, but are really pressed for time, so I grab a slice of pizza and some chips, and run back to our meeting place. We reach Mestre, the mainland off of Venice in the evening, and go out for an included dinner. The dinner is nice, and we sing happy birthday to one of the girls on the tour. I get a bowl of salad with my vegetable souffle, which a few of the omnivores are eyeing because none of our recent meals have included any greens, and try as we may to stay away from them when we're back home, we miss them. I find out that I have a strange reaction to rocket anyway (where is the lettuce? Do they not like lettuce in Europe?!) so I pick at the carrots and offer the rest of the greens to a few friends. It is a good dinner, and we laugh long and hard when Libby mentions a funny incident from Rome. Our Venice hotel also has three beds, and we decide it's my turn to take the double bed.
The next morning, we catch a bus into Venice. I'm kind of mind blown by the fact that they built this city on marshlands. Marta takes us through a labyrinth of little streets, explaining to us where we are, and telling us to not worry, 'you'll remember the way back'. Uh, I don't think so! Marta also explains how a few of the bridges have collapsed in the past, and had to be rebuilt. I don't understand why they don't build wooden bridges instead, but they must have a reason. We stop for photos by the Grand Canal, and pass the Rialto Bridge, which, like most things in Europe, is covered in scaffolding. We end our walking tour at St. Mark's Square, and are warned of the cafes and restaurants in the Square, they are quite expensive. We wait around the Square for people to go to the toilet before our lace demonstration.
Two – amongst many other – things about Venice that are quite striking to me: it smells like salt, and there are a lot of pigeons. I have half a mind to swipe at them, annoying little buggers, and then Marta tells us that in Venice, pigeons are considered holy. Holy pigeons. Hah! These pigeons are not allowed to be fed, but there are a lot of men around that have pocketfuls of seeds for people to feed them and take photos with. Also, the selfie-stick wielding men are everywhere, just like the other Italian cities. They say weird things like "looky looky", "sha la la Lady Gaga", and a cheeky one also tries hollering to me in Hindi.
Our lace demonstration is another one of those marketing spiels, but I stay partly because I like lace, and partly because we have a gondola ride straight after. One of the sales women compliments me, and I feel compelled to buy a little something. Ah well, I'm sure my grandma will appreciate the hand-embroidered hanky. I'm surprised to see a lot of people from our group buy lace things.
The gondola ride is nice and relaxing, and afterwards we wander and have lunch at Rosa Rossa, which we find is Johnny Depp's favourite restaurant in all of Venice! Seriously, what were the chances. I try a Bellini for the first time, and love it! Libby and I separate for a while to have some me-time exploring. I write a few postcards*, and walk back to St. Mark's Square, shaking my head remembering the multitude of gorgeous Pinterest photos I've seen of this place looking absolutely mysterious and empty. How are these magical photos taken? Why does every photo I take contain at least 50 tourists?!
There's more wandering, getting lost, and getting annoyed at a shopkeeper who was getting annoyed at tourists (ahem, me) who just look at things, with no intention of buying them (shock horror). Well, good luck with your business.
Evening approaches as Libby and I start making our way back to Piazzale Roma, where we are to catch our bus back to Mestre. I'm so very proud of us when we walk back the same way Marta brought us into the city, without a map. :D
*Postcards that never reach the intended homes :'(
P.S.: Happy update! Postcards do reach the intended homes, albeit weeks late.
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