Gelato Crazy In Venice!

We stepped off the train into the warm, sunny Venetian air and practically jumped for joy. Finally we found sunlight! I was beginning to think Europe was a cold, depressing wasteland void of anything involving light. It had literally been eleven days since we had seen sun. So after traveling by night train from Germany, Venice felt like a breath of fresh air.

Our first stop was our hostel. It was 7 a.m. and we weren't exactly bright-eyed since our sleeping quarters had been cramped couchettes on a train. We dropped off our bags and headed into the city. Of course the first thing we do is get lost. That is an easy task to accomplish in Venice. The streets twist and turn and just when you think you are headed in the right direction you hit a dead end. So we stood in a remote corner reading our giant tourist map that was in Italian and no help whatsoever. We roamed around the city for an hour while Italians stared at us and wondered why tourists were awake so early. Eventually we gave up and hopped on a boat.

The public transportation in Venice may be the slowest and most expensive mode of travel I have ever experienced. For one hour of travel by boat it costs you a whopping six and a half euros. That is about eight U.S. dollars. Of course, it is by boat through a canal filled with a thousand other boats so needless to say it takes you at least an hour to reach your destination. The maximum capacity of these boats is about 200 smelly Italians. I'm pretty sure they crammed at least 250 on there. To give the Venetians some credit, the view was beautiful and the wind in my face was a nice change.

Anyway, once we were robbed by the transport people, we headed to the tourist spots. Our first stop was the Piazza San Marco, which is the biggest square in Venice and home to the Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale. We walked around enjoying the shops and tourist traps. We decided to stand in the mile long line to get into the Basilica which was extremely ornate. We then ventured into the Piazza Ducale which housed an old prison and some former government rooms. After this brief history lesson, we walked across the street for a ridiculously overpriced piece of pizza and bottle of water. Apparently the Italians think alot of their precious water. We also stopped for a nice gelato because that is the one food in Italy that is affordable and on every corner.

Our next task was a gondola ride. We knew the price was going to be astronomical so we went over there with our bargaining hats on...and we got suckered. Eighty euros for a 45 minute ride through canals with five million other tourists. The gondola rower even stopped the boat so Lori could get money out of the ATM to pay him! He did sing a little and he showed us some of the hidden sights. He pointed out the former home of Casanova and the birth place of Marco Polo while Lori and I sat back like celebrities and tourists on bridges took our picture. At least now I can say I have ridden a gondola in Venice. Was it worth 80 euros? Questionable.

Once we were on land again, I snapped a picture of our gondola rower and we headed in the direction of the Venetian artists. We bought paintings of city scenes and tucked them away for a later day. We yet again bought a gelato (it's so freaking tempting!) and soaked up the sun while we soaked up the best tasting calories in Italy. We decided to head to the hostel to shower and get ready for dinner.

That evening, we ventured back into the city in search for pasta. Restaurants in Italy are abundant and competetive. They station hosts at the door to cajole you into eating at their restaurant because it is so much better than the others when in reality most of them are exactly the same. We picked the least annoying with the cheapest price. We enjoyed a glass of wine and discussed our next stop which was Florence. A nice Australian couple overheard us and told us about the trip they just came from in Tuscany. We in turn warned them about the evil gondola rowers. When dinner was over, we headed back to our hostel...but not before stopping for a gelato.

The next day we decided to take a tour of the neighboring islands of Murano and Burano. Murano, which is famous for its glass blowing, was only about twenty minutes by boat. We took a tour through a glass blowing factory and watched as one of the craftsmen created a small glass horse. We stopped by the factory shop and bought a few overpriced trinkets. Burano, which is famous for its lace anf fishing industry, was just a short ride from Murano. We watched a woman make lace and then roamed through the brightly colored city. Fisherman paint their houses bright colors so incoming boats will know which building to look for. This was my favorite island. It made for a beautiful picture.

After our tour, we ate lunch at a little place named Gino's. We enjoyed our pizza and beer in the true Italian fashion. Gino himself was there talking to patrons and enjoying the day. Afterwards, we browsed some more shops just wasting time before our train departed. Venice was a quick but enjoyable stop. The city was beautiful (and so were its men). We enjoyed the nice weather and the friendly people. Overall, it was a great two days. We departed feeling refreshed and hopped on a train to Florence...but not before we stopped for a gelato of course...

- Caitlin