Thursday, November 20, 2008

Venice!!!

Ah... so amazing. So last week, thanks again to some cheap ryanair tickets, some friends and I took a trip to Venice. And... it... was... awesome... As in, what the heck made me want to study in Wales kind of awesome... enough said, there's going to be a ton of pictures.

Well, so we happened to get there right in the middle of flood season. Hence, the two feet of water we had the privilege of trudging through. But, they provided planks to walk on, so that helped.
Sorry but all the pictures of the canals are going to have to wait. I'm using a computer in the library as mine is still in a coma, which stops responding every time I try to rotate a picture. But here's just some pictures of the buildings. There were a ton of shops everywhere! Everything from cafes to jewelry and clothing stores but more than anything, shops that sold masks! So for those of you who aren’t familiar, Venice is famous for Carnival, a big celebration where people dress up in amazingly intricate masks and costumes. So of course such masks are provided at almost every street corner for the unwary tourist. But some shops specialized in the creation of some absolutely amazing masks that sold up to 500 Euros (roughly 750 USD) take a look. We even found some made with swarovski kristalls! A shot of me in the flood waters. I'm standing just outside the Piazza San Marco. We all just really liked the pink street lampsI would have like to show you some pictures of the inside of St. Mark's Basilica, but unfortunately cameras weren't allowed inside. But here's a shot of the Piazza San Marco in all its floodwater glory And the outside of the Basilica
And a more improved one (ya, it was raining REALLY hard)
Gondola rides were uber expensive, as in about 80 Euros a ride, but we did one across the Grand Canal for 50 cents. There were no seats, so you got to stand and hope you had REALLY good balance.

The food was amazing! Dinners were kind of weird because if you didn't order at least three courses (each of which costing around 10-15 Euros) the waiters would get really mad at you. So for the most part we settled to dieting on gelatos, paninis, and hot chocolate. Now, don't go thinking that this hot chocolate was your typical chocolate powder in water concoction you get back in the states. No, this was pure melted cocolate goodness. That you drink in a tiny little cup without a lid. Christie, you would know this one, I think even Starbucks attempted it once with something called, what was it, like chantika or something? Take a look

Oh, but due to the incessant rain, a friend and I finally broke down and admitted to the practicality of owning a good pair of genuine Wellie. Rainboots (oh, and an umbrella, too. The blue one a couple picture up). I took a picture of only my feet to avoid further embarrassment.
But, day TWO!! we hopped on a train for 6,50 Euros and spend a gorgeous, sunny day in Verona (home of Romeo and Juliet. We didn't go in, but it was there) It was a really different feel from Venice, but absolutely gorgeous with all the leaves. I hesitate to say this, cuz it's not exactly true, but what made Venice so beautiful was perhaps its more rural setting? We got a good look at rolling hills with old churches on the top and the Alps in the background on the train. Everything was so green and beautiful. *Sigh, the pictures don't do it justice...
Our first stop in Verona was the Arena. Think of it as a slightly smaller version of the Roman Colosseum.
Here's a look at the inside

And that darn random person again (sorry, you'll have to turn your head for this one). Boy is she persistent!

Ah, but the city itself...
and more of it...
and more...
and more...
But back to Venice for our third and final day. This time it was sunny and fabulous!! (sorry, you'll have to turn your head for the next)
and more...
and more (look closely and you might recognize someone)...
the Rialto Bridge (lined with tons of shops)
and tons and tons of bloodthirsty pigeons...
Well, that concludes our tour of Venice, and man, I still need to do the cafe one I've been meaning to post for a while now. Hmph, too bad the photos are all still stuck on my broken laptop...

3 comments:

Christine said...

Ooh gorgeous! Lucky you. It sounds like it was fabulous. I love the rain. Okay, but seriously did you just spell 'crystal' k-r-i-s-t-a-l-l? Is that how the British spell it or something?

Patricia said...

clarification: that's the german spelling for it and how it's officially spelled in their company logo :)

Unknown said...

What fun! I've always wanted go to Venice. Just ask Ernie. That is my standard answer to "If you could go anywhere right now..." It looks beautiful, even under all that water. Also, there is a place in SL that serves hot chocolate like that! I'm getting thirsty just thinking of it. Ernie bought some and I had to add half milk because it was so rich. Rich and delicious, mind you. Glad you're having such a fun time!