Venezia, Italia

So I got back yesterday from a weekend in Venice...WOW. It is such a beautiful city, it's still kind of surreal that I was actually there. I decided to go on the trip from a suggestion from another girl in the program. After reading about the city, I decided I had to go. The island of Venice is actually sinking, and they're not sure if it will even be there in 20 years. If not for that reason alone, I decided I had to go to see everything this great little island had to offer.

Marcela and I headed out before some of the other girls in our group...The first day there, we got lost trying to find our hotel. The good thing is, Spanish is a lot like Italian, so communicating wasn't horribly difficult. I'm pretty sure we stuck out with our suitcases in the middle of a Venetian suburb though...haha. Good memories. That night we chilled at the hotel with an 80 cent bottle of wine and good Italian food we bought at the supermarket down the street.

The next day we headed to the island. We decided to wander around a while, without any real plan in mind and at some point make it to the coast to catch a boat to Murano island to see the glass factories. Venice is a really quaint little island...there are no cars, everybody travels by boat through the canals. The streets are very narrow. The only drawback is that it is a HUGE tourist location, so it is hard to tell what is really authentic and what is just there for tourists to enjoy.

After wandering and shopping and taking pictures, we finally made it to the coast. We got on the first water bus we saw, assuming it would take us to Murano. After asking the lady across from us, we found out the boat was actually going to Burano, where they do a lot of embroidery. We decided, what the heck, and went to Burano. This was probably the best choice we made the whole trip. Burano is a quiet little island with brightly painted houses and quiet canals. It was really beautiful.

After heading back to the mainland, we met the other girls in the Piazze San Marco, where the Basilica is (I KNOW!). What a gorgeous place! There is really no way to describe the atmosphere in San Marco Square...with the lights and the music and the people, it really was something to see. After finding Emilia, Katie, and Griselda, we headed for a quick dinner. We spent the rest of the night exploring the streets of Venice and getting lost in its alleys trying to find Santa Margherita Square, where there is supposedly the best nightlife. We stopped for a drink and continued to wander. After a while, Marcela and I had to catch a bus back to the mainland where our hotel was.



The next day we saw the Basilica and wandered around the island some more. It is a great place just to walk and look around. The best parts were when we strayed away from the main roads and got a little lost. Everywhere you turn there is something beautiful, a quiet canal with a gondola boat passing through, a narrow little street with beautiful terraces overhead, or an ancient church that is amazingly still standing. EVERYTHING there has history, it really is amazing. We spent the rest of Sunday just walking around the island and seeing everything there was to see. Venice is known for its blown glass (made on Murano...which is where Mick Jagger goes to get glass by the way...fun fact for you) and its masks. I definitely had to bring some glass back with me, but the masks kind of freaked me out, so I left them for the other tourists.

All in all, it was a wonderful time. I really enjoyed getting lost in Italy and soaking in everything Venice had to offer. By the end of a couple days, though, I was ready to be back in Madrid. It is amazing how quickly this city began to feel like home for me. It was like a breath of fresh air to hear people speaking Spanish when we got back on the plane, and I welcomed their lisp gratefully. I'm not gonna lie...I love it here.