Advertisement
Published: December 31st 2008
Edit Blog Post
Venice was…exactly what I had always dreamed. Twinkling lights reflected from the water as countless couples strolled lovingly arm in arm. The stars shone merrily from above while gondolas waited patiently along the sides of the canals. Numerous bridges gracefully connected the winding streets lined with pizzerias, gelato shops, and wine bars. Giddy with excitement on our first night in Venice, my friends and I traveled - arms linked - through a small part of the city near our hostel…over bridges, through alleyways, and under lighted archways…singing cheesy love songs to each other, skipping here and there, dancing a little, and laughing a lot.
Basically, Venice was perfect.
We reached the city a little after dinnertime after a short flight from Rome. Our hostel was easily found upon arrival via shuttle from the airport, and, after settling in, we found dinner at a really charming 60s-inspired restaurant called
Ae Oche, where we enjoyed amazing pizzas chosen from a very extensive selection. After our late dinner, we bought wine and chocolates and celebrated the start of a very surreal adventure in Venice.
We decided that our next day would be a “lazy day” and woke up a little before
Ae Oche
menus in every language! noon, ate a leisurely lunch until 3 pm, and then proceeded to ditch our maps and get ourselves hopelessly lost in Venice. The bright sunshine warmed our faces as we turned corner after corner and walked over countless bridges to wherever our feet carried us. Everywhere we turned, there was a postcard-worthy scene, and everything seemed like it was straight out of a fairy-tale.
Because we started exploring so late in the day, the sun quickly disappeared and left us with only sparkling Italian lights to guide our way through the city. Without any sense of direction (and zero motivation to even consider consultation of our maps), we opted to put our sense of smell to good use. We followed our noses to delicious cafes where many a cappuccino was sipped, to gelato shops where we sampled scoop after scoop of yummy flavors, and finally to a cute pasta restaurant located in a random alleyway far from the touristy areas.
We continued to wander aimlessly for a few hours after dinner and then decided to get our bearings straight. Studying the map for about 15 minutes did no good, so we walked into the nearest wine and cheese
shop and asked for help. The shop owner knew zero English and oriented us with huge gestures and incredibly fast Italian towards
Piazza San Marco. The three of us know Spanish, which sort of resembles Italian, so we pieced together the few words each of us picked up from his hurried directions and made our way to Venice’s only official
piazza.
We experienced
Piazza San Marco as an amazing expanse of light, a bright contrast to the dark alleyways that we had spent the previous hours exploring. Hundreds of shops surrounded the area in dazzling high-end shopping districts. Oh, the shoes found in Italy! And the food! And the gorgeous views all around! I wondered so many times while walking throughout Venice whether I was in some sort of dream.
It became chilly after a while, so we thought it would be nice to relax for a bit back at the hostel. Along our way, we picked up a law student, Randy, who had also gotten himself completely lost. Randy had just finished a semester abroad in Hamburg, Germany, and was traveling through Italy before going home to finish his last semester of law school in Canada. The
four of us celebrated getting ourselves un-lost by grabbing some gelato before heading our separate ways.
Ellyn, Jo, and I looked up directions to
Campo Santa Margherita, the student center near our hostel, and found ourselves at
Café Blue, recommended by my travel guide, where we enjoyed wine and live music. It was the perfect way to end an already incredible day in Venice - sipping Italian wines and being serenaded by Italian rockers. They played classic American rock for a while, and it was fun to hear Italian accents singing Jimi Hendrix and Elvis. Towards the end, we got to enjoy some Italian music, which was really exciting and fun. The lead singer must have guessed we were American and came over to our table after they wrapped up their show to ask if the American songs they played were “buono.” We, of course, nodded enthusiastically, and he beamed a triumphant
grazie. My friends and I basically floated back to our hostel that night, completely happy with our lives.
The next day, we decided to map out our adventure. We started by having cappuccinos back at
Campo Santa Margherita in the
Dorsoduro area, exploring for a while,
and having lunch. We continued by heading to the
Ponte Rialto, one of the three main bridges of the Grand Canal, where we found
Rivoaltus Legatoria, the first (and supposedly best) shop selling leather-bound, antique-style journals in Venice.
Next on our sightseeing day was a trip back to
Piazza San Marco to see the enormous square during the daytime. We walked into numerous shops sparkling with glass art, jewelry, masquerade masks, and designer shoes and sunglasses. From there, we sought out
Gelateria Nico, recommended by my travel guide as one of the best gelaterias in Venice. If you ask me, though, I think the gelaterias found in random alleys away from touristy areas were more charming and friendly and still offered just as many varieties of delicious gelato.
After
Nico, we walked back to
Dorsoduro for more cappuccinos, and then had dinner near our hostel to complete our day. It was a rather touristy dinner at a lit-up table overlooking a canal and featured overpriced menus, but it was close to the hostel and was too cute to pass. We met a nice American couple who had recently retired and bought a place in Venice, and they were
pleased to hear about our study abroad experiences and travels.
Our last day in Venice was dedicated to souvenir shopping and wandering around a then-familiar setting. It was surprising how much less confusing Venice became after only a few days. We thought we would never master the hundreds of bridges and twists and turns of the alleyways. Walking along, having our last crepes and gelatos and cappuccinos, we reflected on our travels, reminisced this and that, and had a nice time relaxing throughout the day, not really having a purpose but to just walk around and enjoy life.
Now, back in Wisconsin where over two feet of snow greet me whenever I step outside, part of me is in disbelief that barely a week ago, I was traipsing around beautiful Italy, warm and full of sunshine. It’s funny to think that the only ‘bad’ weather I had to complain about was some rain in Barcelona, and the coldest temperature required a light jacket. It feels weird to not be surrounded by British accents, high-end shopping districts, and sparkling glass ornaments everywhere I turn. It’s nice to be able to drive, to talk on my cell phone without worrying
about my pay-as-you-go plan, to sleep in my own bed, to be surrounded by familiarity and the comforts of home and family.
Of course I will miss England and Europe - the people I met, the places I saw, and the exhilaration I felt from traveling. I will miss Europe’s hustle and bustle, the gorgeous views, the dazzling lights, and the amazing transportation. I will miss the extensive history, the breath-taking art, and the countless museums available for hours' worth of wandering. I will miss the little things, too, like England’s amazing Mullers fruit corner yogurt, UEA’s weekly themed parties, and people-watching for great outfits throughout campus. It feels really different to not be on my own.
It feels wonderful to be home.
It was quite the journey! Thanks to everyone who kept up with my blog. I really enjoyed your messages and thoughts, especially during times of homesickness. I’m so thankful to have had this opportunity to experience some of the best times of my life. Study abroad is definitely a student’s dream-come-true, and I am glad to have been able to share it with you.
I hope everyone had fantastic, love-filled Christmas and holidays.
Happy New Year! Here's to 2009 and many more adventures.
Cheers!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.089s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 6; qc: 45; dbt: 0.0323s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb