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This past weekend was our first free weekend to travel. A few friends and I decided to go to Venice!
Friday:
Friday morning we woke up very early to catch our train that left at 7:50 am. The train stations are very relaxed. No one checked my bags or looked at my ticket until I boarded the train. During the 3 hour train ride, I was surrounded by Italians that did not speak any English. I got to sleep a little though, but still saw a lot of the countryside.
Once we arrived in Venice, we got our 3-Day Passes to take the buses, trams, and the vaporetto (water bus). Once we had our passes, we took the bus to the AirBNB that we stayed at this weekend located just outside of Venice.
We all were starving, so we decided to get lunch before heading to Venice. We walked just across the street to Osteria Plip. This restaurant was amazing and their burgers were one of the best burgers that I've had. Even their business cards were wine corks.
After unpacking and eating, we were eager to head into the city. The tram dropped us off, and
at first we did not know where to go. Luckily, my art professor was in Venice last weekend, so she gave us some pointers. We hopped onto a vaporetto towards the Rialto Bridge. On the way, we saw the hands, "Support," that was just recently placed in the canal.
We got off at the Rialto and got lost in the back canals and alleys (on purpose). We found beautiful canals where gondolas would pass and the surrounding buildings and bridges made for a picturesque scene. Somehow we ended up in San Marco Square and just walked around and looked in some shops.
We had to take another vaporetto to get the restaurant that my professor suggested. They did not open until 7 pm, and we arrived around 6:15 pm, so we did an impromptu photo shoot around the rustic doors. The restaurant was called San Trovaso, and it did not disappoint!!
After a long day of traveling and exploring, we went back to the apartment and just hung out and chatted.
On our way back, on the tram, Actv came around to check passes. We were warned about having your passes on you at all times
in Rome or else you have to pay a fine on the spot in cash! A tourist couple did not have the right passes to be on the tram, and they kept fighting with the guards about how it was a mistake. Eventually, they paid their fines and were able to get off on the stop they needed. It really opened my eyes to see how strict they are about their transportation system!
Saturday:
On Saturday, we got a late start because we all have been so tired from this past week. Once we were all up and ready, we took the bus to Venice, where we caught a vaporetto to take us to San Marco. From there, we took another (much larger) vaporetto to Burano.
Burano is known as the "Colorful Island" in the Lagoons, just north of Venice. Also, it is known for its beautiful lace. Since we got a late start, we weren't able to explore as much as we wanted. But from what I saw, I fell in love with the island!
We ate a later lunch at Al Pescatori. Of course, I had to order seafood because most of the seafood and
fish was caught locally. The fisherman's spaghetti hit the spot! In it was squid, shrimp, clams, mussels, lobster, and small pieces of crab.
Then we headed to Murano, again by vaporetto. This island is know for the beautiful glass work. Sadly we got there around 4:30 pm, and the factories were closed and some of the shops were closing too. I did manage to get a few gifts and souvenirs from these shops.
After a long day in the sun, we went back to the apartment, and ate at a local restaurant, Osteria del Lipo Nero, which I think was way overpriced for the okay meal I ate. However, the family sitting next to us got into a battle of flicking and dumping water on each other. The people in Venice are so easy going and just seem to live life. We also made some local Italian friends and met Julyan Stone, a basketball player from Indiana, and knew of Xavier's basketball team.
Sunday:
We checked out of our AirBNB and went on an adventure to find some breakfast. In Italy, breakfast isn't really a thing, besides a cappuccino and a pastry (which I cannot eat). It
took us about 30 minutes, with all of our luggage, to find a place and ended up eating paninis.
Then, we headed into Venice because our train did not leave until 7:25 pm. We checked our bags and went out to explore one last time.
We just started to walk around and came up on a canal with all of these row boats and kayakers with a lot of people watching and cheering people on. Come to find out, it was called the Vogalonga. This event happens every year, and it is similar to a marathon, but a rowing regatta.
After watching for a few minutes, we continued to explore and buy last minute gifts or souvenirs. We ate a late lunch, and headed back for the train station to take us to Rome.
Overall, I LOVED Venice. It was nice and cool and beautiful. I would highly recommend a trip to Venice! I still cannot get over how much water costs in Italy. Good thing I have a water bottle that I can refill! Now back to reality (sort of) and classes. Ciao!!
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Michele
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It sounds like you had a marvelous time in Venice. How fortunate to see the Vogalonga! Interesting information about the transportation passes - Glad you were prepared. Thanks for the photos; I loved the one where you are sitting looking out. Xoxo.