Day 11- Venice

Day 11 Saturday

Saturday was the first day we were able to sleep in!! Hotel Messner had a five star hotel and three additional hotels with fewer stars, which I was in. In the morning all the other sectors met at main hotel for breakfast. It was an “International” breakfast similar to the breakfast at our hotel, but had more options. We had fresh bread, Nutella, fruit, yogurt, cheese, salami, jelly, tea, coffee, juice, and sweets, a meal full of carbs…I can feel myself expanding already! HELP!

After breakfast we had to cross the canal to get onto the main island of Venice in order to see all the great sites. We could have taken the Academia bridge but it would take some time to get to the bridge, cross over, then walk to the museums. Instead we took a gondola. But it was no ordinary gondola ride...we had to STAND in the gondola! 14 people standing in a gondola is a scary thought! We only had to cross the canal so it was only a few yards. But we also had to cross between the passing water taxis, which leave huge wakes/waves. People were hanging on to each other and screaming, trying to keep their balance! If we fell we were told the water was so cold we would have to be rushed to the hospital immediately! I tried to balance my own body and ride the waves has they pushed our gondola back and forth but people kept grabbing on to me! It was so scary! I tried to shake them off but they clung to me like velcro! Fortunately, everyone made it over safely! Even thought it was frightening it was such a thrilling and hilarious experience to watch my fellow students cross the canal screaming and wobbling hahah!

Following the gondola rides we went on a 3-4 hour tour to so many beautiful places but again all the names are in Italian and I will have to look at what exact places we went to see. I can’t remember at this moment, since I’m writing this blog about 5 days post-Venice.

After a long day of touring, some girls and I went for lunch at an adorable café. They loved that we were American and started playing American pop music including Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, etc. They danced and sang while they were making our food, it really made our lunch experience something special.

There were so many things to do in Venice! After our meal we went shopping, looking for all the best gifts Venice is known for: lace, blown glass and glass jewelry, wooden puppets, and masks. There were so many beautiful vendors and so many places to see. Venice was such a historical city, every street, every canal, and every café looked like a picture in a storybook.

Even though Venice had snow for the first time in 10 years, the museums were more frigid than the outside, and we were mapless, Venice was such a breath-taking place. I am so glad I was able to experience its uniqueness!