A Weekend in Venice

Hello! Well it turns out that I actually spent the last weekend in Venice. My roommate and I weren't originally planning to go until we realized that the whole group (all 17 people minus us) had decided to do it. So only an hour before the train left, we packed our bags! Pretty spontaneous for me. We stayed in a hostel with four other people from our group. The train was only 10 euro and took about 2 hours. 

Our hostel was outside the island of Venice so we had to take a ten minute train into town each day. We met several other adventurous Americans in the hostel and it was interesting to see so many people traveling. Venice is definitely a place to see. What a beautiful place! I was blown away by all the canals-- it really is a magical place. We had great weather-- perfect for a light jacket but not too chilly. We walked a lot in the time we were there. The island is pretty small but so many tiny, confusing streets. Eventually we found the St. Marco Square which was breathtaking-- it is right a long the coast of Venice and you can see all the boats at the port. 

The only downside was that it was very crowded while we were there- so many tourists and the food was a bit overpriced. I sort of missed the low-key vibe of Bologna. But so glad that I got to see the city built around water! Today we took a free walking tour which was amazing. Our tour guide did a great job. She told us that there are only 60, 000 Venetians living on the island and 60,000 tourists there every day! This has become a bit of a problem as the city has become such a hot spot. She also gave us great tidbits of historical information (which I love) and it was neat to hear the story of the city. It's amazing that ancient Romans built a city like this on top of the mud of an island. So it did feel a bit packed. But so lovely to sit along the water and wander through the streets and canals. The city was the most peaceful in the evening. 

We didn't do a gondola ride because it was too expensive, but maybe next time. Glad I got to see another part of Italia!

This was one of my favorite views--this photo looks photoshopped! 

I took this picture while I was sitting at the port on the edge of the island. What a view!

This is St. Marco basilica in the main square of Venice. It was so massive and beautiful. 

This is our whole group in the main square with the bell tower behind us. That tower was originally a light house to guide the trade ships into the port. Fun fact… 

This was one of my favorite views of the main square-- such a massive piece of architecture. 

I'm pretty pooped after a long weekend and plan to get some good rest. Tomorrow we have classes and  my normal volunteering schedule. I hope to have some good updates after that. Still taking everything in and trying to enjoy it one day at a time. Miss you all!

Ciao!!!