Venezia, Italia
For the second half of my break that I spent with my Mom we traveled to Venice. Ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to travel there. I think the romanticized idea of the "sinking city," really enticed me. This was also my first extended trip outside of Roma, aside from my weekend excursions, so I was quite excited for this trip!
Mom Excited on the Tram with "Starbursts;" Mom On The Port of San Marco's Square; Doge's Palace; Me on the Port
Mom and I opted to take the train to Venice, it's possible to fly, but I actually find the trains to be very comfortable here in Italy, and they are also less expensive than flying. It takes about three and a half hours from Rome to Venice using the fast train. Mom was comforted with the Italian version of starbursts, and knitting of course, whilst I slept the majority of the ride.
Upon arriving in Venice, we were greeted by a massive downpour. Least to say, there are no photos from this day because of the extreme rain, and also my frustration at the time about how confusing and unknown the streets of Venice were to me (because I was unaccustomed to not knowing where I am going, since getting settled in Rome, and I was soaking wet).
Nevertheless, we got up bright and early the next day to take our private tour of the secret parts of Doge's palace! Doge's palace once housed the 'Doge', or the supreme authority of the Venetian Republic. The current palace was originally constructed in the 15th Century. Our tour guide mentioned that the palace has had countless fires, and despite this fact, the builders and architects continued to design the palace in the same way with the same material. Thus, various parts of the palace vary in age, and appearance.
Lion's Mouth; Staircase Inside the Palace
Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take any photographs inside the palace, aside from these two above. The Lion's Mouth lies in the courtyard of the Doge's palace. Similar to it's Roman counterpart, The Mouth of Truth, the purpose of the Lion's Mouth was to collect citizen's secrets, and reports of bribery amongst government officials.
The second photograph features one of the many outstanding ceilings we saw in the palace. This is the entryway passageway, and the gold on the roof is actually real!
It's unfortunate that I wasn't allowed to take photographs, because I would have loved to share my favorite part of the castle, which is the secret floor in the Palace that housed prisoners (the infamous Casanova , secret meetings and rooms that were once lined with secret documentation. This tour is a must if you visit Venice. It taught me a lot about Venetian form of government, and Venice's history as a republic.
I'm a big fan of Italian Farmer's Markets, and I suggest everyone check out Rialto Market if going to Venice. Venice is known for their seafood, hence their parket was very seafood heavy. It was so much fun walking around the stalls and seeing all the varying "pesche," they sell (eyes and all).
On day three of the trip, Mom and I ventured to Murano and Burano, the infamous islands right off of Venice. We hoped on the Vaporetto (water boat), and made our way to the islands. First, we adventured around Murano. We were overwhelmed by the number of glass shops. It really is all they have to offer.
Surprisingly, it was tough for us to find an open studio featuring glass blowing. We stumbled upon one down an alley way, and caught the tail end of a show. We watched in awe as this man made the horse photographed above. I believe it took him less than ten minutes to make!
Quickly sick of looking in glass shops, we hoped on another Vaparetto to Burano. Although known for lace, Mom and I were more impressed by the colorful buildings. Never have I seen such a colorful little city. Especially having grown up in a town where there are ordinances for home appearance, it was refreshing to see such a fun array of buildings.
Although Venice is a gorgeous city, I was not nearly as impressed as I thought I would be. It's very compact, and confusing to get around, which was definitely frustrating for Mom and I. Also, since it is so much smaller, the tourists were still everywhere and put a damper on Venice's beauty for me. Regardless, I still found Venice to be a lovely place to visit, and sometime in my life I definitely will go again, and in the off season! We regret not going to a few more museums but we both concluded that we are happy we went, and explored a completely different part of Italy.
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