Where do I even begin..Venice was seriously the coolest city I have been too. We got to spend a weekend there and we had beautiful sunny weather everyday we were there! Pulling into the ferry area, I didn’t know what to expect. Would it be as pretty as the pictures or completely destroy my dreams and be totally overrated? When we got there, we all piled into a boat and were transported to the island part of Venice, (there is actually a part of Venice that is still on the “main land” of Italy, did not know that!). Pulling into the ship area we saw a HUGE cruise ship being towed by this little tiny tug boat. We also saw many other boats. After walking about 10 minutes, we got to our hotel and you should have seen the looks on our faces. One of our leaders, Marco, realized and could picture what we were thinking and immediately said, “Don’t judge it by the outside, it is very nice inside!” Probably the best quote of the weekend… After we unpacked and had lunch, we went on a walking tour to some of the major sites in Venice. We visited some churches, a school and a museum where we got to see the ORIGINAL sketches of Leonardo De Veinci. They were spectacular. We had free time for the rest of the day so some of the girls and I went back to the hotel, rested for a bit, and went back out to explore. We had dinner, gelato and walked around the little streets and alley ways of Venice. We ended up getting lost and had a bit of a scare, but managed to get back to the hotel safely. (Don’t worry Mom and Dad, Venice was VERY safe at night, and HEY I am still alive, so no big deal!)
The next day we got up, had breakfast and headed for Saint Mark’s Square and Basilica. To get to the square, we took a 60 second ride on a GONDALA! And yes, the “drivers” of the gondala’s do wear striped shirts and hats. But this was the scariest thing of my life…. First of all, they made us sit on the edge of the boat, I repeat, THE EDGE. Pretty sure I would have fallen off if it wasn’t for one of the girls holding my hands! Second of all, they crammed like 15 of us in ONE BOAT! So I think it’s safe to say that I have had my far share of Gondala rides and don’t need to experience anymore! Unless of course my future husband decides to take me back, then I guess I could manage… 🙂
St. Mark’s was quite amazing and beautiful. The church was highly detailed in decoration and everything was kept in such great condition! My favorite part was going up to the balcony and looking at the view from atop. Breathtaking. Completely breathtaking.
After St. Mark’s we decide to explore and shop around. Towards the end of the night we found a spot at the end of the Grand Canal/Port area and just sat there listening to the waves and water and shared stories of each other’s hometowns, schools and families. IT was my favorite part of the trip. There is just something about being around water and the sea. It is so comforting and enjoyable. I love it.
So… I think it is safe to say that Venice was and is still my favorite city so far! Amazingly wonderful and enchanting.
Venice at night
Saint Mark’s Square and Basilica!
The view from the FAMOUS Rialto Bridge!
Just chilling with my favorite view in the background…
God’s beauty was around every corner in Venice.
“How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.”
Psalm 104:24
Brittany Travels to ITALIA! 