Two weeks ago, three friends and I took a trip to Venice!
We stopped in Florence along the way, where I saw the Ponte Vecchio (the famous bridge with the finest jewelry venders in the city....no I definitely couldn't afford ANY of that), went into the Uffizi on my own (cool museum, too bad I don't know anything about art), made friends with an old Italian man while he painted me a picture of Florence on the street outside of the Uffizi along the Arno River, and climbed to the top of the duomo (the most stunning view imaginable).
Here are some pictures from the day in Florence (it was rainy and cold and miserable, but can you really complain when you're in one of the most famous cities in Italy?):
My friend Brittny and I had a DELICIOUS late dinner (I had Pesto Pasta, we shared a greek salad) at an indoor restaurant in Piazza Santa Margarita, right by our hostel.
On Saturday, we got up bright and early and booked it to St. Mark's Square to catch a boat to our tour of the islands.
First, we went to Murano, and watched a demonstration at the Murano Glass Factory:
We spent an hour or two sitting, just enjoying our food and our wine and the fact that we were eating lunch on the Grand Canal in Venice.
And then we wandered.
We went to St. Mark's Square and enjoyed the beauty of it all, and then went into St. Mark's Basilica. It was the most STUNNING basilica I have seen so far. I don't know what it was about it, but we literally just sat down and soaked it all in for at least a half an hour. Just sitting, in silence, next to each other, in the Basilicia, taking it in.
We stopped in Florence along the way, where I saw the Ponte Vecchio (the famous bridge with the finest jewelry venders in the city....no I definitely couldn't afford ANY of that), went into the Uffizi on my own (cool museum, too bad I don't know anything about art), made friends with an old Italian man while he painted me a picture of Florence on the street outside of the Uffizi along the Arno River, and climbed to the top of the duomo (the most stunning view imaginable).
Here are some pictures from the day in Florence (it was rainy and cold and miserable, but can you really complain when you're in one of the most famous cities in Italy?):
The Duomo in Florence!
A nice little copy of the David. Nice and nakey, like all of the statues in the Uffizi.
The Arno River.
Sitting along the Ponte Vecchio, overlooking the Arno River!
Ponte Vecchio
My artist friend. SUCH a nice man. The best part of my day in Florence.
View from the top of the Duomo.
On top of the Duomo!
So THEN, we hopped a train to Venice (no big deal).
We got off the train in Venice and walked STRAIGHT onto the water. It was amazing. And then we wandered. And it was freezing (Venice is up north), and we wandered in the cold and dark, unmarked, streets of Venice until we found our hostel.
Here's Venice at night when we first arrived:
On Saturday, we got up bright and early and booked it to St. Mark's Square to catch a boat to our tour of the islands.
First, we went to Murano, and watched a demonstration at the Murano Glass Factory:
We watched this man blow glass and turn it into a beautiful vase, right in front of our eyes. SUCH skill.
We basically died from the beauty of the store at the Murano Glass factory, spent a little bit too much money on glass jewelry, and then went to the island where lace is made (too cool) and another island with too many Murano Glass stands. It was fun, but we were all WAY too in love with the glass jewelry. Our wallets were sad.
After the boat tour, we walked along the Grand Canal for awhile....
The Grand Canal.
....And then we decided to have a really nice lunch on the Canal. When in Venice, right?
View from our restaurant on the canal (the water is behind all the vendors...haha).
Cuties sitting in the sun at our restaurant on the Grand Canal.
I got pizza because I didn't want seafood....AND IT WAS GOOD.
And we enjoyed some of the BEST wine I have ever tasted.
And then we wandered.
We went to St. Mark's Square and enjoyed the beauty of it all, and then went into St. Mark's Basilica. It was the most STUNNING basilica I have seen so far. I don't know what it was about it, but we literally just sat down and soaked it all in for at least a half an hour. Just sitting, in silence, next to each other, in the Basilicia, taking it in.
St. Mark's Basilica
Wandering the streets of Venice.
View from the Rialta Bridge.
On the bridge!
Venice is beautiful.
Our view from the hostel the next morning! (Sunday)
On Sunday, we got up and literally just wandered. We had breakfast at a cute little bar (we had a classic Italian breakfast, un cornetto cioccolato con un cappuccino (cornetto=croissant), and we stood at the bar eating together, just as the Italians do. :) Then we continued wandering (I bought cute new boots) until our train left.
Wandering Venice.
Cute couple going on a real Gondola ride. Unforunately, we were on a budget and could not afford a Gondola ride (they're like 100 euro or something crazy like that). So now it's on my bucket list. Note to my future husband: You will be taking me back here one day and we will enjoy a perfect, classic, romantic Gondola ride.
One last solo shot in Venice before hopping on the train. :)
MI PIACE VENEZIA. E una citta bellisima.
Basta.
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