Days Three and Four - Venice

Yesterday morning we arrived in Venice and realized quickly how different Venice is. First of all, air conditioning and hot showers aren't as important, wifi was difficult to obtain, and my hotel didn't like my calling card (or so I think). But after acknowledging the above, we're having a pretty pleasant time. I realized that I packed incorrectly. I shouldn't have packed pants. I've been rewearing the same dress and skirt (after washing them in the sink) because it's so hot. The next time I come to Italy in the summer I'll bring more dresses (which will make my suitcase lighter anyway). So, what about Venice? It's wonderful, despite the differences and little issues. As soon as Jamie and I disembarked the train, we were thrown into this world of beauty, innovation, and architecture. Very different from Milan and Rome, Venice has quite an Byzantium influence, as we recognized from some of the designs on the houses. I personally am enthralled with the random, small window dressings and statues of the Virgin Mary that pop up, reminding us of the Catholic history in this country. Venice is steeped in tradition, and is an interesting mix of old and new. Gondoliers are everywhere, and yes, I did take one. But gondolas are quite interesting - they are perfectly symmetrical, must be steered carefully so as to not tip over, cost 25,000-40,000 euros a piece, only 5 people in Venice make gondolas, and gondoliers must attend 5 years of training. While they are neat to watch, they are merely for entertaining trips and not for practical travel. We've been using their waterbus system, which is just as good as a canal tour -taking the number 1 is the best way to see the canal and thus both sides of Venice. Some things about Venice are perplexing, such as the number of dogs we see versus the amount of grass we don't see (they have a few parks, but not really near the center). Such as how Italians don't understand the loveliness of airconditioning. Such as how there seem to be little connection to what's going on - we haven't seen newspapers or magazines (hardly) and advertisements are pretty scarce. It's a nice difference from America who thrives on media. If we didn't have internet, we'd have no idea what's going on in the world. It's much more relaxed over here. Yesterday we took a guided walking tour, learning about the layouts and basic history. We learned, for example, that the wood underneath the city (the woood that holds the city up) are piece of pine that the saltwater petrified. Some places of the city are uneven and "leaning," but they balance each other. The city streets are extremely complex and difficult to follow, but we were told that even Venetians are confused easily! Last night we decided to partake in some local cuisine, but found the serve wanting. In fact, many others in the restaurant were complaining as much as we were, but I can't tell if it's just poor service or the Italy-Spain Eurocup game was just too much for the waitstaff. Nevertheless, we won't go again, despite the fact that I loved their gnocchi. Today we took a pretty easy day - we went to the nearby islands of Murano and Burano. Murano (which has the only cemetery nearby, and we did see a motorboat hearse) is known for their glass, and is it every impressive. Many furnaces and artisans enjoy tourists watching them, and they display their goods in stores all over. I wanted to take so much of it home, but feared breakage. I settle for a few pieces of jewelry that will last and remind me of the beautiful work I saw. We then stopped for some more local cuisine - where I had cuttlefish in a black ink sauce and polenta. It was very good - and very strange at the same time. I love trying new and local foods. Burano was an extremely pleasant surprise. We didn't plan on going, but a friend recommended it the other day. We disembarked the water bus to an island that was a cross between Charleston, the Bahamas, Mexico, and Venice. Tightly packed houses were brightly colored (almost neon at times) with colorful curtains covering their doors. Older ladies hand made lace (famous in Burano) in little circles and shops. I did buy some lace there, and the artistry is beautiful. I watched a woman make lace, and was just amazed with her patience and skill. It's such a differences from living in country where technology and newness is important. Burano plays to the tourists, but its charm remains in the past. Next time I come to Italy, I will come back to Burano because it really is that moving. Tomorrow we tour again - St. Mark's Basillica and the Doge's palace. We walked so much and spent so much time in the sun that we're turning in early tonight. I can't wait for tomorrow's tours - more history! Ciao!