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| A vaporetto |
Our next stop, and by far my favorite, was lovely Venezia. When we arrived at Marco Polo airport from Naples, we were exhausted and ready for some good quality sleep in a soft bed.
The beds were great at our fancy Italian hotel, but the wardrobe, er, well, special. It was covered reliefs of people in the throes of passion. And it was just as awkward as you might think it is. At least the humor of the lady behind the front desk was on par. After being paid only coins by one of our little group, she puts on a stern face and says, "I may have to kill you."
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| Vaporetti stop |
The next morning was chilly, and rainy, and gross all around. The hotel provided a shuttle (for a little extra moolah) to the city center. There we had to do what we usually did when we went to a new locale; we sped to the nearest tourist center to ask for directions.
And this tourist center, in fact, was the most helpful place we went the whole trip. They taught us how to navigate the vaporetti water bus line, and told us great places to go in the local area, including the colorful island of Burano and the isle of glass, Murano.
But the first thing we did in the city? Hired a gondolier. Rode through the quiet and quaint canals of Venice, waving to passersby as we went. It was expensive, but very, very worth it. It helped that there were four of us, so we could split the steep cost.
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| It was a rainy day in Venice. |
Next was Burano, an hour away by vaporetto. We shivered on the covered deck in the rain, but the fresh air did us some good. It kept Rachael and I from being seasick especially. Not being seasick is always good.
By the time we spotted the colorful buildings of Burano, we were famished. The first thing on our agendas became acquiring some sustenance for our growling bellies. After searching for a while in the rain, we settled on a cozy cafe...
...that ended up having the best pizza ever. In the world. And the world is a big place, you guys.
Amy, Rachael, and I split a breakfast pizza, while Kalli chowed down on her personal pepperoni. I also ordered a pasta dish with ham and mushrooms. It was so good.
And for dessert, tiramisu. My second favorite dessert. It was a little square of heaven.
The waiter told me that I shouldn't share with my friends. I assured him that I wouldn't. He told me he was kidding. I told him that I wasn't.
This got a laugh out of everyone in the room. Good spirits and good moods were everywhere. The Italians are really on to something here.
After lunch, we looked around the isle. There were a variety of shops that sold lace, which was Burano was famous for, as well as Murano glass, which is not only gorgeous, but globally acclaimed glass.
It was almost dark when we headed back to the station to wait on our vaporetto. Our bags were full of souvenirs and our hearts were full. It was drizzling, but the cold and the wet couldn't dampen our moods now.
A rather large vaporetto came to collect everyone. We talked away the hour ride back to Venice, where it was only raining harder. Some more souvenir exploration was done, then we trooped into a restaurant for dinner and back out again to catch our shuttle, with bellies satisfied.
The next morning, Rachael, Kalli, and I did some more exploring of Venice while we waited to catch our shuttle to the airport. Amy had an early flight to Spain, so she would arrive hours ahead of us.
We loved Venice, but all too soon, we caught our flight to Madrid with a layover in Rome, which was a whole adventure unto itself.
By the time we spotted the colorful buildings of Burano, we were famished. The first thing on our agendas became acquiring some sustenance for our growling bellies. After searching for a while in the rain, we settled on a cozy cafe...
...that ended up having the best pizza ever. In the world. And the world is a big place, you guys.
Amy, Rachael, and I split a breakfast pizza, while Kalli chowed down on her personal pepperoni. I also ordered a pasta dish with ham and mushrooms. It was so good.
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| The prison bridge |
And for dessert, tiramisu. My second favorite dessert. It was a little square of heaven.
The waiter told me that I shouldn't share with my friends. I assured him that I wouldn't. He told me he was kidding. I told him that I wasn't.
This got a laugh out of everyone in the room. Good spirits and good moods were everywhere. The Italians are really on to something here.
After lunch, we looked around the isle. There were a variety of shops that sold lace, which was Burano was famous for, as well as Murano glass, which is not only gorgeous, but globally acclaimed glass.
It was almost dark when we headed back to the station to wait on our vaporetto. Our bags were full of souvenirs and our hearts were full. It was drizzling, but the cold and the wet couldn't dampen our moods now.
A rather large vaporetto came to collect everyone. We talked away the hour ride back to Venice, where it was only raining harder. Some more souvenir exploration was done, then we trooped into a restaurant for dinner and back out again to catch our shuttle, with bellies satisfied.
The next morning, Rachael, Kalli, and I did some more exploring of Venice while we waited to catch our shuttle to the airport. Amy had an early flight to Spain, so she would arrive hours ahead of us.
We loved Venice, but all too soon, we caught our flight to Madrid with a layover in Rome, which was a whole adventure unto itself.
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| View from a gondola. |
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| A restaurant in Burano. |
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| A postcard come to life. |
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| Reflection |
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| Deserted square |
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