Venice

The last city we would visit during our trip to Italy was Venice. We got to Venice after it was already dark outside, but immediately after exiting the train station we felt like we were in Neverland or Disney World. Straight across from the train station was the Grand Canal and a large bridge. We walked along the cobble stone streets passing open markets and stores with lots of Venetian Glass. We checked into the cutest hotel we had stayed in all week and left our luggage to treat ourselves to dinner.

The hotel worker suggested a Trattoria around the corner so we went there for dinner. I ordered lasagna and mom got a calzone. We ate and talked with the people next to us and compared travel stories. For dessert mom bought a apple pastry from a bakery and we split it while we watched a movie on her laptop. This was our routine for the week to walk all day and watch a movie at night.

We were so excited about being in Venice that we woke up at 7 to be downstairs for the continental breakfast at 8. Everything seemed to be going to plan with only a light rain outside. The owner of the hotel served us cappuccinos wearing waders and I knew something was up. Mom thought I said the word "waiter" and didn't understand what I was puzzled about. Then, we heard the sound water makes when someone is trying to walk through it. Yes, Venice was flooded all over with several inches deep of water. We had no rain boots so we were stuck in the hotel until the water receded from the tide.

To make the most of our morning, we drank another cappuccino and played travel scrabble. The game last about an hour which bought us enough time to tip-toe over a puddle and make it to the main street outside of our hotel. The rain continued so we would walk a in between shops making our way down the street.

Finally, we made it to the water taxis and bought day passes for the water boats. Luckily, the boats were covered and slightly heated so we rode around the island and up the Grand Canal. We stopped in Piazza San Marco which is the main square in Venice. We walked through Duomo number 4 of the week. We followed a small street off of San Marco to an Italian restaurant for lunch and ate mushroom pizza and salad one last time. Mom bought temporary ran boots, which were plastic bags that went over your shoes, but I opted out since the rain had stopped.

I had researched Venice and new that a small island made most of the Venetian Glass that Venice was famous for. However, since it was Saturday most of the factories in Murano were closed so we mostly just looked in the shops.

To finish our stay in Venice we walked up and down bridges, shopped, and watched one more movie. On Sunday morning we said our good-byes at breakfast. Mom had a small melt down because she was leaving me. I cried too of course. No one cries alone. Our plan was for her to fly from Venice to JFK and I would train from Venice to Regensburg. I only have 3 short days left in Europe!

I am so glad I got to experience Italy with my mom. There is no one I would have rather traveled with and I am so thankful we were together. I missed her so much over my semester and am ready to be home in the states.