Carnivale Costume
I didn’t understand the concept of getting lost in Venice until last weekend. I literally took one wrong turn and became completely disoriented. The place is a labyrinth filled with hundreds of bridges, alleyways, and streets to navigate through. That being said, if you ever go to Venice, and if you don’t enjoy being lost, then it might be wise to invest in a map. Personally, I loved this portion of the weekend because I randomly walked into marvelous artisan shops as well as a modern art gallery.
The one downside of the trip was the weather on Saturday. It was pouring rain and winds were gushing around 20 MPH. You would not believe the number of broken umbrellas that littered the streets. I cracked up laughing on the main street because I observed owner’s umbrellas getting split to pieces. Then to top it off, I watched them try and use the scraps in an attempt to keep their heads dry. It was a sight to see. Maybe it was amusing for me because I was soaked head to toe and had accepted my fate of getting drenched.
If it weren’t for the rain we wouldn’t have met this super cool Aussie mate named Emily. Her living plans fell through and had nowhere to stay because everywhere was booked up. She told us her story and it would have been inhumane to not let her crash with us. She had been traveling for seven months and this was her last weekend before she headed back to Aussieland. It surprised me how well put together this chick was especially for only being nineteen years old. We all went out for dinner, had a couple drinks, and called it a night.
In Front of The Basilica
Sunday, God blessed us with fantastic weather. We woke up relatively early, checked out of our hostel, and headed for San Marco Square to watch the opening Ceremony for Carnivale. With masks on our face, bottles of wine in our hands, we strolled around the city for the final hours of our Venetian experience. We went into Doges Palace, the Basilica, and then paid for a gondola ride, which was totally worth it.
I wasn’t terribly upset to leave Venice. It’s a gorgeous city, but I could never see myself living there. The streets flood, it smells, and its smaller than I had anticipated. If I ever go back to Venice, I’m going to unleash my inner tiger. I made a tiger cape in my costume lab class last semester and I forgot to bring it. That won’t happen next time.
I leave this Friday to visit Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest over a course of ten days. I’m learning a few key phrases in Czech and Hungarian so I can make some friends with the locals. Check back next week for an update and remember to unleash the tiger!
