Venice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

April 26, 2010
Since we stayed up so late Saturday night we pretty much slept the day away on Sunday. Not a good idea since Monday we had to be up at 5 am to catch the train to Venice. Which we did on less than 3 hours of sleep. One of the great things about getting up that early was that the fresh pastries the hotel offers for breakfast were warm, almost fresh out of the oven. The second I sat down on the train I


starting dozing in and out of consciousness. The sun came up and every once in a while there were fields and fields of flowers. It was amazing. I don't know if I was super tired, but I almost started crying multiple times on the train. I'm just so amazed and awed at how beautiful it is here! At one of the stops on the train these two old people got on and stopped right where I was sitting and made some hand gesture. I was so out of it I just got up and moved and they sat down. Had I been thinking more clearly I would have yelled at them in Russian, but needless to say I spent the rest of the train ride cramped up next to Ashley and across from some awkward Italians. Venice is an Island and you have to cross part of the Mediterranean Sea to get there. A little bit crazy taking a train across the sea, but cool. There were a couple of cruise ships docked so people could run around Venice. Then we got off the train stumbled around for a bit to figure out what we were doing. Right as you walk out of the train station there is the Grand Canal with boats just floating by. There was a sign that said "taxi" and the canal right behind it! Oh MY GOSH!!!! I'm in Venice!



We bought a pretty cool map and then set off to see the cool things there. We hit up a couple of churches with the most amazing ceilings! The way they manipulate 3D and perspective drawings is incredible. In one you actually felt like the building went all the way to heaven! Amazing!
As we walked there were so many little places to wander, every bridge was picturesque and almost every alley way led you straight to a canal. Since we were there so early there were not very many people there and the hottness of the sun had not set in yet.
At one point we were walking and we came across and old man who drove a gondola, where his gondola was I'm not sure. But he asked if we wanted a gondola ride and we said no, then he kissed our hands and turned to me and kissed my hand and in the process I almost dropped my camera and then he said something and then he just started kissing me!!!! He even sang to me! Boyfriend #1. Oh my gosh it was awesome!

We kept wandering and finding new places to see. It was so clean and so different from Milan. No one has cars here, they walk or have a boat. In one of the town squares we sat down at some huge monument and watched some cute Italian boys sketch us, well really it was the monument we were sitting on. Around the corner we found a concert hall that had once been a church. Inside the paintings on the wall were all done in monochromes. It was a blue monochrome and all the windows were made with glass bottles so when the sun came in it enhanced the coloring of the paintings. One of the most beautiful monochromatic paintings I have ever seen.
At this point the sun is scorching hot, I'm assuming it was 100 degrees and we just happen to be in jeans, and dark colors thinking that it would be cold. So so so hot. Finally we hit the end of the canal that leads you straight out to the Mediterranean Sea( I can't believe that I just said that) and sat down to get our

bearings straight and take a break. A couple of waves got pretty high and splashed me so I got pretty wet, but it felt so good. It was all I could not to try skinny dipping for the first time. We found a beautiful cafe right on the pier and decided now was a great time for lunch. Despite the fact that there was water all around us we were seriously dehydrated and just wanted to drink water. I ordered some pasta with brie, zucchini, and a creamy walnut sauce. Ashley ordered pasta with bacon, eggplant and some sharp cheese. After we got our food and started eating, neither of us liked our food so we swapped! Greatest lunch I ever had.
Now all the places are open and the tourists have taken over Venice. Walking around is started to get annoying because of all the people. Since all the shops are open shopping is starting to take precedence over the cool things to see. I could have stayed in Venice forever. Maybe I can find a cute Gondola boy to be my husband....
Nope. But I did find 3 very cute police men. I tried really hard not to commit a crime so they could arrest me, instead I took a picture of them. I should have the gotten the front of them, but the backside we just as pretty. Boyfriends #2,3 and 4. I think they saw me taking a picture because they followed us for a bit. Man oh man, they were so hot. I would have married them no questions asked. I considered grabbing one of their butts because it was SO HOT!

Along the pier we found some pretty cool artists and came across one that was doing some water colors. We all stopped and looked at his paintings and chatted with him for a bit. He kissed me too. I'm not really sure why ,I bought a painting but it was way after that. Boyfriend #5. Geez I'm on a roll today!
I hit a lot of records today. Most number of kisses in one day and most number of deserts in one day. I had a tiramisu and then 2 gelatos. Amazing. I may never eat ice cream again in America. I'm forever ruined.
As we were walking to go back to our train I passed by the HOTTEST gondola driver. He was pretty darn cute and the fact that he drove a gondola.... HOT! So we turned around and asked if he would take a picture with me. As we were getting close he asked "can I touch?" Then he just grabbed me and held me close...... At least I got his name, it's Micheal. We're getting married next week.
We got home at 11 pm exhausted sunburned and happy. Venice is probably the most beautiful place on earth. I would live there. I could get a job as a gondola driver it would be awesome! This was the best day ever.