Love at First Sight - Venezia

Venezia 

When I was little, my family and I would go to an Italian restaurant named Carrabba's Italian Grill.  The waiters would give my brothers and I little balls of bread dough and we would kneed artistic creations out of the dough for the cooks to bake for us.  The artistic works of art included: fish, faces, a "ball of dough", and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  The restaurants bathroom would play "How to Speak Beginning Italian" videos over the loudspeakers and I would find myself lingering in the bathroom an extra 15 minutes so I could hear how Italians spoke.  I always felt like I had to be the best bread dough maker or know all the words on the CD because I was Italian.  But one thing that Carrabba's introduced to me about Italy was Venice.  The kids menu/place mat had images of gondoliers riding around in canals with their striped shirts and circular hat.  Growing up in Florida, I was familiar with boats but have never seen anything like it before.  I asked my parents what this "funny" kind of boat was and they explained that they were special kinds of boats in an Italian city where the boat was the only mode of transportation.  I never fully understood what that meant but began to become curious with what this magical city was and wanted to know more about its beautiful, simple charm.

After this introduction, I started seeing Venice everywhere: my mothers Venetian mask collection, souvenirs and pictures in my grandparents house from their travels, the movie The Italian Job (though watching it now I see it is so cheesy, but I still love it anyway).  I needed to see it for myself - to uncover the mystery, to see the beauty and to ride in a gondola.

I couldn't leave Italy this semester knowing I didn't go to Venice - and I made it happen.

My roommate Rose and I were supposed to go to Venice with a student group called Bus2Alps.  There were not enough people on the trip so they had to cancel it.  We were very upset at the news but took the initiative to plan our dream weekend in 2 days (the organization gave us really last minute notice and this was one of the few weekends that we had available to go to Venice so we needed to make it happen).  We researched trains, hostels and restaurants and managed to book everything literally within just a few hours before our set departure.

We arrived at Santa Lucia Train Station late Thursday night.  There was not much to see - but at the same time it was everything we needed to fall in love immediately.

Boat ride to our hostel

DAY 1

 We started our first full day in St. Marks Square since our hostel was located very close to it.  I was told to look out for the crazy people and the pigeons.  Luckily only the pigeons were up that early in the morning.

After, we went to the Rialto Bridge - the oldest bridge that crosses over the Grand Canal that connects the San Polo and San Marco regions of Venice - and the Rialto Market - a market known for its fresh fish and friendly locals.  

Grand Canal

Rialto Bridge

Rialto Market

Then we walked around Venice, stopping at every bridge (there are so many) to gaze into the canals and sneak in a picture.  We stopped in several mask stores that are famous for their great quality and specialize in the Commedia dell'arte (for example: Ca' Macana and Atelier Marega).  Of course we had to try them on ;)

 

Rosa and I

After we worked up an appetite we had lunch at a restaurant (that ended up being very highly ranked on Trip Advisor) Trattoria da Remigio.  Me and Rose split a spider crab antipasti and spaghetti with white wine  and fresh fish entree.  And we cheers to Venice!

Prosecco

Spider Crab Antipasti

Spaghetti with Wine Wine & Fish

 As it was getting dark, we found a cute restaurant overlooking a canal and decided to sit down and enjoy the view.  But one thing I learned about being in Venice after the first day: the view is literally perfect no matter where you go.

Drinks at Dusk

                                     

Rose, Campari Spritzers and Sunset

 After our "Appertivo" we continued to walk around the city and find a place for a light bite.  We stumbled across a little restaurant with a waiter named Micheal.  When we sat down he said that the drinks for the rest of the night were on the house.  Feeling bad - we ordered caprese so that the restaurant would make some revenue off of us (being in hospitality I always feel bad getting stuff on the house) - BUT that ended up on the house too!!!! Since he grew up in Venice he knew so much about the city and little secrets that the guide books don't tell.  For example, in St. Marks Square, there are two pillars.  Prisoners would have the opportunity to walk around the perimeter of each column without holding on to anything - those that could successfully cross lived - those that fell were killed.  Me and Rose attempted the task and lets just say we would have been killed! The perimeter was so small that one could easily loose his or her balance.  The secret though is that the two pillars are two different sizes and it is not noticeable to the eye unless you attempt this task. I know I am not explaining it right but when you see me in person I can demonstrate it to you.

He also told us the story about the Bridge of Sighs located in St. Marks Square.  The bridge connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace.  The view was the last view of Venice that prisoners saw before they were sent to prison.  He also said that there is a local legend that says that lovers will be granted eternal love and bliss if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the Bridge of Sighs as the bells in the square ring.

Me, Micheal (the Venetian) and Rose in St. Marks Square

The Bridge of Sighs



DAY 2
The next day we left Venice and went to the islands of Murano and Burano.

Murano

This small island is known for it's beautiful glass and glass making.  Me and Rose attended a glass making demonstration and spent literally hours walking through each of the showrooms and speaking with the salesmen about the history of our favorite pieces and what makes them so special.  I was not able to take that many pictures of the work because they are so special but mark my words my future house will be filled with these beautiful pieces of art. 

Here are some of the pieces of art that I was able to capture.

Burano

The island of Burano known for its lacework and beautifully colored houses.  Each of the houses are uniquely colored and if someone wants to repaint their house: they have to submit a proposal to a Although the island seemed very empty when we visited - it may have been because we visited the city when it was not "in-season".  Lucky for us though because we got to see the beauty without big crowds and chaos.  

Beautiful Park

Burano Lace

Unique Houses

After a quick visit to these islands Rose and I made our way back to Venice for the long awaited GONDOLA RIDE. We picked up some Bellini's, cheese, bread, salami and tasty sweets for a typical Italian picnic on the gondola.  We seeked out and auditioned a few different gondoliers to find our perfect match... which led us to Hugo.  He promised to sing to us (and he whistled too) and was very nice.  While on the gondola, Hugo gave us a tour of the canals and told us about more fun facts about Venice.  For instance: the islands are all man man and the buildings are constructed on wooden piles. The foundations of the piles rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above the foundations. The piles penetrate a softer layer of sand and mud until they reach a much harder layer of compressed clay.  There are also 118 islands!!!!

Me, Hugo and Rose

We had the BEST time!!! Riding in a gondola has been my biggest dream ever since I saw what a gondola was at Carrabbas.  I am so happy that I got to share this experience with such a great friend that I met while abroad and someone who was just as equally excited and in love with Venice as I was.  After we parted ways from Hugo and the gondola we found a quaint little dock overlooking the Grand Canal and finished our picnic.

We then went back to the hostel, gathered our things indulged in some free Wi-Fi and made our way to where we had dinner reservations.  The restaurant was called Ostaria Da Rioba and we found this gem on TripAdvisor before we left and made reservations ASAP after looking at the menu and guests comments.  The atmosphere was very contemporary and seemed like a place where art gallery experts would go to discuss the next up and coming gallery.  It was the perfect balance of traditional Venetian cuisine with a cozy, warm atmosphere.

It was also located very close to the train station so it was a perfect pit stop on our way home.  

Traditional Venetian Fish Antipasti
Clockwise: Grilled Octopus with Potatoes, Scampi, Sardines with Onions, Raisins and Pinenuts, and Dried Cod with Polenta

My entree: Baked monkfish fillet with crust of dry fruits served on 
raw spinach , dry tomatoes and red onion

Rosa's Dish - Grilled “ scampi “ prawns on mix salad and herbs chicory hearts strawberries and citronette of lemon.

Melt in your mouth Tiramisu... and my first Tiramisu in Italy!!

Overall I am SOOOOOO unbelievably thankful to be given the ability to make this dream come true.  The city provides the right amount of mystery, culture and love that can make any person say "That's Amore".   It was the most perfect weekend and I literally could not have dreamed of a better Venetian experience.  My dreams literally came true.  I am counting down the days until I get to see this wonderful city again. 

I have to only agree to what Elizabeth Berkley once said:

"I will never forget experiencing Venice for the first time. It feels like you are transported to another time - the art, music, food and pure romance in the air is like no other place."