Venice (Italia Part II)

We got into Venice just after dark on Monday evening. We stayed in a hotel just down the street from the train station (which usually sounds sketchy-- but there is NOTHING sketchy about Venice). I don't know what we did to be special, but we got a great, private terrace attached to our room! After settling in, we went out and managed to get lost (on purpose) in the windy streets and find a nice little restaurant where we fed our faces with pasta.

The next morning, we headed out to Murano, the island just outside of Venice where the Venetian glass is blown. I don't know what I thought I would see, but I did not expect a crew that looked like they belonged on American Choppers (minus the fat/muscle). There they were: these scrawny, tattooed, chain-smoking men molding what will eventually be a gorgeous, multi-colored Venetian glass chandelier. Hopefully Becca will not hate me forever for talking her out of buying the glass clock that we saw in the here.

The rest of the day consisted of buying, buying and more buying. After Murano, we took a Vaparetto (ferry) to St Marks Square; once we'd said "ooo another big old church with lots of pigeons hanging out outside" we continued up towards the Rialto Bridge and we proceeded to spend, spend, spend. I bought myself a bracelet, some earrings, shoes, and a perfume bottle (before you go thinking I'm all selfish and stuff, I DID buy gifts that I haven't given out yet, so I cannot mention them :-) ).

We had dinner at a local restaurant recommended by one of the glass dealers that we met earlier in the day. I had cuttlefish and polenta, which is a local specialty (translated, cuttlefish = squid in squid ink sauce; polenta is cornmeal).

(But seriously, St. Marks was nice. We even went to the lookout point -- here are some pictures):


Bright and early the next morning, we were off to Florence...