More Precious...

As if the events of this trip were not enough for a lifetime of amazing memories, I get one more week of incredible cities, dinners, and lounging in Italy with friends. Saturday morning we caught a bus for Verona and stopped at a cafe for a rushed lunch. We made it to our hotel on Saturday afternoon where we rested up for the night. The TV graced us with a showing of Grease, which we thought was too good to be true. Sure enough, it was! Just as I was getting into the singing and dancing in our room when they cut me off...apparently that is an extraordinary way to hook American tourists into buying the movie. That night, we got all sassy and dressed up...this was my night to wear all of my copper jewelry and new black dress in hopes of appearing somewhat Grecian...for the opera in Verona. It was hot while we walked to the house of Juliet where all of the girls with honeys back home placed their names on a piece of paper and attatched it to the wall of Juliet with gum. This has become a new tradition instead of signing the wall...someday I will get back.

After strolling the streets, we ate an amazing dinner...what do you know...I got to eat a pizza Marinara for the tenth time this week. It is the best way to eat cheap and get full, though. We attended an opera called La Gaconde which I found out is one of the most confusing, dramatic, and ultra action packed operas around. It took place in an ancient Roman theatre and was done entirely without acoustic magnification. We got gelato during intermission and then enjoyed the ballet dancing and exploding ships on stage. The opera was finished around 12 or so and we got a little rest that night before waking up to travel to Venice.

Venice...what can I say? It has met and exceeded every expectation. Our hotel is on the island of Lido and hosts some of the best beaches and night life around. We spent our first day on the island. I think I was a little bit more adventerous than some. I did not sit down from 1 to six and only then for a short dinner. After dinner, I continued in my normal way of exploring by getting lost. All of the Venecian people say that the best way to get to experience the city is to go as far as you can (or in my case with friends, to cross as many bridges as you can) and then take the vaperretto down the Grand Canal to St. Marks square. As most everyone knows, the city of Venice is sinking. All of the city is created to shift. For example the church of St. Mark is made with tiny tiles that will wave with the tide. St. Marks church is fascinating. It hosts a domed ceiling and mosaics made with 14kt. gold, four horses from the 4th Century BC, and a door panel made of gold and precious jewels. The entire time the Lord brought sweet songs of praise and worship to my mind about his preciousness as a Lord and his holiness as God. I was walking and hanging out with a group of friends all day, but every once in a while I could go through the market to look at pasta, Murano glass, leather journals, masks, and lace fans. I sat outside St. Marks square and ate an amazing piece of Tarimisu cake while listening to the four person concerts that take place all over the square. The environment is classy and expensive, but so engaging. I giggled for minutes after Felicia and I twirled through the pigeons that cover the square floor and made fake proposals (I had to be the boy since I wore a hat) like the one in the commercial on TV.

Today, we went on a walking tour of Venice. Our guide, Anna, was older and precious. She told us about the uncomfort of living a Venician life. Some things like constant flooding, tons of bridges and stairs, no parks or greenery, and tons of tourists make it a difficult place for true Venicians. And so, this makes the population of 63,000 base their economy and lifestyles around tourists. She was so gracious to tell us interesting facts like why the masks have really long noses. Apparently, the doctors would wear them during the bubonic plague and stuff preventative drugs inside. Later, we went to the Dolges (or Presidents) palace and prisons that have been turned into a museum. This historic site on St. Marks square holds pounds of gold, artwork, and ballrooms for the political society of Venice. More market shopping and a quick tuna wrap gave me enough energy to relax on a bridge for an hour this afternoon with Nick and Bart before touring the Peggy Guggenheim collection of modern art with a small group led by Paolo. He gave us more of a knowledge of modern or contemporary art, saying that it was a transition from the traditional. New ideas, like these, always take time to catch. I favored one of them, named the Empire light, which showcases a night scene of a house and lights with a sunny background. This kind of art, apparently, prides itself with opposites.

A quick look into a church with several new Byzantine and Baroque styles ended our afternoon. Looks like tonight holds a good dinner of pasta made from squid ink and some excellent dessert.