Venezia

Our last destination in Italy was none other than the legendary Venice. It was as beautiful as I imagined and a great way to say goodbye to such a picturesque country. We arrived around noon on Friday, and immediately set out for our hostel. It had been a while since we had to carry our large packs, and let me tell you, getting lost while carrying an extra 40 lbs on your back is no picnic. I had been warned that Venice was a confusing city to navigate, and tried to prepare for it, but of course we got lost anyway. After ditching all the extra weight at our hostel Luke and I set out to do some exploring. We went to St. Mark’s Basilica, which is famous for it’s gold mosaic ceilings, and explored the surrounding area. The canals were more crowded with tourist-filled gondolas than I had expected. Our friends who visited Venice a few weeks ago warned us that the Gondola rides were extremely expensive, and since we didn’t have others to split the cost with we decided to forgo the experience. However, we found that the romantic side of Venice isn’t limited to gondola rides. I researched the best places for aperitivo in Venice and we found a lovely place tucked away down a back alley. At first I was sure that we had gone the wrong way, because the alley opened up to a seemingly empty courtyard and dock. We walked out to the dock and looked out over the Grand Canal for a while. When we turned around, we realized that there was in fact a little vine-covered restaurant tucked away in a back corner of the courtyard. We went in, and were greeted with a warm little Italian Tavern and a lively group of patrons. We each ordered a spritz and quickly descended upon the accompanying food. It was some of the best food we had in Italy, and it came free with our drinks! I seriously love aperitivo. There were two kinds of pasta, each yummier and more unique than I could even describe to you, as well as different kinds of bruschetta. We sat talking, eating, and drinking for several hours. When our bellies were full and our cheeks were pink, we walked outside to find a bunch of people sitting on the dock enjoying their food and drinks, as well as the beginning of a sunset. We joined them  and watched gondolas float past as we soaked in all the beauty of Venice. 

Saint Mark's Basilica

Handsome Gondolier

Rialto Bridge

 See the tiny little place in the left corner?

Holy Yum