Today we took our day trip to Venice. I have always seen pictures of the boats and canals online, but never really knew what it would look like in person. Turns out it was even better than I expected! All of the “roads” are canals and to get to most places, you have to travel by boat. We first experienced this when we got off the train from Verona and immediately got into a water taxi that took us to the gondola service station.

Once at the station, we divided into groups of six for the gondola tour. It was so cool to sail around all the little canals and under the bridges. The men who steer the gondolas make it look so easy to maneuver their way around and avoid all the other boats and gondolas, but I’m sure it isn’t. There is really nothing I have ever seen quite like the layout of Venice before, and it was an experience of a lifetime.

After the gondola tour, we had some free time for lunch and exploring on our own. A few of us found a nice place along a canal where we ordered pasta and salads. That was followed by exploring some of the quaint shops around the area and gelato of course!

To end the day, we had a long walking tour of the city. Venice is home to Saint Mark’s Basilica, which was really cool to see and very beautiful. We also saw Doges’ Palace, which was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice. It was fun to walk around St. Mark’s square and look around because there was so much activity going on.

Tomorrow is our last day in Verona before going back to Milan, and I am excited to continue exploring the city!