Tuesday we spent at a day trip to Venice. It’s hard to even begin to explain this city’s beauty. Built on a series of small islands in the center of a lagoon, Venice is completely manmade. After taking an hour and a half train ride from Verona we arrived at the coast. We stepped out of the train station and were immediately greeted by the chilly wind and rain. The weather was awful! We were determined not to let it deter us, however. We got on water taxis which took us through the canals and transported us to the cities center. It was absolutely breathtaking! Luca, our trusty guide for the duration of our time in Italy, showed us around St. Michael’s square as we made our way to the gondola tour. Divided into groups of 6, we headed out on a gondola ride through the most historic places in the city complete with a boat driver dressed in classic Venetian stripes. It was like something out of a movie.

 Even though the weather was less than tolerable we still enjoyed our time. Our afternoon was spent on a tour with a locally based guide. Though I cannot recall her name she was by far the best and most knowledgeable guide we’ve had throughout this entire trip. She took us almost the entire length of the city and could tell us about almost any random ally or obscure building. She also knew a great deal about architecture and took great care in pointing out Byzantine styles from the Middle Ages. She also showed us Marco Polo’s home! 

I really enjoyed my time in Venice and am so glad I can check it off my bucket list before global warming takes it into the sea. Ciao Venezia!