Once again, I have let time get away from me and now I have a ton of catching up to do. I feel like I am over the worse of my culture shock; walking around the city has become much easier and I am getting use to the culture of Italy. Of course, I'm still not use to the occasional flirting I get from random Italian guys. I went from being ignored by guys in the States to having random guys in Italy telling me I'm "bella" and wanting to take me out for coffee, etc. Sometimes it's charming, and sometimes it's just plain creepy. Either way, it has been a major culture shock.
Although a lot has happened since my last blog, I now want to write about our weekend trip to Venice. Ah, bella Venezia! What a strange, peculiar, and unique city. I have never been any place quite like it. For one thing, the entire city is built entirely around canals. There are no cars, so the air is fresh and it is so quiet at night that it is almost eerie. The entire city has a romantic feeling to it. Just walking down the street and crossing the quaint bridges across the canals could cause anyone to be in the mood for romance. Just imagine: you and your loved one standing on a Venetian bridge over a quiet canal just as dusk approaches. You watch a gondola pass beneath you as the sound of an accordion playing an Italian love song floats through the air. The streets begin to grow quiet as the tourists leave and the locals settle into their homes. All's you can hear are the sounds of little splashes of water as the boats bob up and down. You both feel free to wrap yourselves in each other's arms and kiss till your hearts' content. Feel free to share you love for one another. For you are in Italy, a place where lovers are not afraid to show their affection for each other. There is no shame, only love.
As romantic as Venice is, I also felt a little sad because I had no one to share it with. Although being single has its advantages, it sure does get lonely sometimes. However, there is much more to Venice than just romance; the city is also famous for its glass. When we first got there, we were able to see a glass blowing demonstration. Afterwards, I did some Christmas shopping in the glass store. There were so many beautiful things in there! I've never seen so much glass in one place!
Throughout the weekend, my friends and I did a lot of exploring. On Saturday we had a delicious lunch with vino rosso and afterwards took a walk to the Jewish Ghetto. The ghetto was intense; there was a huge sign saying in three different languages that this was once a place where Jews were gassed and that our memories of them are their only graves. In addition there were also memorial plaques placed along the wall that was once a prison. It was chilling. In addition, we also saw the Guggenheim Museum and several churches with our group. I loved the Guggenheim, which is a museum of modern art. I got to see some work by artists such as Picasso and Jackson Pollock. It was a nice change from the Renaissance art.
Saturday night, we all got a private visit in Saint Mark's Basilica. The place was incredible: the ceilings and domes were all made out of gold and were beautifully decorated with old mosaics. Before the trip to Venice, a few of us had rehearsed an old Latin hymn attributed to Saint Mary. It was here in this Basilica that we were able to sing this hymn. The acoustics in this Basilica were incredible, our voices echoed off the domed ceilings which created a beautiful sound. We also got to see a golden relief up close. The relief had hundreds of pearls, rubies, emeralds, and all sorts of precious stones. I can't remember the name or when it was built(I'm not an art historian and I tend to forget these types of things), but it was remarkable.
I was sad to leave Venice on Sunday. I wish we could've stayed there for a week. It was nice having a break from traffic. I'd love to go back someday, but I honestly don't know if I'll ever see that city again.
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