Italy: Viva Las Venice

The first thing we learned in Venice was that the train doesn't drop you off in the midst of all of those canals because DUH. 

So after we wandered (our speciality) and figured it out, we hopped on a bus to take us to the picture-perfect location. I went to Vegas last summer, and though the Venetian is spectacular, the real thing is a million times more amazing. Venice was extra special to me because it was the beginning of the fulfillment of life-long dream to travel to Italy.

We got there on a beautiful Sunday morning, just in time for an early lunch. I thought I ordered spaghetti, but some weird yellow-looking pasta came to me instead with bits of ham in it. It wasn't too great so I stole bites of the rest of the squad's pizzas. Especially the Parmesan shavings on top of Gibby's. When I first tasted one I solemnly vowed to seriously go to a grocery store in Italy and purchase Parmesan. 

I think Venice was made specifically for the cadet squad. It's a place that required us to get lost, but to treasure every moment of our aimless canal-crossing. 

We skipped the trite gondola ride because poor and instead went for the gelato as soon as lunch was a distant memory (basically 20 minutes after). 

I picked out some Venetian glass stud earrings for just a few euros and, inspired by the pirates we just met, we all decided  to buy leather Venice bracelets, deciding "we'll always have Venice!"

We saw hundreds of pigeons in Marco Square and sat for a while, soaking up the Italian sun. I've decided it's the best kind of sunshine I've ever experienced. 

All too soon we had to catch a bus back to the train station, becoming international criminals as we used one ticket for all three of us and hoped there wouldn't be an inspection. 

Our train to Arezzo announced the stops entirely in Italian, but we sounded it out and got off at the right one, thankfully!

Taylor C. and her friends met us at the station and we all went to eat dinner. I ordered ravioli and wasn't disappointed.

The shower and bed that night were pretty rocking as well! 

I'm A Very Lucky Girl to have a friend like Taylor C. take such strays in!