Once on board our flight, we began celebrations early with a little wine. No sooner had the wine been served to us that we were informed that we were beginning the descent, requiring Lois to 'down' the wine, as if it was some sort of drinking challenge. As we touched down in Italy, we could hardly believe that between take-off and landing, the flight had lasted just over 30 minutes! Stepping off the plane we were hit by that warm, humid air you associate with the holiday feeling and it was exciting. Following a useful recommendation from a friend, we immediately got our ACTV card which allowed unlimited travel on public transport for the duration of our stay before boarding our bus to take us the hotel. As we had no idea of where to get off the bus, we had to ask the driver to let us know when to get off. After about 40 minutes, the driver clicked at us, pointed at the door and we exited. We had a vague idea about how to get to our hotel, but we obviously still looked like two lost sheep, since the manager from a hotel we passed came running out to us and asked us if we needed assistance. He was possibly the friendliest person we have met and gave us the directions we needed before shaking our hands and sending us on our way. We arrived at our hotel and we were impressed with the luxuriousness of it. This wasn't the usual budget hotel that you associate with students on a break, but since it was slightly outside the centre of Venice we had got a good deal. We settled down for bed and looked forward to the following day.
Waking up in Venice on my birthday and with Lois was very special. It was even more special that I was able to quickly chat to my family over Facetime and I also opened a few cards that had been sent from home which was really, really nice. We both enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast which would set us up for the day ahead and then made our way to Venice. The bus ride lasted about 20 minutes and Venice creeps up on you very fast, suddenly we were there, amongst the water, the boats and the pretty Venetian buildings. With no real idea of where we were or where we were going, we set out following the other tourists. We soon found ourselves in the typical Venetian alleys and streets, lined with shops selling strange masks, restaurants offering pizza and pasta, ice cream shops with huge arrays of delicious ice cream and cafes offering the typical Italian Espressos. The air was warm, the buildings were pretty and it was lovely. Each little alley has several opportunities to turn off down another little alley and it's very easy to get very lost. But this is probably the best thing to do in a place like this and we enjoyed just wandering aimlessly and without direction. Every now and again, we crossed a bridge over the famous canals and on more than one occasion had to turn down Gondola rides being offered. Suddenly the alleys disappeared and the buildings parted and we found ourselves in Piazza San Marco. Home of the famous St. Marks Basilica, this is the centre of Venice and gives the best views out to sea. The white buildings reflected the sunlight and the square was buzzing with tourists. With no desire to queue for hours to see the interior of the basilica, we walked towards the sea and discovered one of the best views of Venice. Here you can see the Grand Canal and the constant stream of boats sailing up and down. You can look right down the coastline of Venice and see the beautiful buildings, many just appear to be sitting right on the water line. It was beautiful. We decided to make the most of our travel card and boarded a water bus which takes you all around the city, stopping at various points where you can disembark. This is undoubtedly the best way to travel in Venice and whizzing along the waves with the warm wind in your face was just so cool. The water buses are efficient and you can go almost anywhere you want. We enjoyed standing on the deck of the boats as opposed to sitting inside. We loved just riding on the water buses, rather than actually using them as a means of transport. After a few changes and several laps around Venice and along the canals, we changed again and went across to one of the many islands around Venice. Again on the recommendation of a friend we ascended a bell tower, which from the top gives an incredible view of the entire area. You can also ascend the tower in Piazza San Marco, but the tower we went up gave a view of the entire square, a view you couldn't get if you were in the square itself. It really was an amazing way to see Venice and gives an idea of how small, yet densely packed the area is. An essential part of any visit to Venice.
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| The view over Venice from the bell tower |
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| Keeping a look out on the water bus |
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| The canals are just full of Gondolas! |
Following an ice cream break, we made our way to Rialto Bridge, another famous sight in Venice. It was another hive of activity, but again, the outlook down the canal was stunning. We asked several people to take a picture of the two of us, but we always seemed to ask someone who was technically inept, resulting in lots of very bad pictures. Fortunately we ended up getting a semi decent one, so we settled on that and decided to move on. As we began looking for somewhere to eat, I received a phone call from Annette, my mentor teacher, wishing me a happy birthday. This was a very pleasant surprise, mainly because I hadn't even told her it was my birthday! But it was really nice to hear from her and made me realise that I've met people on this Year Abroad who I will really miss. After lots of comparing and discussing we finally settled on a restaurant next to the canal and within view of the bridge, and as we took our seats we knew we had made the right decision. As gondolas passed right next to us and the sun began to set amongst the buildings, it was just the perfect way to end a birthday in Venice. We enjoyed pizza and pasta (of course!) and also, because it was my birthday, we enjoyed wine. Maybe a little too much of it as well, considering the evening then becomes a bit of a blur. But we do know that we had a beautiful evening sat out having our meal, before making our way back through the little streets and then returning to our hotel. I really did have the perfect birthday in Venice.
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| Rialto Bridge |
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| The 'semi-decent' picture that we eventually got |
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| Tea by the canal just next to Rialto Bridge |
Saturday was our final opportunity to sample Venice, and with a good idea of where everything was located after already spending one day there, we could walk about with a little more direction now. Even then we often found ourselves in streets we had not yet been down. To say it's not particularly huge, there really is a lot there. Again we enjoyed speeding about on the water buses and enjoying the bright sunshine. Seeing as though we would be leaving mid afternoon, we decided to enjoy lunch in Venice. We once again found a fantastic location, this time on one of the islands just across the water from the main part of Venice. We were the first customers and were able to choose the perfect table, once again, right next to the canal and with stunning views. We enjoyed more pizza and pasta (we had to make the most of our time in Italy!) and then after walked around the island. This island was a lot less 'touristy' and the place where many locals spend their time. The bars over this side were cheaper and there was a cosy atmosphere about the whole place. Following a sit down next to the canal and after one of the best ice creams I have ever enjoyed, it was time to depart for the airport. We left Venice, got the bus to our hotel to pick up our bags and then made our way to the airport. The flight wasn't quite as fast as our flight coming out, but we were back to Germany on time and made it back to Regensburg before midnight. We were pretty warn out after two busy and active days and slept really well. I had the perfect 21st birthday and we both had so much fun. What a fantastic way to spend such a significant event and it is something I will remember fondly for the rest of my life. I feel very, very fortunate.
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| Enjoying pizza by the Grand Canal |
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| Time to come home |
A few further points I think worth mentioning - Venice really wasn't as expensive as we had expected. We actually found the prices very reasonable (Around 10 Euros for a pizza, which is also what we pay in Regensburg). Obviously the prices are location dependant, but we were nicely surprised overall. We also felt we spent the perfect amount of time there - 2 days is definitely long enough for a stay in Venice, or so we thought. We're not really into the art, music and religious scene, so didn't go into any of the attractions. The ACTV card was fantastic and was great value. The water buses are a super way to travel. We really don't feel like we missed out by not going on a gondola. In our opinion they are over priced and just a little awkward. With the water bus you can reach more places and still enjoy travelling on the Grand Canal. Finally, Venice really is a romantic city. We couldn't really imagine visiting with a family - it just doesn't seem right! Visiting as a couple is definitely the way to do it.
Sunday was spent in Regensburg. It was a grey Sunday and a bit of a 'come down' from a sunny few days in romantic Venice. This is also our last full week (well, 4 days) in school since next Thursday is a religious holiday. There really isn't long left.
Until next time,
Tschüß
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