#merchantsofvenice

Venezia is as magical and beautiful as I remember, even in the rain. I am a little cold and very tired from such a long day, but happy we decided to make the trip North. Venice, and her winding tiny streets and broad canals, does inspire me. With Dramamine I can enjoy even the herky jerky vaparetto rides. The days were incredibly packed, so I'll only tell a few stories: For Friday, my favorite spot was the Scuola san Rocco. I ended up paying the 8E (discounted…prices were a little outrageous in Venice) but it was totally worth it. After a room of straight Tintoretto paintings I turned onto a grand staircase. Every single inch of the walls of the staircase and the room I was about to enter were covered in paintings, gorgeous deep Venetian colors and swirling movement and the ceiling! Sumptuous, deep Venetian oils. My mouth hung open and I walked all over, neck craned upwards to study every inch. I found a French couple with a mirror—failed spectacularly to ask where they got it (so much for “conversational” French)—and used the mirror. It felt like the painters themselves my face was so close! Amazing. It began to rain harder then, and we both got tired, so we hit Grom for gelato (Kelsey) and ciocolatta calda (me) (literally melted chocolate) before heading back into the rain. I caved and bought a bright red umbrella that bounced up and down with the rhythm of my steps along the cobblestones. After lots of sightseeing, we grabbed the vaparetto back to the hostel. It took forever on the #2 to get there, but Generator Venice is one of the nicest ones I've stayed in. A full bar in the first floor, our own triple canal view, great comfy warm bed. Emma arrived and we hung out in the hostel, making our way to dinner in San Marco—risottto pescatora, a Venetian dish---and wandering around, getting lost a bit but enjoying the magic of Venice! Saturday it continued to pour. Saturday was the kind of day that is so full you can’t see or do or eat anything more. I was filled to the brim with art, water, palaces, glass, churches, food. Venice is all about glamour. It all feels glittery and glowing, perhaps because of the torrential rain that enhances the deep colors of the city. Venice is like Paris—mysterious, winding, magical—and it seems like every museum and hotel was a palace at some point. We spent the morning in San Marco, taking in the museums and churches there. After a side trip to Murano, we returned to Venice proper for my highlight: the Galerie d’Academie. Tintorettos everywhere. Gorgeous. Girogione’s La Tempesta. Wonderful. Happy. Tired. No long sentences, just ideas. Too much art in one day. We walked around the city then, in the old Jewish ghetto, which was nice for an evening passiagata. The city was much more alive at 7 than at 9 for some reason—not the case at all in Siena on a Saturday night—but we found a little place called Leon d’Or (The golden lion, so I pretty much had to go there). Nonna in the back? Check. Per il primo, ho mangiato gnocchi con speck (AKA BACON) e zucchine. Per il secondo, vitello con patate (a simple veal with potatoes). Unpretentious, delicious, and yummy. Good food, good wine, and good friends. After dinner, Venice was a ghost town, odd for those of us used to the lively cities further south. We decided to cap off the night with Bellinis at the hostel bar, chatting with girls studying abroad and taking euro trips and generally enjoying the social atmosphere. I’ve never actually made friends at a hostel before and so it was refreshing to laugh and chat and get to know total strangers on equally grand adventures. A great end to a very full day. There are stories to tell about Bologna, but this entry is already too long, so I'll just leave it be. It was wonderful to see Emma, my friend from abroad, and to get a taste of the North. This visit showed me how much of my heart is in Tuscany, and how to me, Italy will always mean Siena now.