Archives for October 2011

The final countdown.

The final day of a trip can be funny. Sometimes I’m anxious because I’m ready to be settled. Sometimes I’m sad because I’m not ready to go back. This time… I was not ready. It’s not easy to leave the beauty and charm of Europe. Especially when you know what’s waiting for you in Abu Dhabi: HEAT!

We did our best to enjoy our last day and not let thoughts of the school year creep into our minds. It’s a good thing Venice provides so many beautiful buildings to look at.

We headed back to the piazza with some bread because as gross as it is, you can’t leave Venice without a pigeon photo.

We also stopped into a church that had a modern art installation inside and this mosaic displayed outside. Each piece is a painted egg.

There’s something about clotheslines, isn’t there? They look pretty everywhere you go (but much less so in your own backyard.)

Levi’s print ad?

The sunset was lovely that night. After dark we sat on a bench and watched a lightning storm over the Laguna.

photo by Mike

The next morning we were headed to Abu Dhabi via Istanbul. All good things must end.

xo, jill

Like Italian Disneyland.

Our first order of business after finding our apartment in Venice was to find some pizza. Luckily, eating pizza in Italy was much more delicious than eating Swedish fish in Sweden.

After pizza it was time to do some exploring. Venice is basically a maze. A maze of canals, a maze of buildings, and a maze of tourists. I can honestly say this was the most touristy place I’ve ever been.

It’s difficult for me to articulate my thoughts on Venice. There’s no denying its beauty. It is definitely the most picturesque and unique city I’ve ever visited. However, like I said, there are tourists (Mike and I, included) covering the city. It’s seriously like being at Disneyland, strollers and all. (Someone explain to me why you’d want to bring your young children to Venice? Not only is there the constant danger of drowning, but you also have to carry your stroller up and over a bridge every 5 minutes.)

Mike and I had several conversations about what it felt like to be walking around a fossil of a city. Especially when you’re on the main paths, it’s difficult to believe that any locals still live on the canals at all. Luckily for us, our apartment was on the edge of the Laguna and in a building of mostly local people. On our way in and out we often saw old couples relaxing on their balconies and once saw a group of people lined up along the canal to receive their groceries via boat.

We did a lot of walking in Venice. We didn’t want to pay the entrance fees for most of the attractions (partly because we’re both frugal, partly because it was the end of the trip when entry fees are even less appealing), but were able to entertain ourselves by taking photos and getting lost in the many small alleys.

We hoped to enter St. Mark’s Cathedral (which is free) but the line of visitors was at least 4 people thick and stretched further than the eye could see (literally). No matter. We were fine playing in the piazza out front.

Below are two of my favorite sights in the square. On the left is the makings of an awesome childhood photo and on the right is a little granny of a girl who loved chasing the pigeons. (Something about her was so comical and grandma-like. Especially the fit she threw when her mom put an end to the pigeon torture.)

One of the nice things about there being so many tourists around is that you don’t feel like an idiot taking a photo every time you turn your head. Or walking out on a dock for the perfect shot because 5 other people just did the same thing.

photo by Mike

xo, jill