Carnevale a Venezia

I had barely been in Italy a week and a half before I decided to book a trip to Venice during Carnivale with the other Americans in my program who have since become some of my best friends. All of the students in the year long program warned us that we should book our hostel ASAP if we wanted to find a place that was relatively inexpensive before everything filled up. We huddled around our laptops frantically researching hostels in and around Venice, praying that we would be able to find SOMETHING.

Before I knew it, the trip was booked. I could barely contain my excitement. We would be going to Venice.

Throughout my younger years I had always had these wild dreams of one day visiting Venice. I would create pictures in my mind of this fantastical city on the sea that I had only ever seen in photos. I even attempted to make drawings or paintings that would capture my conception of this beautiful city that had lingered in my thoughts since childhood. I don't know exactly what possessed me to have such a fascination with Venice - a fascination that persisted with the same vehemence despite the countless times I had been told by others that it was smelly and overrated. Their judgments fell on deaf ears. And now I would finally have the chance to judge for myself.

While it is indeed true that Venice is often wrought with rainy and less than desirable weather, the beauty of the city on a pretty day is worth a year of stormy weather. And we lucked out with a weekend of beautiful and sunny weather. It was by far my favorite place I have visited outside of Bologna thus far. Venice surpassed every adolescent expectation I had ever possessed of how gorgeous it would be. I was in paradise. I found myself meandering through the side-streets and bridges that wove through the canals of all sizes with one of those silly grins on my face that are nearly impossible to wipe off because I was in such awe.

I came away with some amazing pictures, but they can hardly do the city justice.

Getting to spend a weekend in Venezia during Carnevale - essentially the Italian version of Mardi Gras but so much better - made my time there that much more of an experience. The costumes were incredible and indescribable in so many ways as if to mirror the marvel of the city itself.

Me in front of St. Marco.

We also ventured to the island of Murano, which is where all of the famous Venetian glass is produced, and were able to see first-hand how the glass is made.

The making of a Venetian glass horse.

The final product - it literally took less than 5 minutes. Incredible.

Post-face painting! During Carnevale Italian art students swarm the piazzas to paint the faces of anyone who is brave enough to trust them. Their work was amazing.