What's hanging everyone? In three days I'll be off on an adventure that will take me to three continents in nine days, the adventure of a lifetime with mind-bowing culture shock, some of the most famous monuments in history, and some of the most gorgeous sights on the planet. Until that point, I'll break down my Venice trip for everyone.
Firstly, night trains were invented by the devil. I remember coming home from Milwaukee last spring break and I spent the night in the airport to save money, and I can still recall my head being as tired as it could ever get but my body being so uncomfortable that it wouldnt fall into any semblance of sleep. Fast forward to February 26/27 2010, switch an airport with a 6 person train compartment, and voila (Dad, commence V's speech.........now!) my first night-train experience. It was rough, but it put us into Venice at six in the morning on Saturday and gave us two whole days until Sunday night at midnight when we took another one back to Rome. The second time around, I was aided by a CVS sleep-aid and a bottle of wine. I cant believe they sell that pill OTC, it should be harder to get something that good. I literally transported back to Rome, I was sleeping on a bed of pillows and feathers, and my head was in the clouds. So the devil made night trains, God made CVS OTC sleep-aids, and ipso facto good always wins.
I'm not gonna put too much time into trying to describe Venice, because its simply something you have to go do. Its old and beat down - sinking buildings, raised temporary walkways because the city floods in morning and night, terrible smell - but its captivating - most gorgeous glass art you'll ever see, totally random streets/bridges/impossible to navigate, amazing views. There literally, which you obviously already know, is nothing else like it in the world. But its hard to grasp that when you're there, its hard to stop that internal dialogue of "why the hell did they build a city here?"
Venice was awesome. Totally new experience, totally gorgeous views and boat rides, and a myriad of other totally random factors that contributed to me being a big fan of Venice. So lets start: student discounts. Museums everywhere offer discounts to students, but without a EU student card its a no-go; not in Venice! The museums were phenomenal, no repetitive Jesus art, but instead an amazing Palace that the Duke of Venice resided in for hundreds of years, a great Venetian history museum with a traveling nature photography exhibit, and the Guggenheim, an absolutely mind-bowing modern art collection. Picasso, Pollock, Kandinsky, Calder, Dali, Magritte. I didnt know how much I liked modern art until I went there. You get totally lost in it, you dont try and piece together a story, its all visual and so new that your mind doesnt get bored because it causes so much tension. Admittedly though, it is exhausting to try and get lost in each piece, and after 3 hours my mind was fried.
Venetian history is pretty fascinating, I didnt realize how powerful they were. Its cool to be reminded that this idea of Italy is fairly new, and its amazing it ever came together at all. Venice, Milan, Rome, Florence - these were all there own kingdoms and own ways of life, I'm actually amazed they ever broke down enough and agreed to become one. Something about Venetian history was so interesting, so unexpected, and for lack of a better word, so bad-ass. Romans are the British red coats, famous, formal, and structured; Venetians are the guerrillas, the minutemen who didnt care about style and kicked ass because of it. Getting me at all?
Last story. So my buddy and I are walking back through the city late night Sunday to get to the train station and l'ACQUA ALTA( high water) decided to get an attitude and block our way. Once it gets later, high tide starts rolling in, its really crazy because stores just get flooded. But anyway, we did not wanna get nast-stank l'acqua alta in our shoes and reek up the train car, so we attempted to roundabout (I'll be the roundabout, the words will make you out and out - Had that song stuck in my head for days because I used the same word that night telling this story to my other friends) it. Ultimately, pretty useless story unless you could feel the in-the-moment excitement of out-witting l'acqua alta. Unfortanately, after getting to the station and going out for a quick cafe, l'acqua alta got its final revenge, hid in the shadows, and slayed my feet as I stepped out of the cafe. DAMN!
I'll update again before I head out on spring break, and I'll finish up with some pictures.
Happy birthday to my gorgeous nephews, Alex and Jake!!! Alex, keep flashing that prize-winning smile, and Jake, keep looking astonished by everything in life with those eyes.
Right off the train in the morning, looking over the Grand Canal
From a neighboring island, Murano, looking back at Venice
Best glass you'll ever see, all over Venice. Sorry Corning...
Four on the left and guy on right is our group, and we met up with the three other girls on the right, friends of ours, in Venice for dinner on Saturday night
Picasso, wild
Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.
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Venice...very jealous. Someplace i've always wanted to go! Never knew it was stinky though...
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