venice is for lovers (and love haters).

"There is no way to adequately describe the uniqueness, the beauty, and the charm that is Venice. It's like the Grand Canyon. It doesn't matter how many pictures you've seen, until you've come face to face with her, you can't begin to imagine her splendor."

Here is part two of the weekend's extravaganzas. On Sunday, we explored Venezia (Venice). The main street (which is actually a canal and not a typical street) is called the Canal Grande (Grand Canal). As we wandered our way through the city's impossibly crazy to figure out streets, we peeked into a variety of stores. Each was full of silk scarves, unnecessary trinkets, Murano glass (what Venice is known for), and masks (like those you wear at a masquerade). We stopped in a few of the stores to check the stuff out. Maggie and I ended up buying a pashmina and silk scarf for super cheap. They are sooo soft. (The other girls grew jealous as the day progressed.) Maggie also found some glass earrings (which she later thought she lost because she put them in her pocket but completely forgot about them - dumb, Maggie. dumb).

Finally, we made our way to the Basilica di San Marco. In front of this gorgeous church is a vast square (Piazza San Marco) that was sprawling with tourists. The inside of the church was covered in mosaics. The entire ceiling had gold everywhere. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside (even though a number of people did) so I don't have any examples, but here are some pictures of the outside:


We paid a little extra to go out on the roof and look out over the entire square. To one side, we could see the sea - Piazzetta di San Marco.

To the opposite side, we got to see the top of the clocktower (pictures are shown later) where two Mori (Moors) striked the bell every so often. They are called Mori because of their color.


There are 4 bronze horses that stand on the roof as well. These are replicas (the originals are inside) but still look pretty sweet.


This was also on the roof and I thought it was kind of crafty. Notice how the drain pipe comes out of the water pot that the statue is holding. So witty!


So the clock tower. Apparently, its called the Torre dell'Orologio. Not only does it have the time but it also shows the sun position, lunar phases, and zodiac signs.

(click on the picture to enlarge it)

Now, we could of kept looking at all the other art that was scattered around Venice. However, that is simply not my style. I would much rather prefer to people watch and wander around the city. I think you get much more of an experience by doing it this way. In my opinion, most paintings don't need to be seen upclose and personal. Some do, others don't. (Sorry, my art loving friends. I can't help it.) Mainly, I just can't tell the difference between any of them. So, some of us did just that while others went to see the art. We walked along the Adriatic Sea and saw tons of gondolas and boats.


My boyfriend decided to take me on one of these. Okay, not really. (They were too expensive, and that boyfriend is nonexistent which creates a slight problem.) Yet, we got to watch a number of happy couples relaxing as they got a ride down one of the many canals.

Needless to say, we ended up getting lost. (I am so not surprised. It seems to be what happens everywhere I go.) After wandering around for FOREVER (I have no idea where we even ended being), we finally decided to try and make our way to the train station. Once we got there, we took the 3-hour ride back. I was so wiped out that I fell asleep, dosing on and off till we finally made it home. Overall, I dub the journey a success!

I am sorry for all the just-building pictures. People are lacking, right? Yeah, I'll work on that. At least this time, I am actually remembering what buildings are what. Yay! Two points for me.

Hope all is well. More pictures should be up on Facebook.