Venzia

Ciao a tutti! I have safely arrived in Italy and am getting settled into life here. The first stop on my journey is a stay at La Via Antiga, an agristurismo run by a fantastic couple, Ciro and Meris (pronounced cheero e Merrice). From the first moment I met them theyve been nothing but friendly and hospitable! Meris is a great Italian language teacher as she already speaks four languages fluently. Starting in her 20s (shes now 43), Meris just started traveling. Shes seen most of the world and is still very adventurous. She doesnt live to work but just does what she needs to - she says she hopes to sell the business in a few years so she can travel some more- Meris says life is just too short to be working all the time! She reminds me so much of my friend Danielle. In the time Ive known her, Danielle has up and left to live in Costa Rica, Ireland, and currently Costa Rica. Danielle's the one who introduced me to "wwoofing" in the first place. They're also both outgoing, friendly, silly and very adventurous. Ciro likes to joke with me a lot and we have healthy debates about history and the status of America. At first I was open to what he had to say, but then he said "freedom isnt good for everyone" and I stopped listening... But in any case, he's very good to me and is generous in letting me use his computer!

Anyway, my first full day in Italy allowed me to see Meris' adventurous side up close. She knocked on my door in the morning and asked if I wanted to go to "the mountain." (I had no idea what mountain she was talking about.) I of course enthusiastically agreed. After a two and a half hour drive, we arrived in the Fruili-Venezia-Giulia region to hike through the Dolomites. I never thought I would ever visit this area so I was glad to see something new. We started hiking and didn't stop for five hours. I'll tell you what, nothing cures jet lag like a good climb up a mountain! Needless to say it was exhausting yet beautiful and a great start to my trip.

The next day was another day off for me (I work in the restaurant on the weekends) so I headed into Venice ("Venezia"). Meris was so great at helping me figure out the bus system and now I am proud to say that I am a semi-pro at Italian public transportation! Venice is incredibly charming and beautiful. There are no cars to its extremely safe and almost feels like you're on a movie set. The only way to travel is by water or by foot and since I didn't bring my bathing suit to wear while traversing the canals, I spent the whole day walking. It was the best way to see the town. I have a whole new appreciation for my legs because I realize that by the end of this trip, they will have carried me hundreds of miles around Europe. Oh by the way, I was just kidding before about the swimming in the canals - people travel by boat which is so fun to watch! If you're a romantic you can take a ride in a gondola but I'm not sure it's worth the price. I took a vaporetto (water bus) ride all the way up the Grand Canal and enjoyed it just as much.

I headed to Piazza San Marco (st. Mark's Square)which is the most famous attraction in all of Venice. My mouth dropped open in awe as I entered because I practically stumbled upon it. When you enter you see mostly people and pigeons. All the people in St. Mark's Square are tourists or Italians trying to sell something to tourists. Most of the tourists are American - you can tell by the Wrangler jeans and fanny packs. I'm so glad to be here in October because I hear it's so crowded in summer that there's barely room to move. It's funny, I found myself trying to act cooler and more confident than all the tourists because for some reason I feel I have a leg up on them because I live with native Italians. However, my gig was up when I realized I had been walking around with my Italy giude book in my hand. Oh well.

The pigeons in Venice are abundant and dangerous. Forger pickpockets, these winged creatures could really cause some harm! I had at least four zoom by my head - I could've lost an eye! It's like a scene from the sixties horror movie "Birds." You know, the one where seagulls attack and peck people to death. Ok I guess pigeons aren't that aggressive but you get the idea. Perhaps my favorite moment concerning pigeons was when some idiot decided it would be a good idea to get a dozen or so pigeons to land on him by luring them with food. I suppose he thought this would make for a great photo op. BIG MISTAKE. Clearly this guy has never spent time on the Jersey Shore, or at any beach for that matter. Never ever feed the birds because they will never go away. It may be cute at first but then before you know it the birds are getting a little too cocky and you realize they've taken your panini (sandwich) right out of your hands, runing a perfectly good lunch.

After watching the pigeon man, I toured the Basilica di San Marco which is absolutely incredible. I dont know if I've ever seen such opulence or attention to detail. The Basilica is very beautiful and is known for its 43,055 sq. ft. of mosaics that run from floor to ceiling. If you were ever wondering what any particular saint or religious event looked like, just glance around the Basilica and you will probably see it depicted on the wall. It sort of makes me want to mosaic my whole house with people and scenes from my own life. (" Look to the left folks and you'll see Lauren's first bike ride" or "On the ceiling is a picture of Lauren's high school basketball coach.") Ok, I know that's over the line, but in all seriousness there is a very spiritual aspect to each mural and mosaic - each has a gold background. This was supposed to signicy the glory and light of God himself.
The Basilica is a bit strange to be in because it's always full of tourists and I think people have a hard time being worshipful inside. I'm looking forward to visiting some smaller churches where you can actually sit and be in peace.

My favorite part of the Basilica was the upstairs "Galleria." For a mere £4, you can hang around the outdoor balcony and get a fantastic view of the square below. From the Galleria I got a close view of my other favorite part of the Basilica - four bronze horses that sit atop the building. They are a vision of strength and are very impressive. The horses were taken from Constantinople by the Venetians after the 4th Crusade. And like much of Old Europe, they are a joint symbol of the political and spiritual. They mark the era of Byzantium but also are said to represent the four evangelists going out to spread the Word of God.

I finished my day with a quick free tour of a Vivaldi exhibit and got to listen to some wonderful classical music. Vivaldi is a child of Venice known for his string compositions hence the many violins I saw at the exhibit. I had no idea there were so many different types of string instruments - big violins, baby violins, violas, basses, etc. (disclaimer: "big violin" and "small violin" are not actual names of instruments.) I also tasted my first real Italian gelato and decided I wuld have some in every city I visit! Forget lunch, give me gelato! For only £1 it's worth it. Maybe by the time I'm done here I would have tasted every kind of gelato Italy has to offer. Delicioso!