Venice

It was a five hour train ride from Roma to Venezia (Venice) stopping in Firenze (Florence) and Bologna. Arriving in the early-afternoon, we would need to wait a couple hours till we could check in to our hostel. As the skies let fall in a drizzle, I embarked on my own to find San Marcos Piazza. It did not take long at all to lose myself in the labyrinth that is Venice. This achieved my main goal though, and I found myself far off the beaten path.

The rain began to increase and so I took refuge in a small internet café where I was able to give last minute instructions to my fiancée who was registering me for classes next semester and I was able to show her, via webcam, the rain soaked Venetian street behind me. It should be known the title, Venetian streets, is a misnomer. The streets are actually sidewalks, and the avenues for transport are canals. (I got all the classes I wanted: Astronomy, Microeconomics, Moral Philosophy, Analytic Philosophers, and Metaphysics {replacing Philosophy of Law which was cancelled due to lack of interest}) When I did find Saint Mark’s Square, I was soaked through and looking forward to the hostel and a warm shower. After my friends and I freshened up and changed clothes, we went out into the night trying to find food and spirits. Armed first with wine, we continued our search for food. I decided upon cheese. I stopped in a small cheese store where I bought ten Euros worth of cheese; choosing an assortment of local cheeses and what the shop keep suggested. Rounding out my meal of wine and cheese was a loaf of bread. It was a feast! Sated and content, I left my hostel again to try and find what there is to do on a Venetian Wednesday night. I talked to some locals, and even helped a lost American student find her spot on the map (that was the extent of the help I could offer, it is a confusing city). Finally, I enjoyed a conversation with some police officers who were glad to help me and offered suggestions for young kid hang out spots that I might want to check out. Finally, in all the many wanderings I had that day, I could not help but notice one truth about Venice. What they say about Venice and romance is entirely true. Seeing couples in gondolas, or leaning close over a plate of pasta, or hand in hand watching the rain fall onto the breaking waves of the Adriatic coast I could not help but feel homesick for Amanda; I could not help but dream of the European adventures in store for us and the many experience we will share in the future. So, all in all, while Venice is romantic it can be direly depressing and lonely. There is a lot more to see in Venice than canals and necking couples though. We spent our next morning touring the museums of San Marcos as well as the Dogo Palace. Pictures are much easier sometimes, so I include a couple. But I will say that in Italy, I have now seen that ostentatious displays of wealth are not resigned solely to churches. Money and power, together, apparently always equals unnecessary demonstrations of those traits. Even so, there were some amazing pieces of art and sculpture done in both the name of religion and in the name of luxury.

These are two of my favorite pieces I saw while in Venice. The sculpture is Daedulus and Icharus. The painting is a eerie portrayal of the Pieta.