Back to Rome: Day Trip to Venice

Buongiorno Venezia! I was so ecstatic for Saturday, because we took the high-speed train to one of my favorite cities: Venice.

As soon as we arrived, Jordan led us to Dal Moro’s, one of the coolest eateries I have ever visited. This is a pasta take-out restaurant, where you order a pasta dish and it comes in a take-out Chinese food container. It was ridiculously awesome and completely fresh, as we could see the pasta being made right there. I ordered bolognese, which was different for me, but definitely the right decision.

From lunch, we walked around the corner to a glass-blowing demonstration at Vechia Murano. It is amazing how quickly a master can create a piece and how beautifully it turns out. The man created a vase and a cat during our visit. We then toured through the showroom and saw the high-quality glass the factory makes. Of course quality and craft come at a hefty price—there was a chandelier for 10,000 euros!

After the glass-blowing demonstration, we had some time to ourselves—another free couple of hours in another dazzling city. My friend Mitch and I got lost as we explored random streets of Venice. It was so fun to walk around unknown corners and see what we would find next. Venice is probably the most photogenic city I have ever visited, so I of course took many, many photos.

Mitch and I eventually ran into our friend Chris, who joined us in our journey to get lost. We walked through the beautiful Piazza San Marco and past Doge’s Palace and Saint Mark’s Basillica, which has to be one of the most magnificent areas I have ever seen. Again, we did not get to enter the big landmarks or go to Murano, the “Glass Island,” but luckily I have been fortunate enough to visit in the past. We did, however, along the port, pass the Bridge of Sighs and into a non-touristy, residential area, where we found the Venetian Arsenal.

We got back to Florence late that night, and a few of us decided to head to Gelateria dei Neri for dinner. I got the same flavors as I did the previous day, and I do not regret a single thing. We ate along the Arno, listened to music and had a splendid time.