Brittnee Marie: Venezia

VENICE, ITALY

September 14th-16th, 2012

Venice was full of picture perfect photos and tourists. Oh so many tourists.

We learned to take advantage of a poorly monitored public transportation system (freebies via bus, trains, and vaporettos)... risky business. Vaporettos are ferry-like boats that serve as the bus system, whereas the gondolas serve as the taxi system.

One day we had taken the vaporetto 1 that took us around the scenic grand canal and were feeling pretty cool about our new style of rolling free.99 when our karma caught up to us. They came checking tickets and our multiple excuses (that they for sure get a billion times a day from the hoards of tourists) only dug us deeper. They kicked us off at the next stop to go use a bank ATM to get cash that we "didn't have" and bid us farewell with their pleasant Italian attitude. Problem was, we were now stranded on the island across from Venice. We didn't have enough Euros to go around and were too stubborn to deal with fees and currency exchange rates at the ATM, so after moseying around the island for a good half of the day, we pulled some more risky business and snuck our way back on another vaporetto to get back to safe land.

LIVIN ON THE EDGE IN VENICE

;)

I was giddy with how exact the feel here lived up to the Italian image I'd created in my head. The gondola men shouted out calls throughout the whole city.

My favorite,

"CIAO-A BELL-A"

And then waltzed out of their little covered stands to lean up against the railing and flash their smiles, tight striped shirts, tip their hats, and flex those gondola-rowing biceps and triceps as they watched us walk down the street.

HELLOOO Italy!

We absolutely cracked up each time we asked someone to take a photo of the three of us. This prime example shows how we for sure just wanted a picture of our faces throughout our European experience...who would care to catch the great views behind us, right? .... gaaaash