Yesterday was spent exploring the streets, or canals rather, of Venice in Italy.
We stayed at a hotel outside of Venice due to there being no cars in the actual centre and on the night of arrival enjoyed a delicious meal of spaghetti bolognaise and Italian wine.
The following morning we set off into the center of Venice which almost felt like it was stuck in a time warp because it feels as if there has not been too much change to the buildings, cafes and shops as we wondered between the narrow streets. We meandered our way through past beautiful old churches and pavement coffee shops until we found ourselves in St Marco's Square.
The square is covered in pebblestone, pigeons and tourists taking selfies, but it is absolutely stunning. Above you can hear the seagulls and the scent of the water drifts by. The church dedicated to St Marco is adorned with amazing paintings, sculptures and marble and has a terrace overlooking the square. Being Sunday, we couldn't go into the church however, and there was construction taking place on the church which was disappointing.
Also in the square, stands the clock tower where the Venecians would have a good viewpoint of their visitors or intruders. This too was closed unfortunately.
We then went to a lace presentation where we were shown and told about the impossibly intricate lace that the Venecian women have created and still create today. The two very Italian and charming ladies working there definitely added to the experience and even kept the boys entertained with their little stories me comments. That little shop hidden just out of the square has changed how I see lace forever.
Gondolas used to be the only means of transport back in the day where there were around 20 000 in Venice and the operating of these is still passed down in the family, however there are only around 600 these days for tourists. These men (I say men because there are only 2/3 Gondoliers in Venice) are very well trained and are very good at steering the Gondola away just as you feel you might snag a corner and have to abandon Gondola.
We then went all out in tasting the traditional Italian foods with having pizza, cappuccinos and finally, Gelato. I can honestly say that unless I go back to that exact place for ice cream again, I will never have better in my life again.
We also took a wander around a market exhibiting some classic "merchant" gear as well as the very famous Muruno glass pieces.
As the mist set in and more little shops closed their shutters, we found our way back to the hotel before heading out with some friends from the tour.
Having only had a sip of Limoncello once in my Italian uncle's kitchen, I was not quite expecting the shock I received when we decided to have shots on arrival at the local bar. This local bar also seemed more Mexican than Italian, but also had something going on that I had never seen before. As we walked in, we noticed sawdust looking flakes all over the floor and on the tables, only to discover it's was actually peanut shells. At the bar, there is a huge trough where everyone is free to help themselves to handfuls of peanuts, which you then shell yourselves onto the table and then later sweep off onto the floor. There is kind of an exhilarating feeling about being able to do this and we immediately joined in, as well as added in a bit of a peanut throwing fight. Points for maturity, I know.
Due to the peanut littering and limoncello excitement, getting on the bus this morning proved to be a bit of a challenge for us, but the tour must go on.
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