The Sweet Life: Venice

Next stop was Venezia (Venice)! It's so crazy to just think about how this city is built on water, and even more exciting to see it. It was beautiful and didn't seem as crowded with tourists as I had expected. It was here that I tasted my favorite gelato of the trip...great flavor and texture. We found this random little gelateria near our hotel. I ordered a scoop of lemon and raspberry. Incredible combo, I must say! From then on, it's what I ordered. We also found the BEST olive oil, specific to the Venice region, when at a restaurant our first night there. We asked them the name of it so we could find it at a store and buy it....but we didn't have time to do much shopping in Venice, so we never were able to go find it.

Ryan and I had a date night while in Venice. It was so nice to have a night together to eat and explore. We ate at this restaurant we had frequently passed going to and from our hotel. We thought it looked good and also saw locals eating there. (Usually a good sign if the locals are there!) We had the best gnocchi pasta I have EVER eaten. Of course, we followed it with gelato. We walked around the main square, where several restaurants have outdoor dining, complete with live music. We witnessed a couple do some impromptu dancing to the music in the square. I don't think it was planned, but they sure looked dressed the part (with her in a red dress and him in a casual suit). This little girl started dancing along with them. So cute! I got video of it on my camera...but then accidentally deleted it later. So sad. (We didn't do a gondola ride since it would have been at least $200 for a 30 minute ride. Ha! Maybe we should have just done it though...b/c who knows if we'll ever be in Venice again. I sure hope so!)

While in Venice, we did a little day trip to see the islands of Murano and Burano, just a short ferry ride from Venice. Both islands look similar to Venice in that they have water canals. Murano is known for it's glass blowing. We got to watch some glass blowing, which was pretty amazing to see. It really takes talent and artistry. While in Murano, we met this sweet old man in a little courtyard when we were trying to find our way back to the boat. He motioned to us and led us through a gate and then on into his house! He then told us to sit (all in Italian) and gave each of us a glass of white wine in dirty looking glasses, ha. He knew a little spanish, so Ryan was actually able to communicate with him pretty well speaking spanish with him. He told us he made the wine himself. We had a nice little visit with him and got to experience Italian hospitality at it's finest!

My favorite island and a definite highlight for me was...Burano. It is known for it's lace. It is one of the most beautiful, picturesque places I have ever seen. All the buildings are painted bright colors.....just gorgeous! I bought some great scarves here too. We stopped at a little restaurant to have some drinks and rest...and I found the best apple juice ever there. It was green in color....which was kind of strange....but the taste was so yummy!