Venice was wonderful, but not what I was expecting. The Venice I was imagining does exist, but just in the backroads, away from the main square. I pictured narrow canals with small bridges over them, families going to the store, old couples walking over bridges together.

Instead I saw Le Carnival: a huge event where 150,000 people come to the Island of Venice for Saturday and Sunday dressed up in costumes and wearing masks. There are events all through the night: performances, dances, confetti everywhere. The city basically throws a huge party.

I spent the two days there buying a mask, taking a gondola ride with my roomies, having an authentic pizza dinner and walking the streets of Venice. Walking at night can be unnerving... Many of the streets are narrow. On some of them I only had about 6 inches between each of my shoulders and the buildings around me. Couple that with dim to no lighting and I realized I was walking down the type of streets my mother told me not to walk down alone at night without a really buff guy with me (ie David). But all the streets are like that! They're safe enough, it's just kind of eerie to walk down them.

I had so much fun seeing Le Carnival and people watching!

We also spent some time on the islands of Murano (famous for glass making) and Burano (famous for their lace). They are quite beautiful and quaint; a slice of life that tourists haven't changed.

At some point I may end up back at Venice, but I would like it to be at a random time of the year when I can experience what Venice is truely like without the Carnival (and hopefully without some of the 150,000 extra people!).