When we arrived to our campsite near Venice we immediately went to find ferry tickets because we were staying on a peninsula East of the floating city. We bought two all-inclusive tickets for the next day (we arrived close to dinner time that night) that were valid for 12 hours on any public transportation in Venice….so, ferries. I was still in a lot of pain from hiking in the Dolomites the previous day and was worried about my ability to fully enjoy the city the next day. We picked up some food for dinner at a small, local market before heading to our van for the night. It was a pasta and wine occasion. I felt as though the real sight seeing part of the trip was beginning. Steve was not as pumped about Venice as I was at first but that changed.

We had a few things on our list for the day but nothing that couldn't be skipped. So, when we arrived to the bustling dock at St. Marco Square and saw the line for the Basilica, we thought it was ok to move on. Although the Basilica is a main attraction, we weren't in the mood for it. Luckily, Venice provides an escape. Despite the hundreds of tourists that float into Venice each day, it is easy to find yourself alone in a tiny cobblestone alleyway staring at your map. We got "lost" a lot in Venice but that was pretty much the point. We wandered through to some main attractions starting with the Rialto Bridge and then moving through the Rialto produce and fish markets. After buying some cherries and smelling our way through the fishy market, we wandered around in the world's first Ghetto (where the name came from). I went into the studio store of a local Jewish artist and bought a small print. He rolled it up like an old scroll and tied it with a ribbon. After that we went a long distance across numerous small bridges and were able to take a lot of pictures of canals, passing gondolas, laundry hanging over small streets and more. It was exactly like I'd imagined. And apparently it is too early in the summer for the canals to start smelling like rotten sewage as I've heard happens in the high heat. It didn't smell and the views were picturesque.

We followed the suggestion of our guide book and went to a neighborhood known for its youthful vibe and good handicraft shopping. We stopped in a young girl's studio where she made unique book covers, ipad cases, photo frames, bags and more. She detailed all of them with Murano glass. The island of Murano near Venice is known for its glass blowing artisans and handicrafts. Although this was our original plan -- to go to Murano and watch the artists at work -- we ended up skipping it so as to get the most out of Venice. We thought we'd go back the next morning but didn't do so. There was plenty of Murano glass displayed in Venice that we felt satisfied.

After some delicious gelato at Grom (might be a chain because there was one in Milan) we took a break at an outdoor bar to think about our next steps. We decided to see Venice from its waterways so we took a ferry down the Grand Canal and saw amazing views of the city and its buildings. This whole time I was thinking I should take a Gondola ride but we chose to save the money. We heard many Italian songs being sung from the gondolas in the small canals and enjoyed it thoroughly.

We decided our day had been pretty darn good so we chose to go out for a nice but inexpensive meal instead of cooking at the van that night. We were very hungry and didn't search long for a restaurant. We chose a small place in a quaint and tiny alley. The menu was simple. We ordered a carafe of red wine and received some bread before the antipasti. We had a cheese plate but it ended up being the tourist-friendly version. The cheeses were pretty bland. Steve ordered pork ribs and I ordered the seafood pasta. I was looking forward to some delectable seafood, being in Venice and all. But minutes before my pasta came I thought I probably had made a mistake. It came to mind that my seafood may have eyeballs. I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. When the plate came my worst fear was realized. It had eyeballs. The shrimp (is that what shrimp looks like?) were staring back at me with beady black eyeballs. I say eyeballs because it sounds gross and that is what I'm trying to convey. The other seafood was fine but very fishy tasting. The red sauce over my fettuccini barely covered the potent stench of the big blue's bottom dwellers. I picked through and let Steve finish it. I didn't feel very well afterwards either. I realize that seafood in Italy is truly food from the sea and they don't try to hide that fact. Where I come from the eyeballs stay in the kitchen. Lesson learned.

Venice was a surprise to us both. Despite the fact that I had to take every staircase like a 90-year-old woman with my hand on Steve's shoulder for support (my legs and knees were not just sore, they were in critical condition), I loved Venice. Steve loved it too. The photo opportunities are endless and every little waterway and street has a charming quality. The spirit of Carnival is everywhere even though it's not for several months. Paper and clay masks adorn nearly every shop and are stunningly beautiful and intricate. Venice was just as it should have been, minus the eyeballs.

There is a saying that my sister-in-law shared with me: "For every church in Rome there is a bridge in Venice." Although Steve and I are not church-sightseeing types, I realized what that meant after spending two days in the ancient capitol of the world. But more on that in the next blog.