VENICE- mardi gras

the amazing race.

-basically after all our crazniess from getting from point A to point B, cydney, nortold and I think we would have an unfair advantage if we were in the amazing race.

Friday morning (2.12.2010) we woke up at 6:00AM to finish packing and walk to Albano to catch the 7:20 AM train. Right after we left the palace and embarked on our 20 minute walked we realized it was SNOWING! It was very light, not much bigger than a rain drop, but the longer we walked the bigger and heavier the flakes got. Not to mention we left a few minutes late so we were 'power walking' down the streets covered in snow (to the other people we probably looked like walking snowmen).

cydney- in our 'snowstorm.'

we made it to the platform to find that their wasn't a train. We looked at the time table board and found that the train left at 7:10 not 7:20! ahhh. We were trying to catch the 8:45 train to Venice!!! some locals informed us that the train on the opposite platform would be heading to Termini soon (termini is the train station in Rome). So we RAN to get on it, because we didn't know what the exact departure was. The train was like a sauna, the heat was cranked up. We all were covered in snow (including our bags), and multiple layers. The layers came off very quickly and the train did not leave for another 15 minutes or so..

thank goodness we left when we did! Look at the snow once we got on the train...

so we make it to rome at 8:35, so we had 10 minutes to check the board for the train (so we could locate the platform) and get on the train. Checked the board from platform 22 and realized that the train we needed to get to was on platform 4 (basically the complete opposite side of station). We RAN through the crowds of people in Termini – that is the most crowded train station I have been to in Europe. I had a backpack bouncing on back and rolling duffle bag that was hitting people. We arrivived to platform 4 out of breath to find that we HAD to have seat reservations (it is some crazy italian law)...great. After we made reservations for the 9:45 train (thankfully we were able to get seats!) , we had time to grab breakfast (my first bagel in Europe) and go by the ATM.

Finally it was 9:45 and time for us to get on the 'tracks' to venice! Walking down the platform we heard A LOT of english. It was refreshing to finally understand people, and not feel like an 'alien,' when people around us talk. We made sure to get on the train car marked '2' (we have had too many problems getting on in first class- I am 'magnetized' to the finer things in life...'). Settling into the seat numbers that we found on our ticket we met a girl from american that cydney knew from ATL and UA! Crazy. We were then informed by some 'intoxicated' amreican boys that we were in their seats. We had the right seats...but the wrong car! Will we ever get this 'train-ing' stuff right?! After we awkwardly walked through 2 cars with all our bags we found our correct seats and could relax. This train direct to Venice so we would not have to move again for 4 hours!

The Carnivale Drag Show.

Finally arriving was GREAT. The scenery and architecture was AMAZING. AND THE SUN WAS OUT! This made our trip to venice 1,000,000 times better...

WE MADE IT!
just venice being amazing on our way to lunch...

on our way to lunch we found a shop with beautiful glass jewelry. I almost got this glass bead that looked like vessel/vase. So pretty! But I decided on a more practical buy, a glass ring! It is a 'band' style and is black and gold with 3 thin stripes on a diagonal around the ring in orange, lavender and light 'sky' blue. I thought it would very versatile. The lady at the shop was very helpful and recommended a great little 'local' place for lunch. It had the best pizza I have had the ENTIRE time I have been in Italy – we even tried to find it and eat there again it was so great!

>'Frutta di Mar' pizza. English translation would be “fruit of the sea.” this pizza had 2 types of mussels, shrimp, calamari and one lonely piece of octopus. If we would have had the chance to eat there again I know I would have gotten the same thing again- it was that good

After walking around Venice we made our way to st. Mark's square for some Friday night carnevale fun. I quickly learned that carnivale was not similar to the mardi gras celebrations I have attended in the past... People, mainly the local venetians 'dress up.' Imagine if American halloween and a Renaissance festival merged and created a single holiday, that is the ultimate description of carnevale. A few things reminded me of 'Mardi Gras,' like the open containers of alcohol being consumed all around town and the swarms of crowds.

in st. mark's square large insects 'walked' around the crowds. They were HUGE and powered by a small bike contraption underneath. Amazingly one person could control the entire machine. We saw a spider and praying mantis too!

krystle, lil coco, cydney, me and nortold posing (in front of an edible lion?) with our masks! - I was actually wearing lil coco's second mask because I had not found mine yet.

an example of the 'classic' costumes that could be seen. I liked this one the best because it reminded me marie antionette!

many of the carnevale 'guests' never had any concept of who was taking pictures around them. ie- this asian woman who jumped in front of me while i was trying to take a picture...weird.

Walking around the shops that surround the square I found that the venetians are very serious about their glass blowing skills. We found one shop where I could have bought EVERYTHING they had in the window (maybe after I get a job and come back...)

blown glass balloon animals! I want all of them but I guess if I had to choose I would like the giraffe

the other window display had all these cool 'paint' related pieces of art. A chair made out of glass paintbrushes was displayed along with HUGE brushes that were 'used', but the wall mounted pieces were my FAVORITE. I would like to have all 3 and keep the same installation technique- maybe put it at the end of a hallway on a matte white wall with great display lighting? Even singularly they could make an impact. I would definitely be intrigued if I found this displayed somewhere...

paint brushes!

When we returned to St. Marks after a dinner (and a walk through 'call-outs' for a ball! They even had a red carpet...) and found that it had turned into some type of musical show. But with hardcore drag. It was similar to what I would expect of a low budget (and knock-off) lady gaga show. These 'men' had very interesting costumes, some even had 'layered' costumes and they would take off pieces during their karaoke performance. Some even had back up dancers. My favorite was this man in a bright red sequined jump suit with a blonde mo-hawk wig (sadly this description is only the 'tip of the iceberg' when describing his crazy outfit...). 'Her' back-up dancers had on black masks that covered their face, no shirt and a big bunch of balloons attached to their waist (it looked like grapes, until we noticed the GRANDE balloon in the bunch- not sure what it was supposed to be) and low- rise back sequined pants. Like I said it was a low-budget lady gaga performance, but strangely enough I didn't hear one of her songs...

this is a HORRIBLE picture, but the best of the ones I was trying to get...

We literally got flooded out of the square (the city's situation with water is re-dic...the water level was constantly changing and flooding areas all over the place) we headed back to the hotel (which was close) for a good night's sleep.

On our full day in venice and one of the biggest days of carnevale (tuesday is the other big day – we are all going to wear our masks to class :), we headed out on an adventure.

example of the 'halloween' aspect. This little boy and his mother were putting on a 'show' but re-enacting the sword fight between peter pan and hook. It was too cute, and I liked the crocodile being there...

We really didn't have a plan (although we did spend a couple hours searching for a particular leather bracelet – with no success) and wandered until lunch. On our way back to a local eatery we found a little art gallery. The art was colored 'etching,' the woman who was working described the process her brother used (in very poor english) to create his original works of art. He carves them in copper and then pressed them into the water color paper – the entire design is likely to be 2” x 3”, but is on a much larger piece of paper. He then goes back and hand 'renders' them with watercolor. I purchased one that was a 'masked' man and woman standing in front of a canal and with one of the famous churches (it is a landmark- but i can't remember the name) in the background. I thought it was a 'practical' buy because it would remind me of venice and carnevale all in one picture :)

We then headed to an early lunch, where I enjoyed some traditional italian carnevale pastries – as my meal. I fully utilized that free breakfast at the hotel so I could save $$$ on lunch. :) After some more roaming I finally found a mask that I liked! It is simple and purple (couldn't find a green one...) so I can wear it to US mardi gras. Then we all decided to splurge on a gondola ride. Well worth the 15 E.

how high the water get's in venice. High tide happens in early winter (the end of december and january)

the group at the end of the gondola ride.

later that evening when we were searching for dinner (I feel like all I talk about is us eating...but we do eat a lot. You get hungry with all this walking!) we turned a street and came across some 'hippie' parade. They were all carrying books, so I assume it was some form or religion. They had on 'indian' dress and the women all had small flowers painted above their eyebrows.

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Found a little local artist who was selling some works of art on the street. We stopped to check it out and fell in love with his original watercolors. Cydney, krystle and I were lucky enough to score the 3 best pieces for 20E – all 3 of them together. It was a complete steal. I am so happy about my painting. I feel like it captures the things I liked most about venice.

We searched for the first pizza place, and managed to find the general location again...but were unsuccessful finding the exact venue so we settled for another pizza place. This place was very entertaining and played RANDOM american music: enrique iglesias, whitney huston, seal, celine dion, pink, and beyone just to name a few. I ordered pizza again.

the '4 Stagioni,' it was like an italian twist on the american classic 'supreme.' it had all the typical italian pizza toppings – prosciutto, artichokes, mushrooms and salami.

During dinner I realized my lack of gelato eating! And I remembered that venice was famed to have some of the best in italy. After dinner we headed back to st. marks square and found a gelato stand. I tried 'blueberry yogurt.' it was VERY good (although the dark chocolate/yogurt is MUCH better...)

yogurt de bosco gelato!

It was sad to leave, but I know I will be back! I would like to come the end of april or early may, and ideally would like to stay in a hotel with a view of the grand canal.