Venezia pictures

Venezia!!!!

There is not enough time in the world to completely recap our incredible anniversary trip so instead I thought I would make a list of what I learned in Venezia. What an amazing city!!!

1. Venice is HOT in July!!! Be prepared to sweat a lot...but you are too busy taking in the sights to really care.
2. There are pushy guys all over the city trying to force flowers in your face for a ridiculous price. If you let them hand you one you're screwed. You basically have to be just as rude back just to get them to leave you alone.
3. A gondola ride at sunset is just as relaxing as an hour long massage. Definitely worth 100 euro!!!
4. There is NOTHING better than authentic Italian cuisine. My new favorite dish is linguine with salmon and a creamy red sauce. Lemon gelato is a lifesaver when it's blazing hot out and easy to find no matter where you're at.
5. Getting lost in Venice is a blast. We wandered the back streets, away from the crowds and saw a part of Venice not many people see. My favorite part of the whole trip was when we were wandering around and found a little pizza stand on a street corner. We got pepperoni and ham pizza served on a piece of paper and sat on the ground in a gorgeous neighborhood to eat it. It was so peaceful and quiet.
6. The Vaporetto (water bus) is wonderful! We rode it all around the city and got to take in the sights without killing our feet.
7. San Marcos square is really fun at night. We spent about $50 both nights on a dessert and snack so we could sit and listen to the live music. Restaurants line the square and each one has a band and they all compete with each other. We liked to sit at the edge of one so we had a view of a couple different ones. The music was beautiful and the food was delicious. It's worth the money just for the experience.
8. There are about a million shops and carts selling souvenirs all over the city. Don't just accept the price they ask, if you hesitate at all they will lower it until you buy. It's really fun to haggle with them and you can get a great deal on stuff.
9. Murano glass is gorgeous and available all over the island. Another specialty is hand painted masks. Some are beautiful and some are really creepy...
10. St. Mark's Basilica is amazing. We toured the inside and went up to the very top and looked out over the square. What a view!!!
11. Murano Island is a lot of fun. We got to watch them blow the glass and they had the real fancy glass shops which were fun to look in.
12. If you can handle the heat and walking, pregnancy is the best time to go to Venice! I only paid to use the restroom twice because all the restaurants let me use theirs whether or not we ate there. I got to use the private lift at the basilica and they let me use the bathroom that was supposed to be closed. People were really nice about offering me their seat on the bus and the waiters didn't have a problem with me putting my feet up at the restaurants. Italian men are really sweet to pregnant women!
13. Pigeon's really like to dive bomb people in the square. Funny to watch but not funny to experience...
14. Venice is 1000 times more amazing than you can ever imagine. There is just no way to describe the culture, beauty, history, uniqueness and charm of the city. It was the perfect way to celebrate our 3rd anniversary!!!
15. It was SOOO good to get home to our precious little girl! We really missed her!