Venezia - la perla dell´adriatico

Why do I blog?
Sometimes I feel I overshare. Or I´m afraid that you might think I´m conceited and just want to make you jealous. You might also think it´s pathetic because I "only" have 86 followers and each post gets read by roughly 200 people (not that I´m counting) - which is nothing compared to other fish in the sea out there.
The answer is that I think it´s FUN. This is my way of expressing myself, being creative and creating something both aesthethically pleasing and fun for you and myself to look at and read. Other people knit, scrapbook, paint furniture, draw, sew... I blog. This is what I do for fun. I love all the pictures I took over time and I enjoy sharing them because I hope you might, too. I realize it´s all very amateur but that doesn´t matter because considering the time and effort I put into making it more professional (none) that´s all this is going to be and that´s fine by me. If you like to come along, you´re more than welcome to. And if not, feel free to unfollow me and ignore my status updates on whatsapp and instagram and that´s fine, too.

That being said, I need to tell you all about my latest adventure! I just came back from my birthday weekend trip to Venice (I´m 27 now) where I´d never been and always wanted to go.

Remember how I said that after America I was pretty positive I consisted of 90% burger? After Italy, I consist of 50% coffee, 30% wheat, 10% red wine, 5% sugar and 5% cheese. Because that´s all they ever eat! Anything doughy (pizza, pasta, biscuits, croissants) with cheese or sugar and anything alcohol from lunch onwards. I always forget that and it used to drive me crazy after a few days in Italy leaving me craving veggies and food that doesn´t consist of fat or carbs but for the weekend this was fine (or maybe I just changed my preferences, who knows!).
Another thing I always forget is the fact that Italians consider bed sheets a very satisfying all year round blanket. It´s sheet for heaven´s sake, a thin layer that I put UNDER me with a fluffy feather BLANKET OVER me! I always have to go for blanket searches in hotels or else lie shivering at night in my PJs in the Italian beds. It´s like they´re saying, You´re cold? Suck it up, fucker. Haven´t had enough wine then. Madonna!

What´s funny is that Venetians have a different measuring unit for wine which comes in "shadows". You can have an ombre di vino or an ombretto (shadow and little shadow), don´t order a bicchiere (glass) like I did because then you show them that you know nothing, John Snow.

What´s also worth mentioning is that (most) Italians seem to generally never speak any language other than their own, much like French or Spaniards. I don´t know what it is with their English classes but compared to Germany where everybody under 50 can at least make basic conversation, in Italy you are pretty lost pretty fast when it comes to communicating with locals if you don´t know any Italian at all. Luckily, I DO possess a basic understanding of the language ever since I took a beginner´s course in evening classes last summer. It´s pretty shitty still but that doesn´t stop me from forking it out at any opportunity and guessing my way through the conversations. So the shower has warm water again IN an hour or it had it until an hour AGO? You´ll know in an hour hahahaha. That´s me Italianing through Venice, yup.

Look at this! Venice is a truly special place. It´s the second time this year I´m in a very watery town (Amsterdam!) but this one is something else because it´s build just off the coast and everywhere you go is water and it gives the whole city an atmosphere that is hard to put into words. But believe me, I´ve seen lots of things and it´s blown me away!
Apart from the touristy spots. It´s no secret that I don´t like the touristy stuff because I get stressed out when it´s crowded and I don´t feel a soul or a heart in it. Luckily, only the Rialto Bridge and the Markus Square were like this and could thus be quickly passed through in favor of the back lanes and little squares that are bustling with (local) life even late at night.

Me and my sister had a lovely private room rented via Airbnb (with a Nespresso machine in it!) and the first morning we got complimentary croissants delivered to our room. I´m not complaining!
Then we set off to explore and took a Vaporetto along the Canale Grande from Rialto Bridge to San Markus Square with gave us some very nice views. After, we had some hot greasy cheese and ham pouch thingies and hot tea to warm up followed by AMAziNNGGgggg Tiramisu!

In the evening we went for pizza and an ombretto of red wine followed by gelato dessert, a souvenir browse in the glass and masque shops and then back to bed.

The following morning was pretty rainy so we had a quick stroll around the block and then caught the vaporetto back to the airport.

The End!

What Expenses to Expect
Venice is infamously famous for high prices so I was surpised by the relatively normal prices of everything. Pizza is 8-11€, greasy cheese snack things are about 3-4€, a coffee is between 1,60-3€ depending what you take. The airbnb was 30€ p.p. per night and the flight was about 90€ return from Hamburg (can be a lot cheaper when booked well in advance, off weekends and straight away via easyjet website). I´m generally not sure if I can recommend going in nicer weather conditions because I expect it to be horribly crowded - but if you don´t mind that or stay off the main roads I´m sure it will be magical, too!