Third day in Venice - Trip to Burano, Lace, Rain, and Running in the Wind.

October 8, 2024

Every morning in Venice, like clockwork, we’re woken up by the sound of local salesmen rolling their carts, delivering boxes, and possibly throwing them down from the rooftops based on the noise level. At first, we thought it was an earthquake or a herd of elephants, but no—just Venice’s charming version of an alarm clock. The View from our window

Today’s adventure took us to Burano, the island known for its lace and rainbow-colored houses. The lace dresses we saw were nothing short of drop-dead gorgeous. Unfortunately, they also came with a price tag that suggested we’d need to sell a kidney just to afford a sleeve. “Who needs two kidneys anyway?” we joked while secretly clutching our wallets.

We decided to tone things down a bit and went to the Lace Museum. It was fascinating, seeing the intricate work that goes into making lace. Hours upon hours of needlework that left us all feeling like we should never complain about knitting a scarf again.

Speaking of scarves, we found a store everyone fell in love with. And because no trip is complete without shopping, we all left with beautiful, colorful scarves that we could proudly display back home (and maybe pass off as Venetian lace to those less in the know).

Then, the weather decided to remind us that we were still in Venice—rain, and lots of it. We made a mad dash to the boat, hopping on and heading to Torcello, a quieter, smaller island. There, we visited the oldest church and found the Devil’s Bridge, which was just as mysterious and cool as it sounds.

But the real gem of Torcello? A cozy restaurant with fabulous food that made us forget we were soaking wet. Sitting there, warm, dry, and with full stomachs, life was good.

The journey back to Venice came with a surprise: a couple and an elderly lady sitting next to me were speaking Russian! Naturally, we struck up a conversation, and it turns out they had immigrated to France from Kazakhstan years ago. It was a delightful chat, making the boat ride even more enjoyable. You never know who you’ll meet in Venice!

But the day wasn’t over yet. We had one last mission: make it to the Basilica before it closed. With only minutes to spare, we dashed through the rain, umbrellas struggling against the wind like they were auditioning for a Venetian disaster movie. My umbrella, in particular, seemed determined to either break or fly away with me. We arrived a bit late, soaking wet but triumphant, and were graciously let in. Victory!

Venice, you’ve thrown rain, wind, and ridiculously expensive lace at us, but we’re still standing—and possibly considering a career in sprinting. Tomorrow, we’re ready for the trip to Verona (hopefully less running and more eating)

Day 4 in Venice - Church Detours and a Day Trip to Verona

October 6, 2024

Before we set off for Verona, there was an important fashion decision to make. All of us women decided to wear the beautiful scarves we had bought in Burano the day before. It started out innocently enough, but soon we were jokingly calling each other "monkeys" in reference to how we all ended up looking a bit too coordinated, like we were part of some stylish Venetian scarf gang. Every time we spotted a mirror, we couldn't help but laugh at our matching accessories, but hey, at least we looked good!

We kicked off day four with some grand plans, starting with a trip to a couple of churches before heading to Verona. But Venice, as always, had other ideas. Our trusty GPS, in its infinite wisdom, decided to guide us to a gondola station instead of the Church of San Giorgio. Except—surprise!—the gondola station was closed. So, we were left standing there, staring at the canal like, “Well, this doesn’t seem right.”

After some creative detouring (and only a little bit of grumbling), we finally found the big boat and made it to the church. And let me tell you, it was worth the scenic route—San Giorgio was absolutely fabulous!

Next stop: the fantastic Fenice Theater. The history, the beauty—it was like stepping into another world. We briefly imagined ourselves attending a lavish opera, though.

Then came the real-life marathon: running to the train station. We made it just in time to miss our train to Verona. So, there we were, stranded and ticketless. We ended up buying tickets from a station worker, but we quickly realized we could’ve saved a few euros by using the ticket machine. Ah, the joys of travel lessons learned too late.

With an hour to kill before the next train, we wandered over to the San Maria Church, conveniently located next to the station. It was a lovely, unexpected stop, and we felt like proper cultural tourists, even if we were just trying to kill time.

Finally, we were on the train to Verona, where history awaited us.

After a scenic 1.5-hour ride, we jumped right into a two-hour walking tour. Our guide was fantastic, whisking us through over a thousand years of Verona’s rich history: Roman empire, barbarians, la Scala family—you name it, Verona has lived through it.

After the tour, we visited Verona’s Colosseum. Standing there, we couldn’t help but think about the ancient entertainments—gladiators, wild animals, and public executions, all day long. And then, of course, we fast-forwarded to more refined thoughts of contemporary opera performances held there today. Talk about a venue upgrade!

To top off the day, we headed to a fabulous restaurant that came highly recommended. The food was incredible, and the wine even better. The only surprise on the menu? Horse meat. Some of us were more adventurous than others. I, however, stuck with my trusty spaghetti with truffles—delicious and no surprises.

The day ended with a sprint back to the station (because why not add more running to our day?), with a few more photo ops along the way.

Back to Venice, tired but happy, with Verona memories and a lot of steps logged on our phones. Tomorrow is our last half-day in this magical city, and it’s bittersweet saying goodbye to Venice. We’ll soak in the canals, the pizza, and maybe one last boat ride before heading off to Florence. Venice, you’ve given us laughter, surprises, and possibly we lost a few pounds—but now it’s time to see what Florence has in store for us! Goodbye Venice, hello Florence!