Venezia

It's funny how we have been away from for so long but I still have those moments where it just hits me. Where I am, what I am seeing, being here with Luke, fulfilling a dream. It often will randomly slap me in the face of all this and it honestly gets me everytime. Although I am missing my family and friends it still gets me that I am doing what I am have always dreamed of doing, and I am with my best friend along the journey. 

There isn't a lot to say about today. We had a great day. Walked the parts of the island we hadn't seen, ate gelato on the canal, enjoyed the sun, city, the people, and the company of each other. Ended the day off with a delicious Calgarian steak dish, but finished the meal in Italian style, over limoncello. The most delicious alcoholic dare I say it drink, EVER. 

As Luke likes to say, I have an unhealthy relationship with lemon. I love lemon. I can't help but walk into a gelato place, if they have lemon I have to get it. The hitter lemon drinks I love! Really anything lemon I love and will graciously take and devour. Let me attemp to describe limoncello to you. First off the colour alone gives it a lemon soda look, if not for bein in a shot glass you wouldn't know off hand it contained alcohol. When you first take a sip in your mouth you are greeted by a sheer moment of the hard acohol taste, but very quickly it fades away I only a sweet lemon candy taste, that also fades into more of a pure lemon taste that ligers until you put something else in your mouth. It is amazing. By far my favourite. We have been able to have limoncello before but I have wanted to save it for Italy, and it will only get better as we make our way to the limoncello capital. 

 

We had a great day. The sun was shining, and our touristy get lost in Venice skills were glowing. It's funny how even though think you know where you are so well, one thing catches your eye, you get distracted and all of a sudden you are walking down the wrong street headed for a dead end. That really is half the fun, until you are actually trying to find something, then it just is frustrating, 

One of the best hing about today was the gondola ride. We had the best gondolier. We were talking to him prior and Luke joked that he sings, his reaponse was perfect. He said he sings for himself, cause he doesn't the same thing all day, it was so perfect. Luke got a video of him singing. It was the best! Everyone was jealous because their guys weren't singing, you could tell. He also would either be singing or yelling something when he would be going around a corner, that was because he had to make noise in case someone was there they knew he was coming. He told us so much about what we were seeing and going past. 

He has been a gondolier for 8 years now. It is a traditional profession that is passed down from father to son. He owned the boat that we were in. He was a great lad. Funny, willing to joke aroun pad and very informative. Plus I loved his singing, he made the journey better then I imagined. He also said that the gondoliers all Venetian, they have to be. It was certainly a highlight of the day. He mentioned that a typical first floor Venetian house is on the water and has a boat garage for the gondola boat, and a courtyard. All the living is usually done on the second floor of above. 

 

We had an awesome time on the gondola. Worth it for sure. He also said that the Rialto bridge, has an advertisement to help pay for the restoration work. Unfortunately, as it ruins the good side of the bridge.  The other side is currently being restored because they just finished the side that we could see from our gondola on the grand canal. We ended up going just us two on the gondola, but everyone is so willing to split the cost and pile people on. You can have as many as 7 people sitting in the boat. Ahh it was such an amazing memory! 

 

We also found a spot to have a cold water bottle on the canal. We sat there for a little bit just looking around, enjoying the breeze, and cooling off. We had an awesome day. Ther is so much flowing through my head that I can't possibly type. But it was great. We are glad we had so many days to explore Venice and experience the craziness of getting around. 

 

We came back before dinner and had some beers in the room with the fan pointed on us cooking us down. Yet another gluten free beer. Tasty as well. Canada really needs to get on board, Europe has such varying ciders and beers that are delicious. We also ended up comparing tans as we were sitting having our cold water bottles during the day. That my foot on the far right side of the picture. Pretty sure it is almost darker then my arms. Which is so sad. I'm not trying to tan, it has just been the nature of being outside and walking around for 2.5 months already, but funny how my feet are that dark. Also makes me realize how white and ghostly I really am. Got the ombré leg thing going because of my leggings but getti the shorts out and letting the white white legs show. Luke also had a beer that has my lovely middle name in the title. That itself was picture worthy. 

 We are loving the vacation. The sleeping in, having naps, meandering a city, really isn't getting old for us. But it is crazy that we are already in Italy, and we only have a month left. Yes only, weird to say, but we know it will go fast and it's sad to think it. But exciting to see everyone again. 

 Also random thing we have noticed with pizza in Italy, but even in Italian restaurants all throughout Europe they don't cut your pizza. It is actually so frustrating. All you wanna do is eat your food and it is so difficult to cut with the knifes they give you. It is so sad. 

Well tomorrow is our last day here, and we have plans so end Venice well. Happy stampeding!!! Weird to not be home for it for some reason. Needless to say, you can take the girl out of the stampede but you can't take the stampede out of the girl, rains true. Lots of country music and reminiscing. 

And so the adventure continues...