Venice

     Venice, or Venezia, is easily one of the most well-known cities in all of Italy.  The city is unique because it is made up of over a hundred small islands that are all connected by bridges.  Almost everyone in Venice travels by boat because there are no cars in the city.  I took a night train from Rome to Venice; we arrived just as the sun was rising and the view was amazing.  We heard the best way to see Venice was to get lost in it so that is exactly what we did.  We wandered the narrow streets and explored all day.  Whenever we were hungry we'd stop and eat the freshest seafood we'd ever had.

     This trip was different from any of the other trips I'd taken because we didn't have anything that we had to do.  Without a schedule, we were free to explore and eat and shop at our leisure.  The city was a maze of winding streets, tiny bridges and peaceful canals.  Laundry hung from windows over the water while gondolas and other small boats passed by.  Every night, we watched the sun set over the water.  I loved everything about Venice and wish I could have stayed longer.  Thankfully, I did get to take home a few souvenirs.  I got a Murano glass bracelet and a black lace Carnival mask.