nom nom GROM.

Currently in quite a frustrating position where the internet at my apartment exists but is the slowest, most unreliable connection ever. Shouldn't really complain considering that I have internet even though it is a little crappy, but when the Skype connection fails every 4 or 5 seconds for 2 hours, I am not a happy camper. So now, in the comfort of the computer lab, I will share my past adventures in Italia.

This weekend, I encountered the magic and glamour that is Carnevale in Venezia. There are a wave of adjectives that come to mind when I reflect on Saturday and Sunday: exciting, stressful, overwhelming beauty, crowded, gracefulness, patience, bustling, rude, carefree, caught up, frightening, confusing, jubilance, tranquility, whimsical, innocent, colorful, tiring, exhausting, DONE.

Allow me to ellaborate. We boarded the bus around 6am from Piazza d'Ognissanti, as always, I tend to forget that not everyone is excited at 6am to board a bus for 4 hours... After a long, cramped trip, we boarded a boat to ride into Venice. Venice is a completely pedestrian city that only uses water taxis, water buses, and gondolas to get to and from different parts of the city. There's something very unique about police officers who direct human traffic instead of vehicle traffic and after almost getting run down in Florence, a couple days without cars was pretty nice. Arriving in Venice was quite startling considering the city was packed to maximum capacity. Thousands upon thousands of people navigating a group of sinking inlands, held together by bridges with canals everywhere (yes, people have fallen in them...) I consider it a major accomplishment that I did not join that category of people. It was very frustrating to be hustled through the streets, trying to follow a guided tour but being smashed so close to people that movement was not an option. I would like to say that our group of roomies did not lose anyone the entire trip, masterful. I wish I could say that I gained some culture and history of Venice from the tour, but at that point, I was so distracted and spced out, I only remember a few points: If you wanted to attack Venitians, poison the water supply. They used to have special guards whose only job was to guard the wells and make sure families only got their exact ration per day. Also, a really rich family built a tower on the backside of their palace in the Renaissance style with short, long steps because the guy who owned it prefered to trot up the 7 story tower on his horse. Also, they didn't really know what they were doing, so all of the steps and arches are just a wee bit off. I felt a little bad for the tour guide, most people were too preoccupied with where to eat/pee and did not hear anything she had to say. We worked on finding a place to eat next, probably the most frustrating experience in Venice. Everywhere was overcrowded with rude servers and no public restroom, awesome. Jess and I really wanted to eat in the fish market but the cold, damp air combined with the walking tour and crowds made standing outside to eat a little undesirable. However, I am still kicking myself that I did not try the freshly fried medley of fresh seafood in the outdoor market. If I go back to Venice, I would not make that mistake again! Anyway, eating frustration aside, Carnevale was one of the most interesting events I've experienced so far. The streets are filled with people, especially couples, dressed in ancient dresses and suits, hair covered, and wearing masks covering most, if not all of their faces. It is a tradition of secrecy and intrigue, the masks and costumes were used to hide one's identity from the community and commit acts for which you desired secrecy. Many people add an incredible amount of creativity into the tradition by drawing inspiration from nature and other subjects. The people in costumes are graceful and seem to float through the masses of people, untouched but crowded with photo takers and people posing for opportunistic snapshots. They rarely speak and are coy with one another, putting on an act for the onlookers. We spent the afternoon wandering through the crowded streets and getting lost between the ancient buildings. At some point during the afternoon, I found my mask for Saturday night. I wanted something unique, specifically white, gold, and black color scheme (hey Appalachian!) Found this great mask with a funky flair that I absolutely love love love. It will be a part of my decor in my house when I'm all grown up. Anyway, we went off the island to check into the hotel, got freshened up, had a make-up lesson for day to night looks with momma Nicole and then hit the train station to travel back to Venezia! After an interesting dinner with a rude waiter *no tip for you!, Shrimp Risotto, a variety of pizza, and tons of group photos, we started navigating our way through the streets with masks on, searching for the massive crowds of overfriendly, drunken people of all ages. We found them. We discovered the tastebud symphony that is Bellini and walked through the streets chatting with random groups of Italians, snapping photos, and shouting into the night.

The next morning, we stole a variety of items from the continental breakfast at the hotel to attempt to save money and bring our lunch along with us. We departed for Murano and watched Venetian glass makers create a cat, pretty cool but rushed. We walked through the overpriced shop attached to the workshop and I took photos of all of the glass I wish I could buy. Then we boarded another boat to Burano for cookies, lace, and technicolor houses. All of the houses on this island are different bright colors and you must obtain special permission to have the color of your house changed. Legend has it, the houses were different colors so the sailors could find their correct house with their woman even in the thickest fog. We stopped with enough time to see lace made in the area, eat and buy some yummy cookies from the island and catch a masked woman dressed as Marie Antoinette texting on her phone. After another short trip to Venice and pushing through crowds to find a bathroom and panino, we boarded the boat, and then the bus to return to Florence. Then everyone in Montebello got on Skype.

I am exhausted, but that is my Venetian weekend in a nutshell. One giant nutshell.