On the Road with Julie

Time to Read:

Well, that’s it folks. My brain has officially exploded.

Yes, I knew, before arriving, that Venice was a city built on water.

Yes, I have seen it in a thousand movies.

And, yes, now that I am seeing it in person, my brain has melted and is currently leaking out of my ears, probably making its way into one of those canals out there.

I can’t possibly imagine what has gone into creating this place. That said, I will certainly spend the better part of the next 48 hours trying.

I love water. I see water and I want to be in it. I do not want to be in this water – but I do wish it was water that I wanted to swim in. But, boy is it pretty to look at.

And, wow is this place romantic.

I have seen almost none of the city in my short walk from the bus drop off through my water bus ride and short walk through the twists and turns of stone and water – but I have seen more than enough to have to consistently remind myself to close my dropped jaw.

I’ve already had the opportunity to be grateful for so many gracious and helpful Italians that helped me navigate my way to my accommodations. I probably, in total, ended up asking 6 or 7 different people for help along the way – and each of them was as kind as can be. Most of them spoke English, though I can’t stand that I needed to ask them to – but, alas, as for now – no parle italiano! The person that did finally get me on the right bus to where I needed to go didn’t speak English – but, in addition to his native Italian, he spoke Spanish. So, afortunadamente, that was enough to do the trick.

There is a naivete that I feel steeped in, writing this post. It’s a, “Yea, what did you expect?” type of thing. I guess I expected exactly this. But expecting to be amazed by something and then being IN the amazement are two different things. The feeling is still surprising, even if the fact that I am having it is not.

So, yea – I’ll just confirm all the hype. Venice – wow.

I’m excited to go exploring tomorrow. I’m going to go to sleep now and see if I can possibly recover any amount of my melted brain so I can make the most of my one day in Venice.

My Italy adventure has officially begun! Andiamo!