Venice... Not What I Was Expecting

Our second day started out with a minor disaster. My friend and I ended up using the wrong converter for my hair straightener... Her bangs were nearly fried off. Fortunately Italian coffee and croissants make everything better, and by the time we finished our breakfast, excitement had evaporated the mornings horror (although its questionable whether or not my straightener is broken).

I cannot deny the fact that Venice was beautiful. As far as appearances were concerned, it was everything I thought it would be; the canals were picturesque, the streets were narrow and bright. The reason it wasn't what I expected is this:

The city has become so commercialized and crowded that there are few places left where you can just sit, and get a feel for what life must've been like back in the day. In quite a few of the more popular areas I had to wait longer than five minutes to get a good picture taking spot by the rail. Of course I was probably there at a bad time considering it was the middle of spring break. Despite the crowds we still had a fantastic day wandering around the city, and a tour of Doje Palace. The history of the Venetian Empire is fascinating. It's ironic how a place they built deliberately somewhere no one would want to go is now one of the most visited places in Europe. We got a stunning view from the top of the tower before heading back to our boat out of the city. Back in Abano Terme some friends and I went to get gelato-apparently a must try in Italy-and wandered around the town. I loved how it had a bit of a more relaxed feel to it; it felt more like somewhere I could actually live. I leave you with my favourite photos of Italy. Tomorrow... Austria.

Worth a fifteen minute line up and 8 euros? Actually yes.

So much gold...

This is what I picture when I think of Venice.