Italian dreaming: Venice by Gondola

When I arrived in Venezia I never felt more like a tourist in my life. I could have wandered the streets of this beautiful old city with no real plan at all. Everything you see is something new at every turn, and you really feel as if you have gone back in time. I walked and walked until I thought my shoes could give way, admiring the famously elaborate masks and glass goods on display, taking in the smells of fresh produce at the Rialto Bridge Market, and admiring the effortlessly stylish Venetian people. I did a class project on Venice in grade 6, and never would I have thought I would make this project my reality a decade later.

Rialto Bridge

Italian dreaming: Let's stay in Roma

Before my trip to Europe, I have to admit I was more interested in seeing Rome than any other city. I was a biased tourist on all counts and I didn't care. Call me a dreamer, but all I could think of was sitting at a Roman restaurant eating pasta and sipping on red wine whilst street musicians stood on the cobbled street playing Italian music with a saxophone in the background. The funny thing is that one night this all actually happened.

Italian performers outside a restaurant in central Rome

Italian dreaming: Pisa to Florence

The journey into Italy was painted with luscious greenery, aged tunnels and farms that went for miles. The humidity suddenly became evident as we got out of the bus at a service station. I swallowed warm air along with my first proper piece of Italian pizza there- it was cheesy and delicious and I ordered another. The system of buying anything in Italy is very odd. You first pay for your items, and then you collect them, or you get a ticket for the items and then pay for them... okay I might not be explaining the system too well but all I can say is that it is complicated and very much based on honesty.

Then it was time for the Leaning Tower of Pisa, in Pisa. This architectural mystery was obviously on my list of things to see, so I was embarrrasingly thrilled about the whole experience. What do you do when you come face to face with the famous tower? You pose in a ridiculous manner of course. Whether you are holding the whole thing up with your bare hands or  giving it a lick with your tongue outstretched, you have to seize the opportunity.  

Me holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa