VENICE | Come si dice, "no fries, please"?

It was time to trade potatoes for pasta and off we went to commence our three weeks in Italy! Venice was our first stop.

It was impossible to find accommodations in Venice in our price range, so we ventured outside the city and landed on a more affordable spot in Treviso that was close to the train station (and then it’s an easy half-hour train ride into Venice). In order to save a little more money, we decided to rent a room vs. an entire apartment. We’ve had a variety of Airbnb experiences at this point but sharing a space with the host would be a first for us.

We stayed with a retired couple, Giorgio and Daniella, who were more than accommodating. We had our own little “wing” of the long apartment, which consisted of a loft bed and a bathroom… all we needed! Each morning, we had breakfast waiting for us with a fresh cup of coffee (which was much appreciated, especially when trying to keep the expenses low). And although we were always fully prepared to walk 20 minutes to the train station, Giorgio insisted on driving us.

Aside from having our Airbnb’s booked, we arrived in Italy completely unprepared. We knew ZERO Italian—niente. And it could not have been more apparent than on our very first night in Italy. It went like this: Giorgio had recommended the restaurant across the street for dinner. However, because the owners do not speak English and there were no menus available, he offered to walk us over and help us order. Once we arrived at the restaurant, we sat, smiled, and nodded when we felt it was appropriate, not comprehending any of the conversation happening before us. At some point in that conversation, we must have ordered dinner. Giorgio then asked us if we preferred sparkling or still water, we said still (we knew how expensive sparkling water usually was). He asked if we wanted wine, and because he was genuinely perplexed when we initially said no, we changed our answer to one glass each. And with that, he left and we were in the hands of this sweet Italian woman (who resembled Mike’s Nonna). Our FIRST Italian meal in Italy, we were so excited. The woman came back with a bottle of sparkling water and an uncorked bottle of wine. Great. Well, there goes our budget… again. Our meal was spaghetti Bolognese… Mike thought he had ordered the schnitzel. After our plates were cleared, she asked if we wanted dessert, or so we assumed. (Keep in mind, she’s speaking Italian and we understand none of it.) Feeling completely defeated, we nod. At this point, why not? …She came back with two plates of fries. We looked at each other, laughing, wondering how did this happen? Here we are, in an Italian restaurant, eating a plate of fries for our first meal in Italy.

When we went to pay, she poured us Limoncello, a digestivo to be sipped slowly (which Mike, the 100% Italian American, took like a shot). We couldn’t help but laugh at how terrible we were at staying within any budget we set for ourselves. As we are making guesses at how expensive this is going to be, a million thoughts and regrets are running through our minds... I mean, the meal wasn’t even THAT good. We didn’t need the wine, and definitely didn’t need the fries. We should have just went with our original plan of foregoing dinner. And I swear, if that Limoncello costs us I will be so ma… wait, it was all just €25? And everything was so delicious! Do you take reservations?

Our first day in Venice called for rain, all day. Thanks to a quick Google image search on heavy rains in Venice, I was anticipating full-out flooded streets. For that reason, I decided against my go-to casual sneakers because they are made of wool and I just washed them (speaking of, here's my Allbirds plug: I highly recommend you buy yourself a pair. I have walked miles upon miles upon miles, day after day, and never once have my feet been sore). This left my running sneakers (my strictly-for-running, wide-foot, heavy-cushion, high-tech, it’s-better-to-be-comfortable-than-fashionable sneakers). With jeans. BUT, I left the house feeling confident and smart in my decision because I knew I would not regret it. And then I did, because it was a beautiful sunny day and apparently everyone traveling to Venice got the correct weather forecast. We didn’t even bring sunglasses. So here I am, dressed for cold rain, my jeans are sticking to me because it’s so hot, I can’t see because it’s so sunny, and my bulky sneakers were not only a fashion faux pas, but turns out they are pretty uncomfortable after walking all day so now it’s not like I could forget they were on me. Believe me, I have not been dressing to impress at all in Europe, choosing comfort over fashion all the time. But this elevated it to an entirely new level—a level of Tourist I didn’t even know I had in me. Every time I caught a glimpse of my reflection, I hardly recognized myself. (Cue the chorus of Reflection: Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? When will my reflection show who I am inside?) But I am assuming you aren’t reading this blog because you’re interested in my wardrobe, so I’ll continue on…

Anyway, we decided to splurge on a Skip-the-Line tour of Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica. Since we weren’t even sure what a Doge was, we thought it would be better to have a guide. And (almost) more importantly, we wouldn’t be waiting in line. With just two days in Venice, time was of the essence, and while it was important for us to check off some must-see sites, it was just as important that we allotted time to explore the city our way: walking around aimlessly for hours.

And GOOD NEWS GUYS, it FINALLY rained for about 20 minutes. I walked through Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square) with my head held high (and covered by my rain jacket), letting my sneakers soak up all the rain drops their cushioned soles desired. We took advantage of an abandoned line at St Mark’s Campanile (bell tower) and caught some incredible Venetian vistas.

On our second (and last) day in Venice, we visited Burano and Murano, smaller islands in the Venetian lagoon. Burano is a fisherman’s village known for its lace and brightly colored homes. I mean, neon bright—hot pink, lime green, electric blue. It feels like you are wandering through a children’s coloring book come to life. Forget Disneyland, THIS has to be the happiest place on Earth. It’s impossible not to be having the best day as you walk through a street that covers every color of the rainbow and more. Legend has it that fisherman would paint their homes in unique and brilliant colors so they could spot them from a distance through the fog. Now, if someone wants to paint their home, it needs to be approved by the government (and only certain colors are permitted for each lot).

Burano is also recognized for its handmade lace. Fun fact: Apparently, Leonardo Da Vince purchased a piece for the main altar of the Milan Cathedral. While lace is mass-produced today, local artisans on Burano still make lace by hand with needles.

After Burano, Murano seemed so dull in comparison. However, in Murano, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, and that’s lots and lots of Murano glass; Murano is known for its glassmaking. There’s a story to that, too. In 1291, glassmakers in Venice were ordered to move their foundries to Murano in fear that a fire from a furnace would result in complete destruction to Venice’s mostly wooden buildings. However, it’s believed that the true motive was to isolate the glassmakers so that they wouldn’t be able to share trade secrets with others. In 1295, a law passed that actually forbid glassmakers from leaving the city altogether. Aside from this, glassmakers actually lived a pretty privileged life. They were considered “royalty,” were allowed to wear swords, and had immunity from prosecution by the Venetian state. Murano’s glassmakers held a monopoly on high-quality glassmaking for centuries, but eventually glassmakers fled and shared the secrets in other European countries. However, there is still a trademark that certifies glass-made products on the island of Murano.

We wandered into a Murano glass gallery and instantly fell in love with so many different pieces. I, of course, was immediately drawn to the jewelry. Mike? Roosters. Anyway, there was a pair of chandelier earrings made entirely out of Murano glass beads. I felt my heart flutter, and then immediately shatter when I saw the price tag: €600. There are some items that you choose, and then items that choose you. Those earrings chose me. But they clearly mistook me for someone that docked their private yacht outside the shop, probably traveling in from Monte-Carlo. (If only they saw me yesterday). Alas, I had to walk away.

We accomplished quite a lot in two days, but we had one more thing to do in order to complete our trip. We almost decided against it. It’s not cheap and Mike had done it before anyway. We even walked away but Mike turned us right back around because he knew it all came down to that one question: Did Venice even happen if you don’t take a gondola ride through the canals? (Yep, there’s that rationale again. It makes tough decisions easier (yes, deciding whether or not to ride a gondola is a tough decision in our current lives)). The ride was expensive, much shorter than we expected, and not relaxing because we spent the entire time talking with our gondolier. BUT all that matters is we did a damn gondola ride in Venice.