Trip with School Orchestra in March, 2007.
Venice: the city of bridges, of light and of water. For me, it was so much more than that. It was a city of magic, of unimaginable beauty, and of mystery. From the moment our cruise entered the outskirts of the Grand Canal, I knew that this was a special place. My eyes were flooded with life and color; the city was alive with boats, people, and music. Street vendors calling out in chocolate-covered Italian words. The pungent smell of fresh-caught fish. The splash of water against the sides of the piers. All were beauty to my ears, like a favorite song or the whisper of a lover. I was in head over heels in love, and I knew that I wouldn't forget this place for a long time.
The roads were cramped and tiny, but I loved the cozy feel of the city. Every other street was in the water, and gondolas rode smoothly past me, the sound of the oars skimming the water resounding across the canal. Piazzo San Marco was a main stop on many of our sightseeing trips, a beautiful courtyard square filled with tourists and pigeons and street vendors selling gondolier hats. Feeding the pigeons on Piazzo San Marco was an excursion in itself; the birds flocked onto my head and body, eating the bread right out of my hands and cooing from my shoulder. It was incredible, feeling the beating of their wings against my skin; I held my breath from the excitement.
All in all, quite an exquisite city.
