Day 5: Venice - the Floating City

Our excursion in Cremona came to an end and one long bus ride later we arrived at a hotel just outside of Venice.

The next day, we set out for Venice where we experienced an incredible walking tour from a local guide. We then broke off into groups and explored the city on foot and on gondolas! We let out a big sigh when we went under the Bridge of Sighs which connects Doge’s palace and the prison.

Fun Fact: The reason why the bridge is called the Bridge of Sighs is because, when prisoners were going to the prison, it was often where they saw daylight last, as the prison does not have windows. The prisoners therefore let out a sigh. Otherwise, the gondola was quite peaceful—even though Liv Ding got yelled at by the gondolier because she nearly tipped over the boat in her attempt to capture a picture (Americans, am I right)

We all enjoyed delightful Italian meals for lunch and some of us went to St. Mark’s Basilica in St. Mark's Square. The basilica was absolutely incredible. Every inch of the church was gilded and shining with gold. The biblical sculptures and the paintings were truly breathtaking. We also made sure to translate some of the Latin painted all over the walls! The exterior of both the Basilica and Doge's castle are unbelievable and it is no wonder that Venice is such a popular tourist site—it is truly a beautiful place.

Of course, our trip was not complete without gelato and any other miscellaneous dessert we could get our hands on. Some of us double-dipped: Gelato and visiting 300-year-old Caffé Florian—the oldest teahouse in the world—to get some excellent caffeine and delicious treats.

Our time in Venice came to an end all to quickly as we boarded a boat to take us back to the hotel. We all sat on the top of the boat as the sun began to lower and watched as the old city of Venice faded away.

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