In a blink of an eye we reached Venice, Italy! How does time fly so quickly?
We stayed the evening before outside of Venice. The next morning, we took a boat into the city.
Our first stop was at the Murano glass factory. Murano glass is glass made on the Venetian island of Murano. They specialize in fancy glassware’s, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enameled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. They are especially known for their chandelier work!
During this tour we had the opportunity to see a couple demonstrations of this amazing art!
We then hopped on another boat to head to tour St. Mark’s Basilica, also known as the Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of St. Mark. This church is one of the most famous churches not only in Venice, but around the world. It is known for its Italo-Byzantine architecture. This architecture is influenced by Roman and Greek architecture.
The Basilica is on the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace. It is the city's cathedral since 1807, when it became the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, formerly at San Pietro di Castello.
In my eyes, this is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen! I am in disbelief that I had this opportunity to be at such a breathtaking, historical cathedral!
After our tour of the Basilica we had some free time to go explore, take in the city, and most importantly get some sustenance! Venice is quite overwhelming in terms of navigation. There are so many small alleys that include shops, restaurants, etc. We passed the Rialto Bridge, eat some gelato, and fine so many souvenirs to bring home to our loved ones!
One big attraction in Venice is the gondola rides. I have to say that this was one of the things I was looking forward to the most (BESIDES singing at St. Marks!). This is something on my bucket list for sure! The gondola is such a special opportunity to sit back and take in this city! Its beauty, its history, its culture. I had only hoped that everyone on this tour would have the opportunity to experience that!
There was this very special tour member of ours that shared these same feelings that I have! We originally called her the “Gondola Fairy!” The students were informed that this “Gondola Fairy” had made arrangements for ALL students to go on a gondola! We had a gondola fleet of Redbirds! Thank you, Char! We are so grateful for getting this opportunity to know you and be blessed by your spirit!
It was time to head over to get ready to participate in the evening mass at St. Mark’s. We took a moment in the square to do a quick warm up/impromptu performance! We formed a circle and sang a few songs! This was one of my favorite impromptu performances! The crowd got bigger and bigger, tourists were taking videos and photos, the smiles on everyone’s faces. How lucky are we to be here right now!
The service that evening was beautiful. I have no words to express my feelings on this moment. I am struggling to share how my soul feels. This was beautiful, solemn, true. My breath was taken away. This performance was about taking everything in, to realize everything we have been given the opportunity to experience, to end this journey with a moment like this.
We ended our evening in a lovely restaurant where we celebrated our accomplishments and celebrated each other! We had toasts, laughs, tears! We were even serenaded by a saxophone player!
After our wonderful dinner, we were back on the boat to head to our hotel for our last sleep before we make our trip home. What a view to say good-bye to this lovely city and wonderful adventure!
“Ciao, Venice!” “Ciao, Europe!”
Casa Dolce Casa!
There are so many things that are left unsaid. This experience is one I will hold so dear to my heart. In the next day or so I will post my final reflection!
Thank you for continuing to support me in this blog and share in our experiences! Until later, my friends!
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