Continued!!

Ok, so to pick up where I left off earlier.....

We watched the dance off and then started to head back to the hotel. While we were walking we thought that we would take a short cut....which in Venice usually equals a LONG LONG cut. All the bridges and stores look the same. The only ones that I can tell the difference between are Versace, Gucci and Prada....no dad, I didn't buy anything...no worries. So anyway, we got SUPER lost in Venice and no one wanted to take control of navigation. I grabbed the map and took about 20 mins to find our location, but once I figured it out we began our track back in the approximate direction of our hotel. I'm pretty sure that we zig zagged our way through the city haha. I can't even tell you how many times I told the girls I knew where we were when I actually didn't, just so that they wouldn't freak out.

We made it back safe and sound and in one piece. We finally made it to bed and I fell asleep sooo fast. Then, at 7:00am the students staying down the hall from us (with british accents so I am assuming they're from England), started knocking on our door saying "WAKE UP CALL!". Ohhh..I was not a happy camper....

We had breakfast at the hotel that day (I totally stocked up for all the walking I was doing since it was a buffet) and then we headed to the Peggy Guggenheim Colletion for a bit of art and culture. I am not really much of an abstract art fan, but I thought that the collection was really interesting. I actually saw my first Picasso so that was really really cool.

After the Guggenheim, I called up Alberto, our AMAZING family friend. He is a curator at the University Library and Museum in Venice. He showed me and two friends through the library and the museum which used to be the house of an aristocratic venetian family. SOOO COOL! Once again, I am unable to find the words in English or any other language (other than babbling) to describe what I saw and felt. Everything was so gorgeous. The floors were all slanting too because the foundation was crumpling in on itself since the building was built on mud. So cool...che figo. The he showed us the walled in garden where there was a FISH POND! Before we left, Alberto took us up to the terrace where we could see the entire skyline of Venice. It was so pretty seeing the Piazza di San Marco with the colums and ocean behind it. Picture are up on the blog! By the way, Alberto is THE BEST!

After seeing Alberto we met up with the other girls and decided that a gondola ride was in order. We found two guys that gave us a nice cheap price, and started off down the Grand Canale. They took us all through not only the Grand Canal, but also through the little side canals that run through Venice. Throughout the 40 min trip, my gondola driver, Umberto, gave us all a run down on the history of all the places we passed. I really feel that taking a gondola was one of the best ways to se the Venice.

After the gondola, we grabbed a bite to eat at a local pizzaria and then went on a mission to find carnivale masks. After finding the perfect masks (mine was red... oh la la), we went to the Piazza di San Marco, wearing our masks, to watch the famous comedian Dario Fo. So funny, and I only under stand some Italian.... On the way home, we grabbed crepes with nutella in them. So delicious. By the time it was 11pm, I was ready to sleep. I went back to the hotel and passed out...sooo tired but such a good day.

The next morning we grabbed breakfast again (and stocked up again) and headed out to do some final shopping. My ending total of things I bough in Venice is as follows:

Carnivale Masks: x3 ( I bought two more :)) = $35 (but euro not dollars)
Jewelery (Venetian glass...soo pretty) = non lo so (oops)
uhh........ = mi disculpa....

At 11:45 the whole group met in the Piazza di San Marco to watch the Volo del Angelo. Basically, they dress up a famous person and string them up to this long zipline. At 12pm, they drop them slowly down the line that runs over the Piazza. So interesting but scary because there were TONE of people there. Afterwards, when we were trying to go back to the hotel, there was a mosh pit of people and it was mass confusion. There was a complete standstill and people were pushing and shoving. I was pressed up against a glass window and I thought that I was going to break through it into the shop...not fun. I was actually pretty scared at that point because an older lady fainted in the middle of everything...not cool. The police came through and ushered her out though, and after that, things pretty much cleared up and we got the heck out of there.

We went back to the hotel, grabbed out stuff and walked the 20 mins to the bus station. The bus ride back to Ascoli was a little shorter than the ride there (by a half hour), but I only slept about an hour.

We got back, and literally in 15 mins. we were all at Murphy's, on our computers! LOVE MURPHS! Homework was done by 11 and then we went to get YOGI! SO delicious. They take fresh yogurt and mix in anything you wany. Naturally, I got nutella and bananas (I AM OBSESSED WITH NUTELLA! IT IS RIVALING PEANUT BUTTER. IF YOU KNOW ME, YOU KNOW I CAN NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT PEANUT BUTTER!). Yogi made the perfect end to a fun weekend.

I have to say that I was relieved when I got back to Ascoli. I missed it. I am already dreading the day that I have to leave... :(