What's She Up to Now? Jody's Life Blog

Virtual Day in Venice

Howdy!

We continue on our virtual tour of Europe and in the spirit of Italy, I continue to write my blog in green (prompt) and red (me) to represent the Italian flag.

Virtual Day in Venice

August 12th Venice

http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/AWA-Venice-Apartments-San-Marco/Ven...

We have 5 apartments so we'll be split into groups of 5 or 6 per room during our stay in this crazy city.

I'm grateful that we have air conditioning again. A disturbing number of places here don't have a/c unless you're in a real hotel or something. Even a lot of the places we tour don't always have a/c. Oh well, we have it for now!

We have a two hour tour scheduled this morning and you have the afternoon to explore on your own after lunch. we need to hook up for our dinner date.

https://www.viator.com/tours/Venice/Skip-The-Line-St-Marks-Basilica-and-Doges-Pa...

We went to St. Mark's Basilica and Doges Palace this morning. That was some of the most beautiful architecture I've seen in a very long time. WOW! Then we went to a glass blowing shop. That was SUPER COOL! I've never been someplace where they let US blow the glass. Awesome! (I think in the U.S. they're afraid of someone getting hurt and suing them.) Anyway, Fivesixer did a lovely vase. Sally actually tried her hand at making swirls in the glass. I was impressed! I was nervous for my turn, but the guy helping us made sure everyone left with something they could enjoy. I suppose it's just good business. lol Anyway, that was SUPER COOL and I REALLY appreciate Sally taking pictures of me!

I also got to enjoy more time with Fran 🌈🧜‍♀️ and Jellyfish along with Sally when we went roaming around downtown and through the square. It's interesting to see just subtle differences between Italy and America, like how they can take their dogs so many more places than we can or the differences in their much more fashionable dress.

However, after a while, I have to admit, I was exhausted. I'm too old for all this running around and I had to head back to the apartments for a little nap. I'd only planned to sleeping for an hour, but it dragged into nearly 2 1/2. I REALLY needed the sleep. I just hope I can sleep tonight. But I felt a lot better and was ready for that gondola ride and dinner!

Dinner is at 7:30 this evening, the wait is going so worth it on this Gondola and Serenade and dinner experience.

Feel the romance of a classic Venetian experience with a serenaded gondola ride through Venice’s famed canals, capped off by dinner or lunch at a renowned local eatery. Settle into a traditional gondola boat for a 35-minute ride through the Grand Canal and some of the city’s smaller waterways, while onboard musicians provide a passionate soundtrack of Italian ballads. Savor an authentic Venetian meal at the top-rated Hostaria Ai Coristi Restaurant to conclude your enchanted evening or afternoon tour. Highlights 35-minute Venice gondola ride with serenade plus a meal Share a ride on the Grand Canal and glide down smaller canals Listen to a musician and a singer serenade you aboard one of eight gondolas in your flotilla Enjoy a two-course lunch or dinner at Hostaria Ai Coristi Restaurant

Read more about Venice Gondola Ride and Serenade with Dinner - Venice | Viator at: https://www.viator.com/tours/Venice/Venice-Gondola-Ride-and-Serenade-with-Dinner...

YIKES those gondolas were a lot more tippy than I expected. I'm not sure if it's just my poor memory or a simply lack of boating experience, but I sort of thought they'd have a flatter bottom than they did. Oh well, no one fell overboard and that's the main thing. lol Although, it wouldn't have been as bad as it would have been maybe 10 or 20 years ago. I'd heard previously that Venice smelled because of the water and water pollution. I guess they heard enough people complain that they decided to clean it up. It's quite nice now.

I got to ride in the gondola with Sally, NaNoKit, and Princess Megan Snow Rose. That was great. I really enjoyed getting to actually talk with both Princess Megan Rose and Kittiara. I've seen them around, but haven't really engaged them in any real conversation until now. They are both really awesome people--like I expected any less. lol I was especially excited to build a bond for future contest hosting! I don't know what I'll want to host or when, but I'm sure it will happen and I want to know successful folks whose brains I can pick when the time comes.

Afterward we ate and gondolaed (not sure that's supposed to be a verb, but whatever), we went back to the apartments. I got to share with NaNoKit, Elycia Lee ☮, SB Musing, WakeUpAndLive~doingNaNo'24, and SandraLynn. What a fun bunch of ladies! Though, shhh...but that SB Musing is an odd duck. She was like jumping on the beds and feeling them to see which was the best one when we first got here. Hmmm...so she leaves the leftovers to us. To me, a bed is a bed (mostly). Especially when I'm tried like I was this afternoon. But now that I've had a good nap (perhaps longer than I should have), I'm tired, but also willing to stay up and chat with my roommies. As one by one, folks started going to bed, we got quieter and quieter as not to disturb the others, until it was just SB Musing and me. I told her how much I admired her spunk and her sense of humor. She's a really neat lady and I'm glad I'm getting to know her better! However, she's a night owl and I'm getting tired, so off to bed with me...