If I were to paint the picture of the perfect place I would
probably include some little canals in there. What an incredibly unique city
this was. The time was spent doing the touristy things like trying gelato,
riding the gondola, going out to eat as massive groups, and seeing the opera
Don Giovanni by Mozart.
Carpe Diem, Baby! Seize the moment, or in modern slogans
“Just Do It!” This was my mindset for the few days spent in the Venetian
wonderland. Somehow, just get out of bed. As the raindrops splash against the
window and the cold air creeps in between the curtains, I lose the sheets
because there’s no time for sleep. Every morning that I would leave my hotel, I
was made certain that it’s a beautiful world.
Venetian Rain, there are two beautiful things that it taught
me. Be proactive, and let your inner soul flourish. Through my experience in
Venice, I saw that being proactive has many benefits including wide open
winding city streets accented with rustic renaissance and baroque architecture
open for a runner, or two, to get completely lost, as the beautiful Maddie and
I often did. I noticed that most of the people would be reactive when it rained,
hiding under whatever cover they could find whether it be an umbrella or a roof
awning. This is beneficial for the proactive type, who is out for a morning
run, because the normally crowded city streets were now left empty. The second
one – Let your inner soul flourish. Bravo to Patrick and Amy for entertaining
the entire group with your impressive dancing skills, especially outside of
Matteo’s. Your east coast swing looked very fun, and Amy you’re a natural. Rain
or shine, you two put on a great show!
Then there was the Wine. For some, the heart of the
experience. Consumed quite often, there were definitely a few standouts I had
the pleasure of tasting while in this post super power trading city turned
tourist hotspot. There were times when the wine acted as a great social
lubricant. For example, the first night that we got to Venice where our table
of 20 shared multiple reds, whites, and pinks. Then there were the times where
the wine was the experience. For me, I was the happiest when I was sharing a
delicious Italian Red and a cheese plate with my professor and new friend
Patrick. There were two occasions where this occurred, the first being in this
off the beaten path wine bar called HC. This wine bar was my first real
experience dealing with wine. We sat amongst a small wooden table that was
propped right next to a tall window that offered a spectacular view of the
canal. The décor and ambience of the wine bar was inviting and cozy, and the
waitress was a beautiful woman who was incredibly helpful and informative. The second
occasion occurred on the last night where I tasted the finest red I have ever
been exposed too. The star of this city for me was the Amarone. Beautifully
complex red full of deep raspberry and oak that enters with a tart sensation as
it purses your lips, balances out beautifully as it sits on your tongue, and
trails with a nice sensation of bitterness.
It has a deep complexity which is visible in the color as you can see
the center of the wine is a very deep burgundy and then lightly simmers to a
beautiful red that reminds me of a red rose from the first love. More
specifically, deep flavors of berry were mentioned by the entire group. As
Chipman mentioned, it fires color synapses of red, blue, and purple in your
brain and reminds him of the final trio of Richard Strauss, Rosen Kavalier. I
get caught up in the moment and drink that wine for hours on end with the
fellow Westminster Travelers on this trip. That has been one of the greatest
things on this trip! The sweetness of doing nothing (In Italian)
A few quick notes about the city and its history and
architecture. A very interesting city, the fact that there are canals
everywhere and the only way to get around the city is by boat or foot is incredibly
unique. Also the city has had a very rich and prosperous past due to the fact
that they were once a very important and large trading city. Since it is one of
the most eastern cities in Italy, it was an important hub for trading goods by
ship or land. This old wealth is
prevalent in some of the churches and palaces throughout the city. The city’s
architecture was also one of the best I have ever seen. A mix between some
gothic and neo-gothic as well as a blend of eastern and western influenced renaissance
architecture. It is one of the few larger cities on the Adriatic coast. The
city handles rain well, the locals approach: A beautiful day it is today, the
rain washes all the worries away. It is uniquely Venetian in the sense that the
whole city can (and did) flood and the shop owners response was to throw down
some boards and stay open. St. Mark’s square was completely flooded the second
day that we were there and this was an amazing experience. It truly was cool to
see how the water filled the entire city and to see thousands of tourists
trudging around in a giant puddle. It made for some great photos and some great
times.
And a few last
things:
1.
Showing my gratitude. To my parents, you’re the
best. I am so grateful for this trip. It has opened my eyes and fostered
curiosity and creativity. I have learned so much so far and it is not even
close to over. I have met some incredible people and seen some incredible
sights. Thank you.
2.
Enjoy the journey. To all the readers, I have
learned that Italian have a great mindset and it is one that is much slower and
in the moment than I am used to. What it boils down to is enjoying the moment
and the journey you’re on.
3.
Define success and happiness. It is your life.
Strive to do what you love, why you do it, and who you do it with. Happy people
define success in a manner that inspires them, often tied to their passions,
and purpose. I have seen this every day in my professors on this trip and it is
very inspiring.
4.
A poem inspired by the runs
Venetian Rain
Getting lost, in every sense of the word,
Running around, without direction, while
the sky pours,
Conversations w/ a beautiful girl, makes me
want more
with wide eyes and open mind, ill experience
this tour!
