Venice is nothing like you’ve ever seen before. It is literally a water wonderland. Kind of like Disney World on its own island. Grams and I enjoyed great sea food, water-side cafes, gondola rides and window shopping.

Saturday we did a whirlwind tour of Murano, Burano and Torcello. Murano, the island of glass, is home to a swarm of glass-blowing factories. In fact, a man hand-pulled a horse from a blob of molten glass right in front of our eyes. It was magnificent.

There must be a little village of petite women with half-moon shaped glasses and an abundance of thread on the island of Burano because all we saw were these little women working away, sewing beautiful lace handkerchiefs and embroideries.

The island of Torcello was my favorite—there were no tiny women or glass blowings but everywhere you turned there was a pretty little bridge, or a cathedral, or a stone carving. Needless to say Grams and I had several photo-opps.

Today we had the day to relax. We visited the Rialto bridge and San Marco square in the morning. The Rialto bridge is a very old bridge in Venice that is now filled with market shops and a bunch of men throwing around these squishy balls that splat on the pavement and then balloon back up into the shape of a pig, and alien or a tomato (ha). Sometimes these men sells knock-off Prada or Luis Vuitton bags…and as it turns out that is illegal. So when the polizzia comes around, they let out a few whistles—like a warning call—and they all run and scatter. I can actually recognize the sound of the warning-whistle, so even I know when there are cops around. It has been so tempting to try and sound a false alarm. Oh, if only I could whistle. :)

This afternoon Grams and I took a gondola ride. There are little men everywhere dressed in red and white striped shirts, black pants and straw hats—they really play up the gondola rides. We booked a ride through an agency, so we went on this tiny little black boat with 4 other people. As it turns out, the boat really only should have held 5 passengers. And guess who was the odd ball out and had to sit at the tippy-top of the boat? Me. Oh my luck. I played a balancing act—because with my slightest movement the boat would tilt and the gondola driver would yell “Middle, middle!” Good grief. He could have been a drill sergent. Because I was sitting down on the opposite end of the narrow, small boat, from Grams, the gondola driver was really my only option for conversation. So what did I ask him? “Hey, how many times have you fallen off this thing?” He looked at me, perplexed, and rolled his eyes. So I decided to shut up, thinking he would throw me off the boat at any moment, until he replied “Three.” So our driver has fallen off a few times. Not reassuring. Before the ride was over the paddle happened to splash some large waves up on my lap. I don’t think it was an accident.

After the gondola ride and on our way to lunch, Grams and I decided to catch some shade. Little did I know a pigeon would decide to take a little potty break in the rafter above me. We were standing in the shade of the Doge’s Palace when—bomb’s away—I felt a splat on my foot. I looked up and saw the tiny little butt of a pigeon, with its tail feathers spread. Today was not my day.

Our night in Venice, Grams and I packed our bags and decided to get a quiet dinner in the hotel cafe. We shared pizza margherita (I am SO going to be a food snob when I get home to NC—Italian pizza, pasta and gelato has changed my life forever). As I went to take a sip of water while enjoying our pizza—what do you know—but I missed my mouth entirely and dumped the ENTIRE glass of water in my lap. Grams thought this was so funny that she spilled her pizza all the way down the front of her shirt. We were a sight to see, that is for sure.

Well Grams and I hit Paris in the morning. Hopefully France can handle this dynamic duo. :D