So to reflect on the past week, it was a slow start.. as always we like to 'let our hair down' on a Tuesday evening. Mondays are always a really long day with being in Uni all day trying to make sense of whats going on 99% of the time and then looking like we know what we're doing for the remaining 1%. Myself and Jess decided to go to a new place that evening.. (due to the fact our normal bar was closed.) With a shisha and a very weak Mojito we enjoyed a very laid back evening and for a change got an earlyish night!
Friday couldn't have come sooner, it was like a mini holiday. We booked our train tickets to Venice and Verona with the help of a cheeky 2 for 1 offer on Saturdays. We boarded the 8:05am train with every school trip in Milan and headed east to the cities of love.
Venice truly is a sight, as soon as you step away from the train station you're greeted with the first of many canals. The copious amount of water glistening in the sun. I think if you took out the time we stopped for photographs we would have got everywhere in half the time but that's the beauty of being on holiday (right?!)
I was a little taken back by the amount of tourists, I thought Milan was bad but this was at least 3 times worse. We followed the very efficient signs through the city towards San Marco and delved through street after street of intricate buildings and tiny bridges. We came across a gorgeous mask shop, covered floor to ceiling with unique masks with colour, glitter and feathers. After trying on what felt like them all, we decided on buying one each with the added beauty of the shopkeeper explaining the process of making them. I'm happy to say the mask I chose was the first one I picked up and I'm totally in love, now all I need is a masquerade ball.
We came across San Marco Piazza - the social, religious and political centre of the city dominated by the impressive St Mark's Basillica. This church looked more like a palace than anything which such intricate details and decorations. After having the most expensive 'piccolo birra' we decided to embark up to the top of 'Campanile' the clock tower, standing almost 100 metres tall. The views from the top were incredible and it's a must do in Venice - especially on a beautiful day.
We were prewarned at the price of Gondola's and knew it was a no-go however the water buses were an equally beautiful way to travel by boat around Venice - and also cheaper.
Travel tip - Food - Don't go for the first, second or third place you see, normally the best food are away from the main areas and down the copeless amounts of side streets.
Verona was next on the map, we arrived in the historic town late morning and made our way to the centre. I didn't know what to expect before visiting Verona, I think the one thing we've learnt since living in Italy is that every place is beautiful but has its own characteristics and Verona wasn't disappointing.
We were greeted very unexpectedly with a view of a massive amphitheatre, older than the Colosseum but one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind. I was a little hazy about going inside as I didn't want to ruin the impact of when we visit Rome but I'm so glad we did. The arena was impressive, climbing all the way to the top and sitting in completely silence taking in the surroundings. It felt so surreal. Looking out over the rooftops of residents living so close to such a historical feature. It was fascinating how despite sitting at the very top i could hear word to word everything the over excited kids were saying at the bottom. It was an oasis away from the mass of tourists in groups outside pushing their way through the old cobbled streets.
We joined them (ish) by dodging our way through tour group after tour group to find 'casa di Giulietta' or Juliet's balcony. With a small tunnel leading through into this brimming square with a single balcony overlooking a blanket of tourists. A statue of Juliet standing very prominent in the middle with people groping her breast (apparently its a sign of luck and love.) Behind was a mass of love notes tied to trees, pinned to the wall and intricate locks placed onto the branches graffitied with initials. The colours and textures felt like an art installation. This gorgeous idea almost spoilt by the constant flow of tourists taking photos of a balcony which in theory could be anyones.
We walked 100 metres to be faced with a gorgeous piazza dell Erbe, home to an intricate market selling anything from a cup of fruit to Murano glass pendants. Of which we bought both.
Murano is an island off of Venice known for its glass, after seeing so many beautiful pieces of jewellery, myself and Jess gave in and I'm now a proud owner of a beautiful pendant.
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To end our afternoon we took a long walk to the Basilica di San Zeno. A little way out from the main centre of Verona and totally worth the walk. The Church stood in a beautiful square with locals perched on each bench and kids roaming around on their bikes and Rollerblades. It was relaxing to watch and almost felt like a part of their typical Saturday afternoon. The presence of tourists was minimal and this unspoilt serenity was peaceful.
We entered the church and sat in the garden where the sun's warmth and the birds chirping away fulfilled the consistent sense of calm. It was the most impressive church I've visited and since my time in Italy there has been a few!
After a bottle of wine (whoops) we made our trip back to Milan after what was an incredibly beautiful but tiring weekend!
Since returning from our weekend away I've had a few days to myself to reflect on my thoughts. I think it's been the first time where I've actually sat down and have taken in my surroundings. At times It's always so easy to look at the negatives in a situation but when I think about how lucky I am to be sitting where I am today, living in a beautiful country in a little apartment with the most hysterical flatmates and enriching my life with a new culture It begins to really hit me and I definitely wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Ciao
S x
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