The two V's: Vienna and Venice (Assignment 4, Category 8)

     It has been awhile since my last post because we have been traveling for just shy of two weeks. It has been an exhausting but rewarding time. As a class, we went to Vienna, Austria and Venice, Italy before being sent our separate ways for Spring Break.     Vienna was a very cultural city. Our first day is pretty much a blur to me. We started the day off by visiting the city's Treasury. This place had important items from the Austrian and Holy Roman Empire. It was interesting to see relics from so long ago. We were given free time after the Treasury, but my time was unfortunately spent in an Austrian hospital. (More on that experience in a future post.) The next day we attempted to see a horse show, but were disappointed to find out that the "show" was a training day. I made sure to make a mental note to research things before I buy tickets. Luckily, one of the guys in our group talked to the chief and we were able to get a partial refund. We used our refund to visit the city's Natural History Museum. It was amazing and is probably one of the best museums I have ever

visited. The museum was filled with colorful jewels, rocks, and fossils. We even found a meteorite from Nebraska and a gift snapping turtle from South Dakota. It was cool to see something from home so far away. I was able to see my very first dinosaur fossils including a T-Rex! My favorite exhibit was one that focused on the evolution of man. I was able to see skeletal remains that showed how man evolved, something I never imagined being able to see. The museum even had a set of Neanderthal footsteps stamped into stone. It was covered with glass and I was able to walk literally in their footsteps. It was an experience I will never forget.    
     After our two days in Vienna, we embarked on an over seven-hour bus ride to Venice,
Italy. On our bus ride, I was able to see my very first mountain range: the Alps. The beauty of the range can not even be expressed in an image. It was truly breathtaking. Our first afternoon in Venice was spent getting lost all over the Island. We walked into a few of the city's churches, and enjoyed our dinner on the waterfront while watching the sunset. We got lost again on our way back to our hostel and ended up making a giant circle around the island. Getting lost was so easy to do on an island composed of dozens if bridges and winding alleyways for streets. Getting lost gave us the opportunity to explore sections of the city we never would have seen and made us work together together to interpret Italian street signs to get back to our hostel. The next day we visited Saint Mark's Basilica and the Doge's palace. This palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the ruler of the old Republic of Venice. It was built with beautiful Gothic architecture next to St. Mark's Basilica because St. Mark's was the Doge's personal chapel. Interestingly, the palace has prison cells on the east wing of the palace. These cells were referred to as Pozzi, the wells, because they were dimly light and damp. Eventually, the cells were outgrown and a prison was attached via bridge to the palace. This bridge is called the Bridge of Sighs because prisoners and their loved ones would sigh at the last sight of each other when crossing from the palace into the Prison. I can't even imagine how crossing the bridge felt. Prisoners were teased by their last glimpse at freedom and the beautiful pier. We spent our last afternoon in Venice getting the best pasta I have ever had and enjoying a gondola ride. Our homemade pasta was from a small shop down a dark alley and served in Chinese takeout boxes. (It was kind of sketchy but it is rated as one of the best places to eat in Venice.) Our gondolier took us on a thirty-minute ride through the canals of Venice. It was honestly one of the most beautiful and peaceful things I have ever done. I still can't quite imagine living in Venice and driving boats everywhere. There is a boat for everything: postal service, garbage service, delivery service, taxis, police, and ambulances.It was truly an eye opening experience in the 'Floating City.'