Many have told us the secret is to just have fun getting lost in the streets of Venice, which is exactly what we did accidentally on purpose. We walked about 12 miles our first day and loved every minute of it. This city is unreal. It feels like every picture could be a postcard; the colors, the age, the unique setting and even the shops and locals. Granted it’s a tourist-heavy spot but if you wander far enough you’ll stumble upon the heart of what living here is like… I think? See: old woman chillin’ alone in her plastic chair chatting with anyone and everyone who walked by.
We started the day as the locals do, with a cappuccino and pastry served at a stand up bar on the corner. We paid with four €2 coins that had collected in my pocket and he returned a single Euro coin as change. No tax, no decimals. Venice, the land of the Whole Number. You are beautiful.
I fumbled my way through ordering in Italian using the phrases I’d crammed into my brain on the way. It felt like I was back in high school learning my weekly vocab words en route to the quiz, but with more Italy. Nobody needs to know the definition of hoi polloi… Anyway, I’m certain I didn’t fool anyone, but I want to believe they appreciate the effort. It just feels right to try. Cards on the table, it also feels like a way of shaking the “Yes, I elected Trump” signs we have hanging around our necks. Maybe I’m projecting, but at least I’m not the guy from New York demanding directions from across the plaza, stereotype-fairy-style sprinkling superfluous Rs onto the ends of Italian words. It was a thing. America is a big country, we’re not with him.
We also ended the night as the locals do, with a Venitian drink/apps (orange beverage pictured below) followed by a late dinner. The food hasn’t been mind blowing or anything, but it’s all been very good. Zero complaints. Oh, and we obsessed over finding the most authentic gelato, which I believe we did… though it’s still all so yummy that perhaps ignorance tastes just as good as authenticity. If we failed, we failed deliciously. I can live with this.
