Venice to Lake Garda

After the 6 hour drive we arrived in Venice and quickly hopped on a motor boat to drive downtown. The quick drive on the grand canal seemed like we were thrown into a movie scene. All of the large pastel houses with water lapping against the foundations along with the narrow canals and teems of gondolas made for quite the entrance to the city. The quick nautical trip was followed by a stroll in St. Mark's square, which is surrounded with some of the most affluent shops I've stepped foot into.

We quickly made our way over to the gondolas and were serenaded by another Italian hero as we meandered our way in and out of the city. Just making mental notes of this trip for my future wife. It was an early night after that. The 6 am alarm the following day was certainly not a pleasant sound for Ethan or I, yet somehow our parents were knocking on the door 15 minutes later saying they had already packed their bags, eaten breakfast, showered, gone to Venice, and flown to Maine and back before we got out of bed. 

Venetians are known for their glass blowing ability, which we saw firsthand, but apparently this reputation has gone to their head because their glass objects are certainly not cheap. The next item on the agenda was to take a quick tour through St. Mark's basilica, which is the only building in the world that has a ceiling lined completely with 24k gold. It was an amazing sight and really brought together the true wealth of the Venetian province. The best part of the day was a quick stroll on our own as we got away from the throngs of tourists and wandered the true backstreets of the city towards some pastries, gelato, and a fantastic lunch. A private dinner at a major vineyard was up next, which turned into one of the best experiences of the trip. The food was excellent, some new Australian friends were made, and we all left feeling stuffed to the brim. 

Arriving at the hotel near Lake Garda, we were able to see the sun set over the mountains and cast a light orange over the canyon and the lake below. It is now time to head to bed and another early morning awaits us tomorrow.