The Lido, Mario, and the ghetto

Yesterday we visited the Lido, the large island that is the main barrier between Venice and the Adriatic Sea, to spend some time on the beach. Even though it's October, it has been hot and humid, and the water was fine. There were shells everywhere, and it was possible to get very far from shore but still have shallow water. The waves were small and gentle, and overall it made for a nice, relaxing beach experience. I definitely plan to go back at least a few more times before it gets colder.
As a note of interest, since the Lido is so long, it's the only one of the island with roads for vehicular travel. A ferry takes cars there from Piazzale Roma, the main hub where the busses and trains arrive in Venice.
Later in the evening, we made our way to the Campo Santa Margarita, which is where students usually hang out in the evening. While there, we met an Italian guy, Mario, who was born in Venice and is currently a student of architecture. He came up and asked us where we're from, and we chatted for awhile. He took Sara, Audrey, and I to the Due Dragoni (two dragons) bar and bought us prosecco, a kind of sparkling white wine which is apparently a typical Venetian drink. When we parted for the night, he gave us the Italian kiss on both cheeks, which was a little awkward because Americans just don't do that. But overall it was a cool authentic Italian experience.

This morning, we had a tour of the Jewish ghetto, which is just the area where Jews were allowed to live before Venice opened to them. They probably wouldn't have been allowed to stay in Venice at all, but they were able to lend money, something the Christian population couldn't do because it was considered a sin. The Venetian ghetto was the world's first; the word "ghetto" comes from the Italian word for "foundry" because the ghetto was built by foundries. There were five public synagogues (and some private synagogues built by wealthy families) of which we were shown three. It was forbidden to take pictures inside, but here are a couple of outside pictures.
You wouldn't know what you were looking at unless someone told you, because the buildings look basically the same as the rest of the buildings in Venice. They are not typical synagogues, which would have been built at ground level. Because space was (and still is) at a premium in Venice, especially in the ghetto, the synagogues share space with apartments and shops. It is forbidden for anything to be built above a synagogue, so they are all on the top floor.

This is a monument to victims of the holocaust, who were taken from the ghetto to Auschwitz or other concentration camps.
To end on a lighter note, if you're planning a bar or bat mitzvah, Venice is apparently the place to be.

Gondole!

Today was an incredibly busy day, but I think we accomplished more than we had thus far the entire trip. We started with a visit to the Ca'Foscari library. After that we stopped at a nearby supermarket, Billa, to pick up some necessities. We also acquired Billa club cards, so now we really feel like we belong here. After that, there were several more stops, and we ended up running a little late, so rather than go all the way back to San Servolo and have to rush through lunch in order to get back for our Italian class on time, we decided to get lunch at an authentic osteria- a small, famiy type restaurant. In an osteria, everything is displayed in a case up front; you pick what you want, and they make you a plate. I wasn't quite adventurous enough to try the squid in black ink sauce this time around, but I did have bacala, a traditional Venetian dish- basically a spread made with cod. After lunch was Italian class, in which we made a huge leap; we now know enough to compose some actual sentences. But our day was not over yet; in fact, the best was yet to come. Professors Allen and Felluga had us at their apartment for a wonderful authentic Italian dinner, complete with antipasti (appetizers), a first and second course, and dessert. Between the antipasti and the main course, we were divided into pairs and given instructions for a scavenger hunt. Each pair received a piece of paper describing their particular mission, which we were not to open until we were outside. We were required to speak only Italian, and forbidden from showing anyone else the paper. Audrey and I had to get directions to Campo Santa Marina and pick up a cake Professor Allen had ordered earlier. Before we could eat it, though, we had the main course; salmon, polenta, and zucchini, and then a surprise. The surprise was a night gondola trip, which was absolutely amazing. Earlier in the day, we had been discussing taking a gondola ride, because that's basically the tourist thing to do in Venice, but I think tonight's trip turned out even better than anyone could imagine. It was a nice, cool evening, and we were rowed down quiet canals, along quiet streets, and under quiet bridges. Much of the time, the only sound came from the oars in the water. It was incredibly peaceful, which was a nice change from our busy schedule and the bustle of the tourist areas during the day, and being down in the canal like that, I really felt close to Venice. That is how you should see Venice. It's not just something fabricated for tourists; it's the way Venetians have traveled the canals for centuries. During dinner, part of the conversation centered around our favorite and least favorite things so far. It was easy to pick least favorite things, because there were so few negatives from which to choose, but I couldn't decide on a favorite thing at all. Now I have one. So far.

Icebreaker

My first two meetings with the main part of Venice were not on the best terms. When I arrived, I was tired, stressed, and a little disoriented, and I ran into a bit of trouble. The second time, I was on a mission; I was not there to enjoy myself. Yesterday, though, with the arrival of most of the other American students, I was able to decompress a little, and with their and the professors' help today, I was ready to face the city again. Professor Felluga gave us a mini tour, which helped us get our bearings a little, and it also helped that this time I had no goal in mind except to explore and enjoy myself. The result was a pleasant, stress-free visit and plenty more pictures.

Here is the Rialto Bridge and my proof to you (and also myself, somewhat) that yes, I'm really here in Venice.
No need to visit Pisa; Venice has its own leaning tower.

Here are some streets, canals, and bridges.

Venice is full of statues, monuments, sculptures, and fountains.

And after a long afternoon of wandering, we took the number twenty vaporetto back to our home away from home on San Servolo.

This is a view along one of the outer walls of San Servolo, near the vaporetti stop. The building at the end is where I'm staying. As you can see, it's not next to the wall, it's part of the wall. Thus I have a great view and the peaceful sound of waves lapping against the side... and the not-so-peaceful sound of boats going by. I didn't get much sleep last night; I think there were a lot of Saturday night parties going on. It's been fun to wave at tour groups going by, though.

Speaking of boats going by, I still can't believe that something the size of this cruise ship we watched yesterday can make it through the lagoon. I need to find out how deep that water is.

More of San Servolo

Today I discovered that there is, in fact, an elevator in Palazzina 14. Not only that, but it's right next to my room. I didn't see it Tuesday because I came in to the building from the opposite side. Even if I had come in the other door, I may not have noticed it; on the ground floor you have to go around the corner into a common area to get to it. I'm not sure how I missed it when I passed it Wednesday and Thursday, but I promise it had nothing to do with the juice boxes of wine they serve in the restaurant. I picked one up today, but I couldn't bring myself to taste it.
Aside from that, today was just another lazy day here on San Servolo. Many of the others will arrive tomorrow, and if/when they feel like venturing out, I think I'll see if they'll join me for a day at the beach. I thought about doing that today, but I didn't want to go alone.

Here are a few more pictures, including one of that lizard I mentioned before, or maybe one of his friends, and, as requested by my dad, a vaporetto. This is the number 20, going by my room. I'm sure I'll get a better picture soon.

I went to a garden party...

I spent all day today on San Servolo, the island where I will be staying for the duration of my trip. Not only did this give me a chance to recover and work on my journal and blog, but I also went out and did some exploring. First, here are some pictures of my room.

And outside my window.

This is the outside of the building I'm in currently, Palazzina 14, with the restaurant beyond.

Here's a view from the vaporetti stop where you land at the island.


Most of the island is covered with shady paths and gardens. There are little signs to tell you what all of the plants are. The first thing I noticed were the huge agave plants. I saw a lizard on one yesterday.

Here are some little lime trees, olives, and a pomegranates.
Laurel, oleander, jasmine, and something called a "strawberry tree".

There are even some sequoia trees.
Of course, plants aren't the only things on San Servolo. Here are a bunch of other pictures I took as I strolled the grounds.
Thankfully, the mosquitoes in my room last night looked nothing like this guy. I swatted a few more of their brethren as I walked this evening. Not surprising, considering I'm surrounded by water.
That's all for now. I'm off to dinner!