Hello everyone! It is now official, one day remains in Venice!  I cannot believe that it has been almost two weeks since I left America for Italy.  The memories I have made so far will last a lifetime and I’m looking forward to my last day at this ancient paradise.

We began this morning with a huge treat: a trip down the Grand Canal and side canals on a gondola.  Our group settled into two gondolas that began down the Grand Canal.  We passed the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and then saw the Accademia Bridge.  We then moved on to a side canal where we got a relaxing ride for about twenty minutes.  We passed numerous gondola stoplights, which are quite famous in Venice.  Our gondolier wore the stereotypical stripped sweater outfit and wore a hat with a ribbon hanging from it.

Our tour down the side canals was quite relaxing.  We got to see the peaceful, serene side of Venice and waved to other groups in gondolas passing by.  We eventually made it back to the Grand Canal, where we ended the tour.

The group went to the Rialto shopping area, where everyone shopped.  Being the budget spender that I am, I did not.  We then got a quick bite to eat before taking the vaporetto back to our hotel.

We convened for class and watched the movie version of Ian McEwan’s “Comfort of Strangers.”  Let me tell you, this is a disturbing book.  It is about a couple named Colin and Mary who take a trip.  They are in love, but at the same time they live distant lives.  They meet a couple named Robert and Caroline and begin to fall in love with the city.  They soon find out that Robert and Caroline are not what they seem.  Robert and Caroline begin making love to pictures of Colin and soon Colin and Mary are trapped in their appartment.  Robert and Caroline begin to try to sexually arouse Colin, as Mary goes into shock.  Robert and Caroline then cut Colin’s throat in the movie and get arrested, but are not ashamed and do not try to hide their crime.  In the book, Colin survives, but he and Mary are scarred for life.

I’m glad we watched this and talked about this book at the end of the trip.  It was disturbing.  The movie featured a really good cast of Natasha Richardson, Helen Mirren, and Christopher Walken, but the story was far too creepy.

We then returned to our rooms until 7:15, when the Schroeders took us out for dinner.  We went to a pizzeria and it was quite delicious.  They then told us that our group was like a surrogate family, and gave us a little gift to remember them and the trip by. They gave us each an animal family made of real Murano glass.  Examples included a family of dolphins, octopi, dogs, and cats. I got a family of roosters.  It was a very nice gesture, and we all have grown to really like the Schroeders.

After this we went to the bars, where I had the Venetian famous Bellini.  The bellini is most famous at Harry’s Bar, a bar that was frequented by Ernest Hemingway.  Harry’s Bar is undergoing restoration so we had it at Madigan’s Pub, the place where we went last night.  A Bellini is a mixture of wine and peach puree and it was quite good.  We then headed back to the hotel to prepare for our final day in Venice.

Tomorrow our tour guide Chinsia, is taking our group to the three Venetian Islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello.  Her husband is bringing his boat, so we are getting private transport.  We will be touring a glass factory, and the serene parts of the islands.  I am quite excited.

That is all here for today from Venice.  I have fallen in love with this place and vow to return one day.  Ciao from Venezia.

Here is the link to the gondola pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2526821855506.2117572.1402200167&type=1&l=54f9a5bdf0