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Architecture, Pigeons, Wine and the Bag Bandit










Who can come to Venice without noticing the architecture? 

Architecture


From a seat on the Alilaguna water bus from the airport to the hotel, the city seemed to float on the water. Walking through Venice was even better. Each little canal seemed so picturesque. The architecture was gorgeous. Palaces line the streets, cathedrals tower over the skyline and you can almost imagine the city as it must have looked in the 16th century. Alleys were more like fun mazes and we got lost in a few. Bars and cafes are everywhere and orchestras play live music in the streets and squares. Being lost is not so bad in Venice, because of the cute little side streets that seem to last forever. 


Pigeons


I kicked a pigeon today. Well, almost. Piazza San Marco was beautiful--it's a big square surrounded with beautiful buildings, live music and crowds of people just taking it all in. The square is also home to a ridiculous number of pigeons. People were feeding them and allowing them to land on them--their hands, head and other body parts just for the sake of a good picture.


The pigeons almost seem to get in your way, but fly away just in time. It was a miracle we did not get pooped on. However, we were slightly comforted by Rick Steves' advice in his guidebook: wait for the poop to dry and just peel it off. Wiping off immediately will just make your hair a big pigeon poo mess. 


Wine


Nick and April can order in Italian now, so Nick ordered us a round of spritz con aperol--a white wine drink made with orange rind that originated in Venice. We sat in an outdoor cafe on the canal (first picture) and feasted on pizza for a late lunch.


The Bag Bandit


Venice is overrun with super touristy things, which is probably the only negative for a city so beautiful. There was a band of men selling knock-off designer bags on random street corners and on little bridges. Of course it's illegal to sell or buy the stuff, so we'd just ignore them and walk by. Later that night though, we witnessed the Venice police force at its best. While waiting to catch our water taxi shuttle from San Marco to the hotel, one of the bag bandits got busted. A police officer on the street started chasing the men with their arms full of fake designer bags. All the men got away except for one. He was trying NFL-style moves to try to get the police officer off his back. He was sprinting in random patterns, swinging his bag booty with him as he tried to escape. Finally, as awestruck tourists looked on, the bag bandit dropped his bags and walked away. The police officer immediately stopped and confiscated all the bags. Talk about a high-speed chase. An Indian man behind us thought someone must be shooting an action movie.


Tomorrow we'll tour the interior of San Marco Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the prison. 
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