Venice During Carnivale

Hello Everyone!

Wrapping up my weekend, I went to Venice on Sunday to experience the crazy atmosphere of Carnivale! We went with a program, which, if the price range is okay for your budget, I definitely recommend doing so. We left bright and early at 8:00am and got into Venice at 11:00am. there was a huge crowd of all of us so we had to wait for the rest of the buses to arrive at the meeting point and then we were off on the water taxi that brought us onto the main island. We unfortunately missed the "Flight of The Angel" which is a traditional event that symbolizes the official opening of the Carnival. Basically, an unknown guest of Venice, the mysterious angel flies down on a chord from the Bell Tower into the Piazza in Piazza San Marco. I heard it gets extremely crowded so in a way I was happy I wasn't going to be in a boisterous crowd, but at the same time I was a bit disappointed.

On the water taxi arriving in Venice

We went straight to a glassblowing demonstration where a glassblower made  a beautiful vase. It literally took him only five minutes, but the creation came out magnificent. It is very hard to become a glassblower and the job is prestigious: it takes at least ten years worth of training to become a master of glass. I left with a beautiful (but slightly expensive) souvenir for home.

Glass Blowing Demonstration

Piazza San Marco with traditional flag throwers, among theatrical re-enactments

After the demonstration, we had a couple of hours to explore the city on our own. We went back into Piazza San Marco and took a lot of pictures with those dressed up in costume. It is incredible how gorgeous the dresses were and how elaborate the individuals become to celebrate this traditional event. The weather was frigid and raining so we ducked into a small trattoria to grab a small lunch. I shared a plate of gnocchi that was ridiculously expensive and absolutely terrible. I actually left the place hungrier than when I came in. However, I wasn't going to let that put a damper on the day, so the hunt to find my mask began. I originally wanted an original hand crafted one but they were really expensive. I bought myself a beautiful  mask (sadly not handcrafted) but was very happy with the purchase.

One of the many, many, many people dressed up

Ultimately, I loved Venice. The fact that they don't have roads but rivers, continues to amaze me and the city just had a magic aura to it, despite the crowds and tourists. I would love to come back to this cute island one day, preferably not during Carnivale. As much fun as I had, I would like to explore the island further during a less crowded time. I am glad to say that I have been here during such a fun season!

Eternally yours,

Stephanie