European Getaway Day 12 (27-11-2006)

Day in Venice

Today we were off to see the canals of Venice, we had to meet the shuttle bus at the front gates at 9am so we got to have a little bit of a sleep in. As there are no roads around Venice, everything is by boat we were dropped off at the closest place to it, it was a place called Piazza Roma pretty much it is a big bus stop/bus parking area. As we started to walk it was interesting to see a truck unload its cargo onto a boat so it could be delivered to a shop in Venice.

Venice is made up of 114 islands connected by over 400 bridges. It was very very easy to get lost there. No major roads all the little winding ally ways and you can’t always see the main canal so you don’t know if you are going in the right direction. We were told the best way to see Venice is to get lost (like that would be hard) and you will work your way to the main canal and have a good time trying to get back.

Before we were to be let loose by ourselves we got taken around to a few of the tourist sights and a glass blowing demonstration and a Venetian lace shop where most of it was made by hand. It was interesting to see a table cloth that took over 9 months to make. We had both never really appreciated lace before. You wouldn’t want to eat on it. It was here that Kieran and I decided to be an adult couple and we bought a table cloth for our future table. Now we know how big our table will be and how many people it will sit. As we were buying it we both kept saying “I can’t believe we are buying a lace table cloth”. It was bloody expensive too.

After the lace shop we went to a glass blowing factory, It was amazing to see how easy the guy made a glass horse (with a massive penis cos the tour leader said she liked stallions) check out the video.

It was now onto our gondola ride, Kieran and I were on a gondola with 4 other people from our tour. There was Sam, Tegan, Tarshi and Amanda. That’s just how they did it all groups went in lots of 6. I asked Kieran if she wanted me to sit next to her to which I had no reply. Being the gentleman I am I waited for all the ladies to get onto the gondola. It was then that Kieran released I wasn’t sitting next to her and that it was Tarshi who would be her romantic date for a ride around Venice. After a lot of convincing I ended up sitting next to Kieran which I had to do a seat swap on a moving gondola. Would have been funny looking at me trying not to fall in the water and take everyone with me.

On the tour around the canals our gondola dude didn’t sing (which I liked) the girls tried to make him sing but to no luck. He then told us to look into the water as there was fish. When we did he then rocked the boat making us all freak out that we were going in the water, the girl’s screamed, real funny buddy. The truth about gondola rides it that it wasn’t romantic at all. Not only were there 4 other ladies in the boat with us but the guys didn’t sing, then you look in the water and see a Ladies sanitary pad float by. Then followed by a syringe, didn’t real touch my romantic bone. Who knows to a junkie at that time of the month, it could have been very romantic.

As everyone got on the gondolas together we all finished the gondola ride together. So everyone decided it would be a good idea to go and have lunch together. Jaz took us to a restaurant she knew of. Most of the tour group sat inside. Kieran and the girls sat at one table outside and I sat down to a table with the 3 boys and Cath and Tiff. The girls table some how got their food first (I guess that’s the power of women) I had gnocchi bolognaise which was really good but was also a tiny serving. I thought Italians ate heaps of food. Check out the pic this was our table. Aaron at the front had black pasta which is spaghetti with a squid ink sauce, as gross as it looked he loved it (that’s what he said anyways).

One thing I must tell you about Venice is that they are famous for their masquerade. A word of warning to the guys who go there to buy a mask, remember that the cat mask is for gay men only. So if you want a boyfriend blokes you can buy one of these it works the same as a pink triangle.

After lunch we all made our own way around town. Kieran and I went looking for our secret Santa gift as we had to buy it b4 tomorrow night which is when we would be giving them out. I didn’t know much about my person, not many people did. As a boy I opted to buy my person who was a girl a glass bracelet all girls like jewelry and a bargain at 5 euro I was done and could walk away.

We then did some more looking around. Sadly our time was running out in Venice and we had to make our way back to meet the bus. We ran into a few of the boys and hoped on the public transport system of Venice. That’s right it is a boat the bus of the ocean. It was a good ride back up the canal was a good way to see the sights just use the public transport. When we got off the water bus we had a bit of time to kill so we all went into a café to have a nice warm coffee, Kieran had a hot chocolate of course.

Made it back to the camp site and had a bit of time before dinner. Free time always means time to get in a few drinks. We had dinner that night at the camp side in their restaurant which was a really good selection of food. Although Gavo told us that we would be eating horse meat there was none which was disappointing. We ended up having a mixed grill of snags, chicken and some lamb ribs. It was all really good food. At dinner we were given our tour shirts which we had all designed. They were good.

That night we had another stay up and had some drinks. Ended up having the wodka, there were only a few of us up that night but it was a good small group all our friends. The thing about wodka although it is 40% it doesn’t hit you for a while. I thought it was weak and as a result drank about 2 thirds of the bottle. It wasn’t until the sip of the last drink which was pretty strong by this stage, it hit me. All of a sudden I was a massive drunk and pretty wasted. However as I took my last drink everyone decided to go to bed. So here I was a massive drunk and ready for fun and I had to go to bed. By this time Kieran was yelling (because he was yelling and falling around and singing loudly and beiin a dick!) at me to go to bed cos all I wanted to do was party and she didn’t ohhh well such is life of a wodka drinker.