Paris 07.11.09

I don’t think life gets much better than this! I woke up early and got my delicious breakfast downstairs in the fancy hotel. Then got picked up by boat right outside our hotel doors in the water that flows throughout all the city. We were then taken to Murano where the Venetian glass factory is. We had the chance to watch a man blow the glass. It was really unbelievable!! I could not believe how talented he was. My eyes were locked on him during the whole demonstration. He made a solid horse statue and also a vase. Then I walked through their showrooms and wondered into the gift shop. I ended up buying a horse just like the one he made. I think it is beautiful and it is a little abstract too. Then we grouped up and walked throughout the island, shopped around the glass shops there and bought some jewelry. They have the coolest rings made out of glass, and they are so pretty. A few of us lost track of time while taking some glamour shots next to the unique buildings there and ended up running back to the water taxi. We wanted to take the water taxi to St. Marks Cathedral, so we got on that. I guess we took the scenic route, because about an hour later we arrived there. Those things are not the smoothest ride, but even with that I fell asleep on the way Doing all these great things each day can be exhausting, so I usually end up sleeping while I am traveling from place to place.
St. Marks was over the top gorgeous Most of it is made up of mosaics. Everywhere, on the wall, floor, ceiling, and even on the exterior of it. There is a lot of gold mosaics that makes it look rich and bold. That was a neat experience to see how much work and time it must have taken to place all of those mosaic tiles. The rest of the day was basically free to do whatever we wanted.
After grabbing a bite to eat, a nap, and a little more shopping we were on a search for a great gondola ride!! We found one that was better priced than the others and the driver was extra nice. We couldn’t have chosen a better time to go, the sun was setting and the city was starting to settle down. This is something that I will never forget The gondola man sang to us in Italian, which he got a little embarrassed about He would go really quite when we passed another boat, but it was really fun. He told jokes, told us about the history, and was very charming. The boat was lacquered black and had great upholstered seats in the inside. I felt so pampered and it was great. He told us how the city is built on water and how the actual construction of it worked It was very interesting and it is really a wonder how the city stays so stable. That gondola ride was something I will never regret, even if it was a little pricey!