March 15th, 2014, we finally arrived at Venice Marco Polo Airport after more than 16 hours of travel. Seeing everything written in a different language intimidated me a little, but I was excited to come to a country I have never visited before. Stepping out of the airport, I was a little disappointed at the weather – I expected warm and sunny weather all throughout the trip, but it was quite chilly and pretty foggy. During the one-hour long boat ride, all I could think of was how tired I am while looking at marshes over the windows.
When we arrived at San Marco, we had a little time to wander around till the next boat to get to San Servolo, where we are staying for this trip. While I expected a peaceful and quiet city with rich historical and cultural accounts, the countless number of tourists and the business targeting them reminded me that Venice, truly, is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world for its art and architecture. After a short break in San Servolo, we went back to San Marco for a walking tour. A bit more relaxed, I could observe the beautiful city as a living museum. It was as if I went back in time – not in a single moment but in various moments happening at the same time. The buildings of diverse architectural styles, the narrow alleys with small shops, and the small bridges across canals were so charming in different ways that I could not take my eyes off my surroundings.
The first day was enough to get me excited for the rest of my trip in Venice. The apparent difference between tourist spots and local community centers only encouraged me to wander around in order to take in the different cultures. I hope to experience the Venetian culture in more details soon!
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