Adventures in Porto San Stefano and Venice!

Hello everyone! Jake and I have been house sitting for the last week at Il Poderone. This has provided us the opportunity to see more of beautiful Italy. Last week, we made a day trip to Monte Argentario. This is the same island that we visited for Jake's birthday, but this time we drove to the other side to Porto San Stefano. It was another beautiful day for sightseeing! We have become two pretty skilled wanderers, and stumbled upon this view of the Mediterranean. 

So beautiful!

We had lunch while enjoying a beautiful view of the sea. We also went to the Etruscan city of Orbotello, but it was siesta time, so there wasn't much to do. Overall, it was a relaxing day of sightseeing; we had to save energy and, most importantly, money for our trip to Venice!

Ah, Venezia. Wow, what a city! We were both nervous that we weren't going to be able to make it, but we are both SO glad that we did. We were only able to spare a weekend, making for a bit of a whirlwind tour, but we were able to see most of the city.  

As with most of our trips, we spent our day wandering. I think that it's always more exciting to stumble upon something beautiful by chance. Therefore, we had a lovely 2 days of sauntering through the winding canals of Venice. The only downfall was the weather. Oh, the weather. When it wasn't raining, it was very foggy. This made for an eerie and mystical feeling when walking through the alleys. Regardless, our enthusiasm and excitement could not be quenched!

Jake and I crossing over the Grand Canal. Notice the heavy fog. It was early morning, so the gondolas and water taxis weren't about just yet. 

Most of the canals resembled something like this. It was so nice to be in a city without streets and cars. Some of you may know my track record with crossing streets. For those of you who don't, I will just say that it is not good. The lack of vehicles made a stress-free trip for Jake, who frequently saves me from imminent danger.

Despite our adventurous spirits, there were times when we had to consult a map. It is extremely easy to get lost in Venice. I like to pride myself on a having a good sense of direction, but, after this trip, I have been forced to reconsider. 

We stumbled upon the art studio of Enrico Orlando Martina. Usually, he doesn't open his studio until mid-day, but, by chance, he had decided to open early that day. We had quite a good time with him. He was happy to show us some of his techniques (which were quite impressive) and showed us his extensive collection of painting and sketches. We bought one of his cheaper paintings of a canal in Venice!   

This is a view of the docks near St. Mark's Square. It wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be. I think it is actually a blessing that we were in Venice in November. From what I hear it can be a mob scene during the summer and spring months. 

This was one of the only advertisements on display in St. Mark's Square. George Clooney, he's sexy and he knows it.  

We spent a good amount of time in the Palazzo Ducale, the residence of the Doge of Venice. You can see some of our photos here. The palace was adorned with beautiful Murano glass chandeliers, famously made on the Venetian island of Murano. We didn't catch a good picture of them and I can't find one online, so you are just going to have to take my word for it. They were exquisite. 

One of my favorite parts of our trip was the delicious food! Each day we had a cheap lunch, so that we could eat a nice, guilt-free dinner. We both had a full menu (3 courses and dessert) each night and went home feeling very happy. Obviously, the Venetian specialty is seafood, so we enjoyed a variety of squid, mussels, fish, and clams. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

My hair was in desperate need of attention, so I dragged Jake to a salon. He ended up getting his haircut as well, and I must say that we both look pretty spiffy. I don't think that I have ever had a better haircut in my life. My hairstylist was an artist. 

That's all for now, but I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas!