The best euro-fifty I have ever spent.

2/13/2010- Venice, Italy
Venetians must not have bladders. There are quite literally ZERO bathrooms in Venice that are accessible to the public, and by public I (more importantly) mean a cluster of college students that have endured a predicted 3, which turned 4.5, hour bus ride. Once properly relieved, we were able to grasp the splendor that is Venice and the outrageous chaos that is Carnivale. Everyone was dressed to the nines, whether it be in period costumes or as dancing, singing condoms, it was a spectacle to be sure. After we were sufficiently satiated by a delicious meal of pasta at a nearby Trattoria, we discovered the lone gelato shop that sold mildly inexpensive Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) and sweets and were on our merry way to frolic around the square of San Marco, the focal point of the city. We arrived just in time to observe giant paper-mache bugs that were parading amongst the tourists and performers throughout San Marco square. The city was alive with music and masks which would have been overwhelming had the ambiance not been so incredible. After a long day of observing the glitzy costumes and wild characters (plus 3-euros worth of use at the public restroom, which was well worth the cost) we were on our way back to Firenze, our warm beds and flurries of schoolwork that plague our Sundays. Even with the minimal time we spend in "Venezia," it was long enough to make me vow to return to the fabulous sinking city very very soon.