Venice: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Since Italian men are infamous for hitting on women I am keeping a tally. So far its up to 6 (2 very very old men, 2 younger men, 1 middle aged men, and 1 old man) 8 if you count the scary men blowing gross kisses). Not bad for 10 days. It really hasnt been bothering me, most of them arent scary, and I have been using them as practice on how to deal with being hit on. As a plus, on occasion I walk away thinking "you know... I am a fox." which makes me start laughing and there is joy in the world.

My fake engagement/marriage ring does absolutly nothing here. A guy asked me if I was "alone" (single) and I flashed the ring with a "i am taken" expression and he started laughing at me, took out his keys- put the key ring on his finger and said "see. I can do that to."
A british guy who is traveling with his girlfriend (he lived here for a year( told me all the ring means to italian men is that they just have to try a little harder.

Monday: Took a long leisurly time to walk to the street by the station.
Will miss padua. Very glad I came. I feel like I have a nice secret. All the covered sidewalks with the pillars, the river walk, all the bike riding locals, the market, the enormous square (2nd largest square in the world, moscows is bigger- though lisbons seemed pretty big to me. The first guy to hit on me in padua told me this but seeing as he was hitting on me I didnt believe him. But then I kept hearing it from people who werent hitting on me. I told him I was from canada (winnipeg) but then he started asking me all these questions and I realized I needed to change my lying location. I am now from Kansas. Kansas City to be exact. I know its silly to lie about where I am from to my new boyfriends on the street seeing as the US is huge. But Iowa and Chicago are mine. They are a part of me and I dont want to just hand them off to just anyone. (the hostel people get to know the truth though)

Am taking a12:30ish train to venice, checking into my hostel and doing more exploring. maybe some of the islands. I feel so pleased with my vaparetto card. 72 hours of hopping on and off the vaparettos. usually ist €25 euros. but because I am under 29, I bought a rolling venice card for €4. which got me a free map (worth 2.5) and the vaparetto pass only cost €15.

Really need to figure out what Im doing next month and where i am staying in tuscany. the next hostel has free net (but only 15min a day) so might get to do very very short updates)

Monday
didnt do much. checking into new hostel, doing internet, train took a great deal of day. walked around till 8

tuesday
not including being able to clean your room with just the snapping of your fingers, the best part by far of Mary Poppins is when they get to choose a drawing to jump into and walk around in. Just the concept of it is wonderful. Thats how I feel, getting to walk around Venice. I am walking around in a painting.

It was driving rain until 4pm today. But since I was in venice I did everything I planned on doing. Sit on a park bench and eat my banana-orange-breadoliveoil for breakfast, Go to the islands of murano and burano, and walk around venice. Looking back on it, since I really truly only had one full day here, I wouldnt waste it going to murano again since it (and burano) took almost half the day. It was nice, but most of it didn-t make me stop like venice does. If you really like bright colors, which I do, burano is really nice because all the houses are painted in a different shade. But again, venice is better. Found another girl in the tiny hostel who wants to see venice at night so thats what we are doing. I dont have my hostel set for tomorrow so Ill really be flying by the seat of my pants, which is nice for a change. just realized i could stay in venice another day if I really wanted to, but i probly will move on.

to my turtle- i hope all went well. breathe.