AFS Italy Exchange: Third Full Day, Second Day of Action

Today we went around Venice on foot and visited all of the churches and more important monuments and stuff. We also visited the legislative building and whatnot. It was actually pretty neat, considering how much interest I DON'T have in politics. It was probably one of the better days. The sun was out and shining and it got quite warm around the middle of the day. And we were able to explore a little bit more, and at lunch we lazed on one of the docks at the edge of the piazza in the sunshine eating our sandwiches and singing silly songs holding hands like we were little kids. People gave us strange looks, as I'm sure it is not a common sight, as we all communicate in Italian and break off into different languages like Spanish and German, as well as English and others. At one point we were on another big boat along the Grand Canal, travelling to another point to visit, and we sat next to a small group of guys from the Netherlands (and listening to awful club music). We had already been accustomed to the strange glares of people silently questioning us, so we took no notice of theirs, when one beside me tapped my shoulder and asked what we were doing. And so I explained. And he asked me how we could all be friends if we're from all over different parts of the world, how we could speak to one another even though we all spoke different languages and such. And I told him that we all spoke to each other in Italian. But how is it that you can explain to some common teenage boy listening to club remixes drinking coca-cola and just looking for a good time to party how we can all be so close even though we're all so different? It just is. You bring a group of people together from all parts of the world, all with a passion for exploring and learning, and from there it turns into love. There's no explanation for it. It's just how it is. Sure, there are always groups of friends within groups,and there's always someone that may kind of bother you. But it was in no way divided because of race, religion or origin. Not even language. And you were more bothered by a certain characteristic of a person, like talking too much or something, not bothered by, again, race, religion, language, values, or whatever. We are just people. And we are all from the same world. Why can't we be friends? So when I was asked this question I just smiled and said, "Because we are." And I left it at that. Whether he understood or not. Most likely he didn't understand, nor did he have an interest in thinking about it further. Although one was very into my Ray Bans. I had a little more respect for him and his good taste ;)
So now I will show you pictures from that day, and then we will move on:

Diego in front of the first of many
and very similar but beautiful churches

We weren't allowed to take pictures
But turning off the flash and peeking
the lens out of you hoodie pocket is a good
little trick.

I quite liked this

A bust

All the churches are cavernous and
echo like crazy. Pretty neat.

Those same jazz guys. I quite liked them

TUNA

A beautiful sunny day

A rather horrible picture. But it's proof that
I stood there.

Me and Diego foolin' around

Up in the tower in the pizza. Here is all
of Venice from above

Basically impossible to find your way
around

Galileo Galilei - with his telescope from
here on the 21st of August 1609 increased
the horizons of man in the fourth centenarian.

The Islands from afar.

So that was that day. When I arrived back at the house I was exhausted. Temporarily. Then it was back with the silly games. We even attempted to play Monopoly but it just turned into stealing each other's money piles and moving people's wooden players around when they weren't looking. Then I had a shower and went to bed, exhausted. There was not a sound except for Mr. Turtle slowly milling around, constantly trying to escape. I caught him once standing on his hind legs staring over the edge of the lip of his container. A mischievious turtle. Great.

The next morning I once again arose early and met up with Laura and her host mom and we were driven to the meeting point called Piazza Roma just outside Venice to find the others. This was the Island day. We visited 3 islands. The first one was called Torcello. Very cute. But basically nothing there. Very quiet. And the next one we visited was Burano. Every house was painted a different and very bright colour. It was very happy looking. Although the lasagna I ate at a restaurant was quite awful. But we didn't stay very long there. Lastly we went to Murano. The place where all the blown glass is made. It was full of glass shops. And that was it. Just shops with all kinds of things made from glass. We also visited a church. But by then we were a little tired of churches.