Wet, Cold and "No Cameras Allowed"

Today was not the best day.  It was cold and wet and nasty.  My tennis shoes are soaked and so is the bottom foot of my jeans.  Hopefully they'll be dry enough to wear tomorrow, but I don't have any spares.

We got up at 9 and met in the common area, where we had our free breakfast.  It wasn't bad. (Look for an update to this post with pictures eventually.)  It was two huge rolls with butter and jelly and two cups - one each for a juice dispenser (unidentifiable citrus) and a coffee/chocolate machine that had the most disgusting hot chocolate I've ever tasted. 

We then looked at a map before heading over to San Marco Plaza.  San Marco's Basilica was breathtaking.  The gold and the tile and the marble was intense.  The thing that really sucks is that every single museum and church in the city has a "no camera" policy, so we don't have pictures of anything.  We then went to Palazzio Ducal, which was the government head when Venice was its own republic.  It was really interesting, with a lot of different things - sculptures and prisons and ceramics and paintings and armory and everything. 

Then we walked around a bit, got lost a bit, and stood in the rain a bit.  We got our Rolling Venice Cards and water bus cards, so we have unlimited rides, which was nice.  We got nasty pizza from this supposedly cheap place (it was - kindof).  I got mushroom and pepperoni (two small slices) and I couldn't finish them.  They dripped grease and were just bad.  It was too cold for gelato, but we're definitely going to get some while we're here. 

Then we walked back to the canal and took a water bus to the area with the first ghetto.  We got lost a bit, but ended up in the right square.  Being Friday, there were a couple of people in the traditional black hats and suits, and we all said Shabbat Shalom.  They invited us to Friday night dinner and services, but we politely declined.  James is Catholic and has never learned about anything else.  As he said when I commented that "Gratzi" was "Thank you" in Italian, "[He's] an American and proud of it. [He's] not going to pretend otherwise." 

I don't know about you, but I abhor the "I'm American and I'm the best in the world" mentality.  We were talking the other night about how English is becoming global and I made some remark that most people, if not all, know at least a few words of English.  He said that not really, because not everyone speaks more than one language, and if they do, they probably don't retain it because he took Spanish in high school but didn't retain any of it, and therefore people elsewhere do that too.  He has a point.  My point is that Americans are the only ones so wrapped up in themselves that they don't think anyone else in the world matters. 

I am one of 30 people on this trip from Clemson, and only a few of the others have been to Europe or traveled before, but they're also on a study abroad trip.  I have gotten so many "Why would you want to go there?" or "What's the big deal, why are you there?" comments about studying abroad that it makes me question what we, as Americans, are teaching our kids.  Being here in Venice for less than 24 hours, I have met people from all over Asia, four different places in the UK, Russia, Australia, Israel and a couple others.  The variations in languages here is incredible.  And all these people I've met are my age, or a little older. The same age as Americans say, "Why travel?"

I think it's a very sheltered view, and one that needs to change in the States.  But I don't have power to do that, so I'll just have to teach my kids and everyone I meet how awesome traveling is, even when you have a tough day and just want to go home.

So after we declined on the invite, we went to the ghetto museum.  It was really cool because it dates back to the 1530s and it wasn't a superbly racial thing, it's just that the Jews settled in the same part of town for the culture and community, and then later it became more racial and everything.  We saw three synagogues, each in Venetian Baroque style and incredible.  I learned so much even though I thought I knew a lot.  James felt a little awkward (ok, a lot) but said he enjoyed it. 

We then came back to the hostel and he went to get food for dinner.  I felt (and still feel) nauseous, so I munched on a granola bar that has traveled with me every day since I bought it in Clemson.  (It's very well-traveled granola.)  Afterwards, I took a shower while he used the comp.  Then I logged on and have been doing homework and blogging and stuff ever since.  Soon it will be time for bed.

Goodnight, world.