Venice, Italy with Mandy

So my trip to Venice, Italy began on September 15th on a HLX flight at 4:30pm. During my flight I experienced more turbulence than prefer but I landed safely in Venice 50 mins later to be greeted by Mandy who had arrived a few hours earlier. While Mandy waited for me to arrive she met a fellow traveler in the airport who was from Newmarket, Ontario and also knew people Mandy knew from Bermuda!! It's a small world out there!

Mandy and I started our trip with a bus ride to the island of Venice then took the last Waterbus to the Rialto Bridge. This was the last waterbus due to a worker strike!

Here is Mandy and I aboard the waterbus. Neither if us saw much of the sights since we spent most of our trip chatting away and catching up since I think it has been over a year since we have seen eachother!

Despite the cloudy weather Mandy and I made our way to our hotel, Albergo San Samuele located near Campo Stefeno in the San Polo area without having any rain :) We had our first meal at Campo Santa Margherita, the student area of town. I had some delicious prosciutto pizza and we shared some local white wine. We ended the night with a drink from the local hangout and some delicious gelato. In Venetian fashion, Mandy and I managed to get lost trying to return to our hotel... Those streets can be very confusing!!

On Saturday, Mandy and I took to the streets and saw the sights, San Marco, Rialto Bridge and Gucci! Although we couldn't start our day without a great cup of cappacino and a couple of panini's.

In the spirit of reliving a Toronto Zoo moment, Mandy thought she would buy some pigeon food at San Marcos... Neither Mandy or I lasted more then 10 secs before Mandy forced the food back into the vendor's hand and run as far away as she could in the other direction leaving me with a pigeon on my head...

Here is my poor attempt to take a picture of myself with a pigeon on my shoulder. :)

Although later in the day the pigeon's would get their revenge by brisking Mandy with poop... Thank goodness for the near by Canadians who offered Mandy a baby wipe. What was crazy is that these Canadians were from Newmarket, Ontario!! And even attended Sacred Heart Highschool! Once again another reminder that it is a small world! (I guess Disney was right...)

Now below is a picture of Mandy and I in Ecopt in the Italian area of the Nations... Oh no I am sorry... This is Mandy and I in Venice at San Marco near the canal!! It's crazy how similar it feels to Ecopt at the Nations exhibit!! Mandy and I just needed to talk a picture of us here :)

Now I thought it would be fun if I tried to find the LUSH store in Venice given it's one of the hardest areas to find anything. So Mandy and I walked around with no luck. We had almost given up and started to head towards Rialto Bridge when it hit me like a lightning bolt in my nose!! I turned to Mandy and yelled out "Mandy! I smell LUSH!!" I smelt the LUSH store!! I knew we were close, so Mandy and I followed our noses turning left and right until the store revealed itself within the market stores by the Rialto bridge!! Inside the store I bought a chunk of Banana Moon soap (going to be discontinued in North America), creamy candy bath melt (which the SA told me they only had in Italy... Which is not true but it"s one of my favourites), a pot of the Brazened Honey facial mask and a Karma massage bar (Now I have never seen or heard of this before, it looks just like the discontinued gold glitter Karma bath melt but much bigger!!) and she also gave me a sample of what she said was a hair conditioner.. It's a small solid chunk of white and it smells lemony so I think it Lemslip body butter.

Overall this weekend has been memorable! Something I am so lucky to have shared with my cousin Mandy! Thanks Mandy for a great trip, we will have to meet up soon. Where to next??

Oh and I flew home in a pink T.Mobile plane! Great way to end a fantastic trip :)