As many may have already heard, Venice, Italy is currently experiencing the worst flooding it has had in over 50 years. The damage and the footage of it is unreal; I believe the French news pin-pointed it to a peak of nearly 4 feet. For comparison, below you will find pictures (the last 6) I took Venice a few weeks before compared to some of the same locations affected (mine are the ones fortunately without water).
Venice is not particularly the biggest city of them all, but it is well known for a reason (or rather, many): the criss-crossing canals with boats of tourists gently paddling through, the narrow alleyways between buildings in which I could easily touch walls on either side at the same time, the buildings and architecture right on the water – the list goes on and on. But certainly the one thing the group looked forward to the most was the food. The French version of ice-cream (la glace) does not at all compare to the creamy, sugary ice-cream of the US, nor do either of those two compare to the thick gelato of Italy. I think gelato takes the crown – the thickness and richness of flavor makes even the smallest amounts a real treat. On les vacances de Toussaint (the school break around the time of Halloween), we treated ourselves to severe amounts of pizza (absolutely unreal – the sauce, cheese, peppers were godly), spaghetti, and just taking it all in.
Naturally there were many tourists, and I told the group that I would not like to imagine what Venice is like on a weekend. Even on a Wednesday evening there were people galore, taking pictures under the lights, poking in and out of street shops and restaurants, getting on and off boats, and enjoying their time with friends as we were. The first few photos are some of my favorites from Venice, views that were simply polarizing. With each trip, I am constantly reminded of how easy travel is in Europe; I think the flight from CDG in Paris to Milan was only one hour. At the same time, it reminds me once more of how large the US is. One of my goals being abroad was to experience different cultures and, more simply, different life than that in the States; fortunately in Europe, that can be easily attained for a new country is never more than a couple hours away. 
