Europe Grand Tour: Venice, Italy

Thursday, the fellowship embarked on yet another adventure. We bade farewell to our family in Switzerland (never easy to do) and began our trek to the beautiful city of Venice, Italy. We drove through the breathtaking Gotthard Pass, a beautiful mountainous path that leads from the German-speaking part of Switzerland to the Italian-speaking region along the route to Milan. The scenery was worth the extra driving time, and we made a few stops along the way to enjoy it.

After a long drive, the fellowship arrived at the lodging, Jolly Camping. We stayed in cabin-like accommodation in a city outside of Venice. That night, we made our first trip into the city. Venice's many canals, small, winding streets, and famous masks generate a magical atmosphere. Naviagting the city is rather challenging, but Rudi, a human compass, made a great leader.

We had the whole of Friday to get lost in Venice's many charms. We began by the Great Canal and then ventured to the Piazza San Marco, Venice's main public square that features the beautiful St. Mark's Basilica, musicians playing for various cafés, and hundreds upon hundreds of pigeons (we even witnessed a wedding party there). The sea is not far from the square, so we walked along the shore and took in many of Venice's colorful sights. Somewhere within Venice's tight city center, we had lunch, where Azra tried risotto with squid and squid ink.

How better to end a faboulous day in Venice than with a gondola ride?  It was meant to be a gift and surprise for Rudi and Oici, but they insisted that we all join in. Venice at dusk is the best time for a gondola ride. Our gondolier was a funny guy who pointed out many of Venice's important sites. The evening was magical.

All good things must come to an end, and so it was for our fellowship. After two weeks travelling together, it was time to say goodbye. Saturday morning, Budo headed back to Switzerland, and in the afternoon we bade farwell to Oici at the Venice airport. Azra, Rudi, and I then left for our homeland and final destination, Bosnia, We had an amazing adventure and I am so happy to have been able to spend time with our cool and amazing cousins :).