I make my way to Venezia feeling like a complete idiot; I get off a bus with people who all wear the same backpacks, and who all have the ignorance of comprehending the Italian language. I feel ill-prepared in that I do not understand the locals' tongue, whereas they communicate back to me in my native language. Here, I fall under the unfortunate stereotype known as the tourist.

I hate the feeling of being called a tourist because I generally think of the term in a negative approach. Foreign invaders are entering into a strage land to plunge themselves into the midst of what has become history. They take picture upon picture of historical landmarks, and never think twice about whether or not they are damaging these past artifacts with each flashing light. Anways, enough said.

I am trying to get used to some of the few phrases I now know. I can say Buon giorno! (Hello!), Ciao!(Hi/Bye), Scusi(Excuse me/Sorry), and Grazi(Thank you). It seems odd that I can now speak of roaming narrow alleys near St. Marco's Square and of riding in a gondola in the canal of Venezia. I still can't imagine the islands during the majority of the year where everything is wet and flooding frequently occurs. Venezia is sinking like so many other cities, and must be maintained by people who wish to save it. On these islands of about 118 lies Doges' Palace, an extravagant church, and hundreds of small shops which sell glass-blowing items along with a variety of other intricately detailed figurines.

Venezia is a wonderful place if you know where to go. It is so easy to get lost in all the twists and turns of the streets which all look the same with their slate walkways and windowsills choked with flowers. Flowers upon flowers add a simple elegance to the otherwise old and cracked houses. One thing interesting though; the variety of color of each house is truly uplifting in comparison to the Spartan colors of the United States. In America, most houses are plain and use the same basic colors again and again. In Italy, there are numerous shades of pink and yellow; the outsides of the buildings contrast one another to make Italy more unique than ever.