Venture to Venice Round Two

I just got back from Venice. I was there with friends for about two days. We stayed at an awesome hotel in Rialto called Hotel Malibran. It was just a short jaunt to San Marco Square and just around the corner from what seemed like thousands of shops. It was wonderful to get out of this little Paderno bubble that I live in for an extended period of time. Once we got settled in our room and dropped our backpacks we were off, off to find the Patisserie that was wafting the delicious aroma of fresh bread through our shuddered window that is. I got what Sarah, my roommate, and I have come to call "balls". They are these mini-doughnut-hole-esque pastries with nutella, fruit, and custard fillings. They are insanely good. Then we set out to see the monuments in San Marco. We saw the Rialto Bridge, the Basilica of St. Mark’s, the Bridge of Sighs, the Bell Tower of St. Mark’s, and the Doge’s Palace. After that we shopped, shopped, and shopped some more only stopping for an hour to have sandwiches. I ordered a simple cheese, prosciutto, and tomato panini and a cappuccino. It hit the spot. Newly energized we found the strength to shop again. After a quick nap the group of my friends I was traveling with met up with another group of CIMBA students, staying in our hotel that we caught the train with, for dinner. We decided to go off the beaten path and try a more local restaurant. We found "Trattoria Casa Mia". It was filled with locals which for travelers meant one thing: It had to be good food. The prices were a lot cheaper than they would have been in more of a tourist setting. I had gnocchi. Now I know I got it at a restaurant in Venice the last time I was there, but this was a whole new experience. It was served entirely different. It came out steaming hot on a large plate and engrossed in a four cheeses white sauce that almost had a gravy like consistency. Needless to say I finished the entire plate. We all shared calamari and a few liters of Prosseco. We left this afternoon after a croissant filled with custard for breakfast, some last minute shopping, and a nutella and white chocolate gelato that had been calling my name. One train ride from Venice to Bassano, and a taxi ride later, where the driver gave out free lessons in dating, and I'm back in my dorm. Back to reality...and class.