Jazz Club, Chocolate Festival & Venice Carnival

I had a very busy weekend!  Thursday I went to a live jazz club with my friend Phil from my installation art class.  It was located on a side street in a basement but man was it a cool place.  Live jazz every week and a drink menu with so many options your head will spin.  You have to pay 5 euro for a first time pass but after that you receive a card and you don't have to pay cover ever again.  I wish my dad could have been there.  I recorded some videos ill put up with the next post.  I just ordered a virgin Shirley temple (couldn't resist) and enjoyed the show.  These performers really knew there stuff!


Friday I went to the chocolate festival with my new friend Ashley that I met in the photo-lab.  We went around 4 so we could take pictures but stayed for almost four hours!  I'm becoming better at creeping on people to get photos and Ashley and I developed a method where we would walk behind the person the other was interested in taking a picture of so it looked like we were taking pictures of each other (does that make sense?)  Anyway there were nearly 30 tents with chocolate vendors selling everything from chocolate shoes, bears, and other fun shapes to chocolates with alcohol in them and my favorite - hot chocolate.  Which was literally just melted chocolate - no mix, no milk, just chocolate so thick it probably gave me some new cavities.  I also enjoyed plenty of free samples after learning the phrase "posso avere" as well as chocolate covered candied lemon slices and a pistachio truffle.  I'm becoming very very fond of that flavor :]  I made some new friends through Ashley - Charity, Shannon and another Ashley.  Funny story, I went to high school with the second Ashley's old boyfriend!  The phrase "what a small world!" is every study abroad students favorite because you never know who you are going to meet.  Ashley also speaks fluent Italian so she stained her teeth with the hot chocolate and started asking out a few Italian men....they were not very interested in her chocolate mouth.  We also rode the carrousel and finally departed.  I used a whole roll of film just at the chocolate festival so Ashley let me barrow one of hers to take to Carnival the next day.  What a pal!


Saturday we had to get up at 6:30 to make it to the train station before 7:30 to meet our travel group for Venice.  It was a three hour bus ride but the scenery was beautiful.  We had a private boat take us to the heart of Venice from the bus station on the mainland and after a glass blowing demonstration with out tour group we were free to explore until we had to meet to leave at 7.  Venice is a beautiful city and the day was perfect!  Fifty-five degrees and sunny.  The water was the perfect shade of sea-foam green and there were steps leading right into the water almost everywhere you turned.  


In case you were wondering Carnival starts 40 days before Easter and ends on Fat Tuesday - the day before Ash Wednesday.  Carnival started as a time for celebration and expression throughout the classes, as wearing masks hid any form of identity between social classes. During the 1970s, the Italian government decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice, and sought to use the traditional Carnival as the centerpiece of their efforts. Today, approximately 3,000,000 visitors come to Venice each day for Carnivals. One of the most important events is the contest for the best mask, placed at the last weekend of the Carnival.  Carnival used to last 3 consecutive months!  It is now celebrated for a much shorter period of time.  


After the glass blowing demonstration we found the square where the main events were happening.  We walked around and took lots of pictures of the costumes and I creeped on people for my film class.  I took another roll just at Carnival.  I tried tiramisu (although I have to say, not as good as my moms) and we also stopped in a famous cafe - Florian (Venezia 1720).  We all split some hazelnut ice cream because it was 15 euros a pop!  But delicious at that.  We spent a lot of time watching the costume contest and other performances on the main stage as well as explored the city.  I wish we could have taken a gondola but they were too expensive.  But we got to see the men with the stripped shirts and hats sing while they rowed :]  We also met a lady from the States who goes to carnival every year for her birthday and dresses up (I have a picture with her that I will post).  When it started to get dark we took to the shops as the temperature dropped dramatically.  I purchased some glass earrings and a present for my dad.  Gradually marking people off the list!  It was a long day but a great experience :]


Sunday I did chores, laundry and homework.  We went to the market and I emailed my mama for some recipes.  Hopefully I'll be making egg salad, potato, chicken salad, fresh salsa, chicken sandwiches and a few other things in the future.  


That just leaves today!  Monday.  I only have my Italian class from 8 - 9 on Mondays.  We have our first quiz tomorrow.  I think I'll do well but wish me luck :]  I also ran 4.5 miles today.  Only 4.5 to go to be where I need to be by the beginning of May.  13 by the end of the summer (fingers crossed)  


Look for pictures and videos with my next post :]