Venice... Carnevale... Madness

Going to Venice during Carnevale was definitely one of those experiences that I had written off as something I would never get to do in my life…I don’t know if it’s just because of how renowned the event is around the world or the fact that it seemed nearly impossible to get there from wherever I was…needless to say, my expectations both for myself and for this trip were completely blown away, because, well, I went to Venice for Carnevale!

I kid you not, Venice during Carnevale is like one big party; imagine people going to somebody’s apartment, chilling and well, partying…Imagine how, if the party is good, the apartment gets crowded…sure enough, it gets difficult to walk around and you find yourself not trapped in the madness, but just aware that there is not easy exit…therefore you just… chill and maybe if all goes well and your enjoying yourself and maybe…dance? (remember all that chilling that Italians do?)

Now, imagine if, instead of an apartment, you multiply the scale to that of an entire CITY that is just chilling (key word for this exchange) and partying. There were people EVERYWHERE; Venice’s small medieval streets were filled to the brim with people (like my friends and I) just walking around, trying to make our way to Piazza San Marco, and exhibitionists in traditional Venetian, Carnevale costumes ready to take a picture with you because, well, they spent a lot of money on their freaking costumes and wanted damn well to show it off. You can imagine how stressful all of this was during the day (especially when you’re essentially walking in one big crowd of people) but how exciting and magical it is after the sun sets and you’ve had one or two…ok maybe three drinks (in my case it was a beer after only eating breakfast at nine that morning and a nasty bottle of white wine that our group split between the 8-13 of us on the way back to the train station…yeah that’s right…drinking in public… remember that Italian thing as well?)

However, like Dante’s journey through the underworld….we had to go through hell just to get to paradise (which, I guess, added to the magic of being in Venice in the end…)

Upon arriving to the train station and meeting up with some people at 9:30 to hop on a 9:55 train which would take about two and a half hours to get to Venice we noticed a big crowd of protestors outside the train station…but I mean, come on, everyone protests here…no big deal, right?

Wrong. This was a traveling protest getting on the very same train we needed to get on, not to go to Venice of course, but still…what should’ve been a relaxing train ride (I was thinking about how nice it would be to buy a newspaper) quickly turned into something….well, a lot more interesting we’ll say.

Smoking. Drinking wine. Anarchist graffiti. No seats. Seats available being filled by people and their dogs. Protest announcements over the loud speakers.

Are you sure we’re in Italy?

Did I mention that all of this was against American foreign policy and the building of bombs on a military base in Italy….uncomfortable? I think so. Feeling like a capitalist pig? I did for sure.

So there I was, standing while dogs were sitting in what should’ve been one of my seats with people around me smoking and drinking on the train…and as much as I should’ve been vexed… I just didn’t care (probably because I was in good company, meaning some of the people I’ve randomly met here through Erasmus events.) I mean, it made the train ride interesting…right? Besides, they got off about halfway through our trip, so by the time we arrived to Venice I did have a seat.

I guess Italy is starting to rub off one me. Drinking in public. Not caring. Chilling. This…is…the…life?

Walking around Venice after arriving was anything but easy, but here’s why it’s bearable: The city is gorgeous. I’ve been there before and I felt very lucky to be able to appreciate beauty of the city without having to rush from landmark to landmark to snap a photo.

After our group (keep in my twelve people navigating through a very crowded city was anything but easy) got somewhat divided but somehow, since everything and everyone seems to gravitate towards Venice’s main square, San Marco, we managed to find each other…and chill some more (chilling being sitting in a circle in the middle of thousands of people walking around as, many of whom were of course in costume).

Beer and food anyone? We all were hungry and need of some sustenance… and sure enough found a very much overpriced restaurant (in true Venetian fashion) on the way back to the train station. Like I said, after only eating breakfast, you can imagine how quickly that beer went to my head…Venice, after that, was a party.

We still had a good amount of time to kill before getting back to the train, so the plan, in the theme of the day, as to get a bottle of wine and just walk around. Six Euro and one and half liters of wine later, we were all ready to stay until midnight or whenever the train after we were supposed to take would leave…This was VENICE during CARNEVALE, people. Lights. People in costume. Music in the streets. Being silly stringed. Confetti. Food EVERYWHERE; I think we may have frequented nearly every place serving food on the long stroll back as well…it’s amazing how colors and smells get magnified after you’ve had a few drinks…and you’re still starving.

I didn’t want to leave.

The train back was anything but comfortable…it was more like round two of the train ride from that very same morning. Picture this:

People traveling back from Venice en masse going back to Bologna or their respective cities, all tourists from different countries, tired from walking and drinking like maniacs…Mix with that, Italians, people from Venice and those other Italian cities who are pissed by the crowds of tourists.

Take it to the bridge.

So we have, our group standing (the whole trip) in the train car, in the dark, flanked by a group of Spaniards who are refusing to let anyone else push their way in so that, at least they can sit down. Like I said, all of this in the dark….right by the bathoom (where consequently people were sitting just to have a seat…)

Enter, stage right, two American girls (dubbed Mary Kate and Ashleigh…) That’s right, that stereotypical, incredibly annoying image of what we Americans really are (the very same image that people like me work to dispel by moking the point that being a tool is universal…and can’t be confined to national boundaries).

“Wait did the train company really SELL all these tickets…? WATCH OUT… we bought glass! It’s delicate!!!” “NON C’È SPAZIONE…È IMPOSSBILAY PAHSARAY” (condescending English accent speaking to Italians, I was offended FOR the Italians.)

Needless to say, the people that pissed me off the most weren’t the Italians who pushed their way into our already crowded train car, the Spanish people sitting and refusing to let the Italians pass or anyone else, but the girls with the freaking Venetian glass.

“STUUUDIO A FIERAYZE. FACCIAHMO UNA FESTA QUI.” They say to the Italian guys….

AHH, you can imagine, I was going insane…for a bit. Luckily they, and their glass, found a freaking seat, so we didn’t have to hear them bitching anymore.

In the end we all lived happily ever after getting a little gelato then a beer at an Irish Pub near the university, arriving in Bologna, as expected, ten minutes late.

Was Venice during Carnevale totally worth all the shit we went through....?
ANY DAY.