Gondolas

Venice is one of the most enchanting cities. It's a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds, and smells...some better than others. The atmosphere is intoxicating with exciting picturesque events on every corner and the imminent threat of the whole place sinking into the ocean. I love Venice. Not only was it immensely enjoyable but it was also very educational. One of the most important things I learned there was Italian men can be very forward. No point in trying to discourage it, Italian forwardness does not comprehend such a thing. In fact, attempted discouragement comes across as foreplay. It's slightly hilarious, maybe a little annoying, and always a good dose of inappropriateness. My favorite example of a quintessential Italian was experienced on a gondola. You see the gondolas in the movies, they are equally charming in real life. The one downfall is they are about 100 euros for a ride. My friends and I were torn about whether this was worth it, but then we saw...him. A tall, dark, swarthy Italian with blue eyes. Now if he was to be our gondola man then yes, 100 euros were definitely worth it. So we paid up, stepped aboard and waited for Mr. Italian Stallion to row us through the canals. Yet somehow, we ended up with a shorter, older, louder, creepier, but entertaining Italian. We were immediately invited to his home for dinner that night and then serenaded with this little number as we floated through Venice.

Gondola rides are totally worth it. Especially if you are lucky enough to get a sefl-assured singer/songwriter genius like ours.