First Day in Italy by: Becca and KT

After a long plane flight and MANY swollen ankles, we are finally here. We arrived in Venice around 2:20 pm and yes, it is just as beautiful as we thought. It was almost like we were in a different world. We started off on the bus headed toward the hotel. The bus ride was filled with amazing scenery and tons of pictures. When we arrived at the hotel, there were even more surprises. The hotel rooms are much different than the ones in the U.S. There are four twin beds in each room. And the television is much smaller than what we are used to seeing. We also were surprised to see two toilets in our bathroom. We then realized that one was a bidet. We learned that this is something that is customary for the country's hygiene. (Not something we are used to, and will doubtfully use). After this experience we decided to go across the street to try our first gelato at gelateria. It was AMAZING. So amazing that we had it twice in one day! We then had a great practice at a local elementary school. Although it was a very different environment, we still accomplished a lot. We finished off the night at Woody's, a local restaurant. The food was great, especially the pizza.

Today's experience was great, and we cannot wait to tour Venice tomorrow and see what kind of great things this culture has to offer.