Trully Ventuno

So I should probably be doing homework right now, but I would much rather update.  Homework can wait, at least this once.

My 21st birthday was Sunday, so naturally we celebrated Saturday night.  Saturday during the day I walked around Venice on my own and then met up with my friend Elizabeth who was visiting from home.  Sadly, I only got to see her for about an hour because she had to catch an early train to Verona, but it was still quite a nice hour.  She gave me an adorable and very functional purple purse that I have already started using.

Later that night, I met up with my friends who had just gone to Bologna.  We walked straight from the train station to Campo Santa Margarita where we started and finished the night.  It is a piazza where there are 8 bars and everyone buys a drink and then stands outside and mingles.  Its basically a student hangout and we all love it.  That being said we went into the 1st bar and sat down to warm up for the night. (It was pretty chilly...)  My friend Lexie bought me a spritz (Prosecco and Aperol... a very Venetian drink) and so it began.  We made our way to every bar, staying for various amounts of time in each, but at least enough for me to have a drink.  I tried an "italian" shot in one bar, which was the colors of the flag, then set on fire, and drunk through a straw, as well as had a delicious Prosecco (which is basically champagne) at midnight on my birthday.

At midnight we were in a bar called Orange.  My friend Aaron told the bartenders it was my birthday so they sang "Tanti Auguri a te" (Which is happy birthday with those words....I wonder which came first.) And then all of my friends, 20+ people erupted into Happy Birthday.  I got innumerable birthday hugs and double european kisses, and then we moved on to the next bar.  It was a super fun evening, and we took the last boat home.

A word on the final boat:  It leaves at 2:10, but you have to call a half hour before.  Also, we were about 30 minutes from the dock but we started walking about 15 minutes before the boat...so it was quite an adventure.  On our way to the Vaporretto we had to go down a very small alley, with one light and a group of guys meowed at us as we passed.  Now I have heard of a cat call, but I have never heard someone actually make a cat sound as one.  It was really funny.

My friend Lauren ran ahead and was able to convince the driver, in Italian, to wait 5 minutes for us.... Otherwise we would've been stranded in Venice.  Well not exactly, I mean we know people with apartments....but it would not have been a comfortable night.

The next morning my roommate and I woke up early (No hangover at all!)  And went to Mass at San Marco.  It was the longest one yet, and the priest had some accent that I could not understand at all.  I mean I thought the other ones were incomprehensible, but this time I started counting the different scenes on the ceiling..... I guess I probably shouldn't admit that, but there wasn't much else to do besides frown at the tourists who kept coming in, and prepare for communion which is an absolute free-for-all.  Italians don't seem to understand the concept of lines....at all.  The back of the church usually sprints up the aisle before the priest has even made it down off the altar.  You basically have to elbow your way into line and people give you dirty looks as if you were supposed to have gone already.  It is quite an event.

After mass we went to grab the boat back to San Servolo, but the lady said that the boats were canceled due to the fog.  Granted, there was a lot of fog...but it had been worse that morning and the Vaporetto still ran.  I think she didn't want to look up the next time for us.  It didn't matter though because the weather was warm and we were hungry, so instead we walked to a little cafe with outdoor seating and had a delicious little lunch.

That night we went out for Chinese food which was completely divine.  It tasted just like it does at home.  I don't know if I could ever get completely fed up with Italian food, but that Chinese did taste really good.  We then tried to go to a Karaoke Bar, but it was closed on Sunday, so we ended up at our little Irish pub, I swear they should have seats with our names engraved on them. 

All in all it was a very pleasant birthday full of good food, good drinks, and great friends.  And now it is time for me to get a good night sleep.  Buona Notte!
<3 Allie