MY VIRTUAL VACATION TO VENICE, ITALY

Vernon Johnson

BITE 5390: Web 2.0 Technologies

07/03/2014

VENICE, ITALY

I CHOSE TO GO TO VENICE, ITALY BECAUSE I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS CITY. I FOUND MY INTEREST IN THIS CITY AFTER PLAYING THE VIDEOGAME

CALLED ASSASSIN’S CREED 2. THIS CITY PEAKED MY CURIOUSITY BY THE GONDOLAS THAT CRUISE

THE CITY AND THE FESTIVAL CARNIVALE.

ABOUT VENICE

1. It is geographically unique.

2. Primary way of transportation around city is walking or in a gondola.

3. It is the home of Carnivale.

4. The city is built on 118 islands.

MY TRIP EXPENSES

ON THIS TRIP, I AM GOING TO TAKE ME AND MY GIRLFRIEND. THE COST

FOR BOTH OF OUR FLIGHTS TOGETHER FOR SEVEN DAYS IS

GOING TO BE $3,308.00 FOR A TWO WEEK STAY.

HOTEL LODGING ATSTARHOTELS

SPLENDID VENICE

WHILE SEARCHING FOR A PLACE TO STAY, I CAME ACROSS A HOTEL THAT

ONLY CHARGED $330.00 FOR THE ENTIRE TWO WEEK STAY IN VENICE.

THIS MADE MY BUDGET VERY ABUNDANT. I WAS SCARED I WOULD CAP IT OUT QUICK DUE TO THE HIGH

PLANE TICKET.

TRANSPORTATION WHILE I STAY IN

VENICE

ONE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION THAT I WILL BE USING TO TOUR ME AND MY GIRLFRIEND AROUND ITALY IS IN A GONDOLA. I PLAN ON USING

THAT AS A TAXI. THE PRICE IS AROUND $104 FOR A 40 MINUTE

RIDE.

ANOTHER FORM OF TRANSPORTATION WHILE

WE STAY IN VENICE, ITALY.

Just because touring in a gondola can be rather pricy to explore and commute in Venice, there is

also another option. This is the water bus. In Italian, they are called vaporetti. These will take us through the main canals. They are the least

expensive to take rather than walking. An hour is only $10.00.

ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION

THOUGH SITE SEEING IS GOING TO BE FUN TO DO IN BOATS, OF

COURSE ME AND MY GIRL FRIEND WILL STILL HAVE TO USE TAXI CABS WHILE IN VENICE TO FIND OUR WAY

AROUND QUICKER! OF COURSE THEIR CABS ARE WELL…

SOMEWHAT OF A SPEED BOAT.

SOUVENIRS I PLAN TO BRING

HOME FROM VENICE

An item that I love from Venetian markets are Venetian Masks. These are used for the Venetian Carnevale for people to disguise themselves. Depending on how they are made, the price on the masks may vary.

ANOTHER SOUVENIR

Another souvenir I plan to bring home from Venice will be a gondola hat. I will get this for my girlfriend

so that she can wear it. It will be for her in the summer time to wear since it is made out of straw.

FOOD I PLAN ON EATING WHILE I AM IN VENICE

One type of food I am going to try in Venice is Baccala Mantecata. This is a fish food that is made from cod. It

is prepared in olive oil, garlic, parsley. Venice is a big seafood

market.

FOOD I PLAN ON EATING WHILE I AM IN VENICE

I ALSO PLAN ON EATING BIGOLI WHEN I JOURNEY TO ITALY. WHY?

WELL BECAUSE BIGOLI IS THE VENETIAN’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE

PASTA OF ITALY THAT IS WHY!

FOOD I PLAN ON EATING WHILE I AM IN VENICE

Of course what would not make my meal complete without desert? While I am in Venice, I plan on

satisfying my sweet tooth need with Tiramisu. The sponge cake with rich

coffee, wine, cocoa, and mascarpone cheese.

FOOD I PLAN ON EATING WHILE I AM IN VENICE

Last but not least, a final craving to my desert appetite will be Fritelle alla Veneziane. Fritelle are small doughnuts made of eggs, sugar,

lemon, and Marsala. These doughnuts date back to the

Renaissance age!

DRINKS I PLAN ON DRINKING WHILE

IN VENICE

What would not make a trip to Venice while riding in a gondola romantic? Riding in a gondola

drinking wine of course! I plan on bringing in my gondola some

Valpolicella.

DRINKS I PLAN ON DRINKING WHILE I

AM IN VENICE

One last beverage that I will try while I am in Venice is the Bellini. It

is a champagne that has the ingredients of peach juice, orange juice, and red grapefruit juice. The base of this drink is called Prosecco.

PLACES THAT I PLAN TO VISIT WHILE I AM IN

VENICE

Torre Dell'Orologio Clock Tower

This building was built back in the Renaissance period in the 15th

Century. It is a historic tower that has a clock on it and it contains lower buildings on the sides.

PLACES THAT I PLAN TO VISIT WHILE I AM IN

VENICE

Palazzo Ducale

This building was founded in the 14th century. It is also known as Doge’s Palace. It was built with a Venetian

Gothic style. It opened as a museum for tourists to visit in the

year 1923.

PLACES THAT I PLAN TO VISIT WHILE I AM IN

VENICE

Vini da Gigio

I plan to take me and my girlfriend here to enjoy an evening dinner.

This restaurant has the atmosphere of a old tavern in the ancient era.

The food here is elegant and represents the ancient venetian

tastes to guests.

DISHES OFFERED AT VINI DA GIGIO

1. Pasta di kamut

2. Tagliata di tonno

3. Tagliata di agnello

4. Misto crudo

5. Tortino di pere e grappa

PLACES THAT I PLAN TO VISIT WHILE I AM IN

VENICE

Scuola Grande di San Rocco

This building was established in the year 1478. It is a building that has rooms upon rooms of classic art.

The artist who did the work here is named

Tintoretto.

NAMES OF ART PIECES THAT ARE IN THE MUSEUM

• Sala Terrena

• Sala Superiore

• Sala dell'Albergo

PLACES THAT I PLAN TO VISIT WHILE I AM IN

VENICE

Ca' Rezzonico

This location is another museum that is dedicated to the 18th century

of Venice. It is located right off a bank of a canal. The museum contains ancient paintings and

furniture of historic venetian time periods.

VISIT ST MARK'S CAMPANILE

St. Mark’s Campanile is a historic bell tower in Venice. It was built in

the year 1514, but collapsed in 1902, and was rebuilt in 1912. This

bell tower shows a great view of Venice from the top and is a must

see when I visit.

VISIT ST MARK'S SQUARE

One stop I definitely will make with my girlfriend is on St. Mark’s

Square. It lies in the heart of Venice and is a place where many tourists throughout the world visit. Here I

will feed pigeons and listen to some great Venetian music!

TOUR THE GRAND CANAL

A must do while I visit Venice is to tour the Grand Canal. Me and my

girlfriend will do this through a gondola. By doing this we will see

all of Venice and what it has to offer by touring this main highway of

water. This canal is so huge it can be seen from space.

EXPERIENCE VIVALDI

What would a trip to Italy be without hearing the music? Vivaldi is a

violin show. It is also called the Four Seasons and was founded by

Antonio Vivaldi.

EXPERIENCE CARNEVALE

Carnevale di Venezia

This festival is held yearly in Venice and has been going on since the

Renaissance. The festival consists of people dressing up in venetian masks and costumes and they

celebrate the glamarous image of Venice to the world.

TYPES OF VENETIAN MASK

WORN IN CARNEVALE

1. Bauta

2. Columbina

3. Plague Doctor

4. Moretta

5. Volto

My favorite is the Jester mask! That will be the one I wear!

AN ACTIVITY I WILL EXPERIENCE WHILE IN VENICE

While I am in Venice, I will also learn how to steer a gondola myself. They

offer lessons here for that, and those lessons are usually around

$100.00. Who knows, I may find a new job this way!

IN CONCLUSION

With a long but fun two weeks behind me, I think it is time to come back home. The total expenses that I have calculated are $7,503.20 out of $10,000. That gives me plenty of cash to come back to the U.S. and buy video games……or pay off

student loans.

REFERENCES

20 great things to do in Venice. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.timeout.com/venice/features/382/20-great-things-to-do-in-venice

The Traditional Foods of Venice, Italy! (2012, October). Retrieved from http://http://www.italianbellavita.com/2012/10/the-traditional-foods-of-venice-italy/

Top 10 Things to Do in Venice. (2011, December). Retrieved from http://http://www.italylogue.com/featured-articles/top-10-things-to-do-in-venice.html