Europe double moon!: Venice the Menace

Visiting Venice was like meeting your favorite movie star who turns out to be a bit of a jerk. Every street, every bridge, every shop stuffed to the brim with masks -- they were all beautiful, even the cheesy gondolas. The food tasted delicious and the gelato (one scoop of fig & walnut + one scoop of chocolate & pistachio) was literally a meal! San Marco and the Rialto could not have been more picturesque. We also got to visit the charming Jewish quarter, historically known as the ghetto (the first use of the word).

However, even though our book recommended drinking tap water in Venice for environmental reasons (trash disposal is a real challenge there), none of the restaurants we tried offered us anything but expensive bottled water.

Shop vendors looked -- oddly -- weary of tourists. Perhaps the summer season had taken a toll. Many didn't want pictures taken of their merchandise, despite Ghinwa's pleas.

And God forbid you ever get diarrhea in Venice. The public toilets cost $2 per visit, and pretty much every establishment is in on the racket since they won't let you use their facilities. (Tip: go to the second floor of the department store near the Best Western hotel, and pretend to browse for hats while waiting for their free bathroom.)