Surprise! Surprise!!
Woohoo! @DreemPort sent me a dreem destination package and inside it I saw a cheque for $4,000!!! I know! That's a huge sum of money for me to visit any place I want…but the condition is, I have to go with three of my friends! The more, the merrier!
So I dialed my phone and had a conference call with 
Wrestlingdesires and Esther were immediately on board but it took a little bribery before Kene agreed to come along. (You wouldn't believe what we bribed him with!).
First thing I did was to book a return flight from Lagos to Venice for the four of us via Emirates Airline. It should be $2,650 but I redeemed some air miles I had saved up from previous air trips the past year which made the total flight cost less. I also put a call through to a recommended hotel, the Rosa Salva Hotel. I reserved two rooms for the four of us.
Off To Venice!
On Friday morning, the four of us met at the Murtala Muhammed international airport, went through security and necessary checks and in no time, we were airborne to Venice, Italy! I was delighted! A dreem come true for me.
Getting to Venice, after an exhausting 19 hours in the air, we were glad to touch land and stretch out our legs. There was an airport shuttle bus waiting for us courtesy of the Rosa Salva Hotel. I'd made the necessary arrangements though it cost us more but I did not mind. As tourists and new to Venice, we could not take any risk. The cost of the comfort was worth it.
We were taken to a station for water buses, boarded one which took us straight to the hotel. We were wowed by the beauty of Venice. The street lights reflecting off the tranquil water of the canal, the water buses, the houses built on water were sights for our sore eyes!
When we arrived at the Rosa Salva Hotel, we were told it's one of the most historic hotels in Venice and about 100 meters from St. Mark's Square. Esther was so excited to go exploring but I was jet lagged. So we agreed to get some rest and eat first.
Welcome Dinner
After settling into our rooms, we had dinner at the hotel's exquisite dining hall. Tables of sumptuous meals were spread out. It was a buffet dinner and there were other guests as well. The waiters served us glasses of Spritz, and called it aperitivo. It's a dinner drink before the main course.
For the main course, we ate Risotto alla Milanese with Bistecca Fiorentina (steak) and Saltimbocca alla Romana (calf veal filet). I was already full at this point but the waiters insisted we try the dessert.
For dessert, Esther and I ate Strawberry Tiramisu with Savoiardi cookies and a cup of coffee while Kene and Wrestlingdesires settled for Filetti di Baccalà and glasses of Limoncello. Kenechukwu and Esther kept us entertained with chatting and jokes. Gosh, those two can talk! It was a lovely welcome dinner.
Sightseeing
The following morning after our complimentary breakfast, we set out with our paid tour guides to go sightseeing. First, we visited Saint Mark's Basilica and the Doge Palace because they were the closest to our hotel.
We also rode the gondola across the canal the Grand Canal and enjoyed the enchanting view of magnificent buildings and Renaissance architecture and art! We stopped for some snacks along the way.
Next, we paid for a Venetian Lagoon Tour to visit Murano, Burano and Torcello. The colourful houses were unexpectedly beautiful and we enjoyed a treat of delicious seafood and sweet drinks.
We could not visit Venice without seeing an opera show at the famous Teatro La Fenice! Esther and I dressed in lovely dinner gowns while Kene and Wrestlingdesires suited up. We paid for tickets and watched Tommaso Lonquich and Claudio Martinez impress us with their musical finesse. It was a magical evening.
Back Home
Getting to the airport the following morning, we were a little sad to return home and wished we could stay longer. Esther and I promised to visit Venice again sometime later in the future.
Expenses
4 Return Airline Tickets $2,280
Hotel Stay for two nights $680
Breakfast - complimentary
Dinner for two days $280
Tour Guide fees $130
Tickets to visit Doge Palace, Mourano etc $150
Tickets To Opera $480
Total $4,000
Thanks for reading through my imaginary trip to Venice, Italy with my friends. To participate in this challenge, click HERE.
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