So before I left for this trip, I was told time and time again that Venice (most of Europe, for that matter), had a few major differences from the US, particularly in regards to access to water in public. The most repeated piece of advice I was given was “Buy A Water Bottle.” I was told this probably back in…mid March? At the time, I thought “I have plenty of time, I’m a responsible adult, I’ll buy a water bottle soon!” It’s early July and I have yet to buy a water bottle. Now, the Responsible Thing To Do would be to walk down to literally any of the many grocery stores nearby and just pick one up. They’re like €6, max. But, I don’t want to play into Venice’s capitalist exploitation of the human need for liquid. I will not contribute to this oppressive system. As such, I’ve decided to make a game out of what sort of creative ways I can stay hydrated during the frankly oppressively hot days.

1. Public Fountains
I was told that even if I didn’t purchase a water bottle at first not to sweat it. Venice is full of these cute public fountains in almost every square, and you can grab a drink there! Ummmm….no. Unless I’m missing something, I don’t think I’ve seen more than like, seven or so during my time here. Which like, okay, sure. That’s An Option I guess, if I happen to be in one of the very specific locations or have enough time to seek one out National Treasure style. But I’m not Nicolas Cage. It’s not 2004. I just want a drink, and it shouldn’t be a massive game of hide and seek to make that happen. On the bright side, when a fountain is actually accessible, the water’s pretty good. Not the coldest I’ve ever had, but decidedly better than no water. All said, I’d give this method a 6/10. Not great, not easy, but a solid choice if it works out.

2. Buying Disposable Plastic Bottles
During many of my aforementioned fountain hunts, I passed by a variety of venders selling these absolutely Ginormous bottles of water. These things were easily 16 inches tall, and refrigerated. Like, you could not ask for anything better when it’s 2pm (excuse me, 14:00) and you’re approaching mummy-levels of dry mouth. So it should be a no-brainer, right? Just suck it up and fork over the €2.50 and not be thirsty for like, 30 hours. Were it that easy, I wouldn’t even be writing this right now. No, the issue here is more moral than  practical, with the sticking point being that my study abroad program is engaged in a sort of contest with another program studying in Ireland, with the goal being a limit on the purchase (and subsequent consumption) of disposable water. I’d like to say that I held out for the good of my group, that I resisted the siren song of the 1.5 liter bottle, but alas. My stance on this issue is fairly wishy-washy, my moral groundings a bit more fluid than I’d like, and I regret to say that I have purchased two of these in my time here. They were amazing. 4/10, but only for the regret afterwards.

3. Paying for Water At Restaurants
We’re not always out and eating on the go in this trip. Occasionally, we’ll take the time to have a nice warm meal at one of the myriad of sit-down restaurants dotting the canals of Venice. Back home, this usually means an endless stream of sweet sweet free tap water, free of charge. Here though, that’s not the case. A small pitcher of water, good for about 3 glasses tops, runs from anywhere from €1.50 to €3.50, depending on the restaurant. Now that’s not breaking the bank by any means, but it’s still enough to make someone hesitate a moment, especially when a glass of wine is just €2.20 and that sounds infinitely better after a long day of dealing with some occasionally less than stellar art. 3/10, would have been rated much higher if the first glass was free.

4. Drinking Straight From The Tap at Restaurants
So you’re already sitting down and waiting for the meal, and you’re Absolutely Parched. The proper thing to do would be to request a glass of water, regardless of the price. But where’s the fun in that? Instead, I’ve opted to take matters into my own hands and drink out of the bathroom faucets. This is no easy task mind you. The key is to sneak off without a glass (getting caught with a glass in hand by a passing waiter is decidedly less fun than it sounds), dip in, get a drink, and dip out. The real fun comes when the faucet, instead of having some sort of nob on top instead has two little pedals on the floor to control water flow. Operating those while sticking your head into the sink for a quick sip can be quite the challenge, depending on the sink size. 7/10, solid way to stay hydrated, but it still mandates being in a restaurant and paying for food, which makes it a little less convenient for a midday hydration session.

5. Actually Carrying a Water Bottle

While I haven’t formally bought a “reusable water bottle,” that doesn’t mean I haven’t re-purposed some of the disposable ones for a day or two at a time, and my God, I really just need to buy a water bottle. Going out for a long day? Fill it up before you go. Find one of those Elusive Fountains? How about a refill. Water with dinner? No thanks, I’ve got my own. You. Always. Have. Water. The moral of this story is maybe I should just listen to people when they tell me to do things. Or maybe it’s that islands surrounded by water still sometimes manage to treat it like a scare commodity, who knows. Anyway, 11/10, bring a water bottle to Venice.