Venizia

It was exciting coming in to Venice on the train. I had always wanted to go to Venice after reading many books set there and hearing the stories of others. On the train we met some newly married Americans and chatted to them about their travels so far. One of the advantages of train travel is meeting people and chatting as the countryside passes by. 

We ventured out of the station dragging our ever present bags, down the steps and up over the bridge over the Grand Canal. Our hotel was a short distance away but we didn't notice the inconvenience as we soaked up the sights. I wasn't disappointed, it was amazing. We wandered the alley ways and waterways using the map to guide us, and true to form in Italy, we got horribly lost. Lesson 1: Maps don't work in Venice any more than they do in Roma. 

When we discovered that the best way to travel was by ferry, we managed to find our way to San Marco's piazza. It was lovely cruising on the ferry looking at all the wonderful buildings sitting so close to the water. We explored the piazza, a beautiful place especially with the late afternoon light on the ornate buildings, great for photographing. We sat at a cafe and looked at the menu while listening to a string quartet with the inevitable piano accordion. We made a quick get away when we saw the prices. Lesson 2: Don't sit at a cafe in San Marco's piazza unless you can afford a $9 coffee. 

It was getting late and I was hungry as we returned on the ferry to our hotel, or that's what we thought we were doing. We ended up somewhere else, somewhere not on the map, oh no! All was not lost, back on the ferry, right around the islands as the sun was setting and back to where we started at the railway station. It was a very cheap cruise, but I was a bit hungry and therefore a bit grumpy by the time we got to eat. Lesson 3: Check which way the ferry is going before getting on. 

We went out for the evening to a local bar, sat alongside a canal with a nice red listening to good music and people watching, priceless.