The first thing we did after checking out of the hotel was book our tickets to our next destination. Our plan was to spend all day in Venice, then take an overnight train to either Vienna or Munich. Two beds were available for the overnight train to Vienna for Є70 total. We decided to take it since it was about the cost of a hotel and would eliminate 11-12 hours of traveling during the day. The train was to depart at 9:00 pm, so we had all day to spend in Venice.
We arrived at Venice Santa Lucia Station around 9:00 in the morning. We started walking down back streets in order to get a feel for the city. Incredible! There are random, narrow streets and passageways everywhere. We were lost within two minutes.
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Some of these streets are just wider than my shoulders so I had to almost turn sideways to get through. Some Americans would not even be able to pass through these streets because of their width.
I’m glad we got into Venice as early as we did. It was very quite and calm and we didn’t see too many other tourists on the back streets. Later on, the entire city would be filled with tourists.
While wandering around, we came across signs for the Rialto Bridge. We eventually found it and snapped some photos of the bridge and the Grand Canal. Unlike at The Venetian in Las Vegas, you have to actually walk up the stairs of the real Rialto. There is no escalator. I am embarrassed that I am even comparing such a landmark to a shoddy replica in Vegas. Shame on me!
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After the Rialto, we made our way to Piazza San Marco. We arrived to a large crowd, many of whom were dressed in running gear and wearing t-shirts with a logo for some walk/run. A few minutes after we arrived, an anthem began (most likely the Italian national anthem) and three flags were raised. One was the European Union flag, another the Italian flag, and the third, I’m guessing, was the Venetian flag. Much of the crowd was singing the anthem as the flags were being raised. It was quite the scene. I’m still not sure what was going on with the runners and walkers.
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We spent the rest of the morning walking around different parts of the city. We encountered many dead ends where there were stairs leading right down to the canal. For lunch, we stopped at a café where I had a pizza and Darcy had a plate of cooked vegetables. I find it interesting that most every café here uses fresh ingredients. In Minneapolis, the fact that a café uses fresh ingredients would be the selling point.
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By the way, I have seen McDonalds everywhere I’ve been (including Venice). But, on the bright side, there have been no signs of Wal-Mart.
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After lunch, we walked around some more, did a little shopping, stopped back at Piazza San Marco, and took a rest on the boardwalk looking toward Giudecca over Canale Della Giudecca. It was turning out to be a very warm, sunny day, so we were getting pretty tired.
After our rest, we came across a plaza where Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was being played over a loudspeaker. At one end of the plaza was an old cathedral that had been turned into a Vivaldi memorial. Inside were many instruments and information about the musical history of Venice. It was a very serene place.
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We made our way back closer to the station and found a quite street next to a canal. Along the street was an empty bar with seating next to the canal. We stopped for a drink. After a few minutes, a man with an accordion steps near our table. “Buona sera (good evening)” he says, and begins playing his accordion. It was very romantic.
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After our drink, we wandered around some more, then spent some time on the steps of the train station watching the people walk by. The people watching was almost as enjoyable as walking through the city.
We caught a train back to the Venice Mestre Station and waited for our night train to Vienna. As we were waiting on the platform, there was a loud “splat!” on the ground within one foot of Darcy’s feet. I will be surprised if we make it through this entire trip without getting pooped on by a pigeon.
Our train arrived and we searched out our cabin. In it we found another backpacking couple. I think they were Spanish. Darcy and I were on the top bunks and were quite comfortable. It appeared that our cabin could accommodate up to six people. Luckily, there were only four of us, so there was plenty of room. We put in our earplugs and went to sleep. I would wake up every once and awhile when we would make stops, but otherwise, I slept well. By morning, we will be in Vienna.
Click here to see all our Venice photos.
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