Venice

In sleeping compartment on night train to Venice

-Before I start, Id like to thank everyone for being so patient while I worked out the technical photo problems for so long. I am proud to say that I have figured it out and am able to bring you photos finally!

We arrived bright and early to Venices' St. Lucia train station tired and not well rested as we were on board the nigh train from Vienna. The sleeper compartment held 6 people-3 bunks high on each side- and allowed enough room to lay down on your mattress, there was no sitting up or lounging. Luckily, we shared our compartment with a mother and her two young girls and a quiet man from Japan, rather than irresponsible yahoos who would leave the lock open on the door. We were so pleased to have responsible people as we had heard many horror stories about people breaking into unlocked compartments and robbing people while they were sleeping! Overall, the night train was pretty good and waking up in a new country was very exciting. The main factor that contributed to my terrible sleep was the fact that I was developing a nasty cold- which consisted of nasal congestion, sore throat and lung congestion.



The canals of Venice-Lido

We stepped out of the train station, after spending almost an hour trying to prebook a train to Bari, into the bright sunshine. Instead of stepping out into a parking lot jammed with buses and taxis, we stepped out onto a huge pier jammed with water taxis, gondolas and water buses. It was amazing. The Grand Canal sprawled out in front of us, dotted with boats and men rowing gondolas, a sight I'd only ever dreamed of seeing in real life. We managed to find the water bus (luckily I had researched ahead of time in Frommers travel guides) and boarded the "Vaporetto" (water bus) towards the S.Toma stop, the #1 line. The boat was crowded with tourists and locals alike, and we stood and admired the views during the short trip down the canal, breeze blowing in our faces. About 10 minutes later I spotted the S.Toma stop and prepared to make our way to the exiting side and wait for the young man to untie the rope to let us out. At our stop, we stepped off onto an old wooded dock that led uphill into a narrow street lined with beautiful apartment buildings that looked as old as life itself. Following our broken English directions emailed to us by the hostel owner, we made our way straight up the street to the white church, took a few corners and surprisingly found the address. From outside you would have no idea that it was a hostel. We rang the number on the buzzer a few times, until a pleasant sounding Italian woman answered and let us in. The huge door unlocked, and we pushed it open to find ourselves in a dark room with several doors. We decided to take the marble staircase upstairs where luckily a petite woman stood in a doorway awaiting our arrival. The only way to explain the hostel is to say it was exactly like checking in to a friends house for the weekend. The hostel was located in an old mansion, so the rooms were incredibly spacious with gorgeous ceiling covered with plastered angels and flowers, so elegant. The reception was little more than an old wooden desk with a laptop and a chair. The mansion looked old and needed some TLC, but at the same time the raw beauty of it was perfect.

After checking in, we headed out into the streets of Venice since our check in wasn't until 3pm. We toured around the neighbourhood around the Hostel getting lost in the little streets lined with laundry lines and cafes. People say that you cannot wander the streets of Venice without getting lost within 10 minutes, and they were right! Every street and canal you cross looks the same, so within a couple corners you find yourself completely lost, but isn't that the fun part? I sampled delicious tiramisu from a little bakery, snapped some pictures at the men dressed in the red striped gondolier shirts, and stared in amazement at the canals. Every street we ventured down was unreal. I couldn't keep my camera off for longer than a minute as every window and building was picture worthy. I really didn't think that Venice would be quite as amazing as it looked in books and pictures, but it was, it was more than I could of ever imagined.

Three o'clock came around quickly and magically we ended up in S.Toma square hungry and eager to freshen up in our rooms. We were shown to our room by a young Australian man, working temporarily on holiday. The bedroom was huge with only a couple metal beds scattered around the room and like the reception area, the walls and ceiling were beautiful. I felt like I was sleeping in a museum. We freshened up and headed back out into the streets to find somewhere to enjoy a nice dinner. After crossing many canals, we came across a little restaurant nestled on a quiet street with outdoor seating. The minute we sat down I knew that we were in Italy. The owner came out and greeted us with a smile, treating us like we were old friends. He was such a kind person to every single guest that walked into his restaurant and it was amazing to watch someone put so much love into his job, something I don't see back home enough. He ended up giving us complimentary strawberry wine, half a pizza and tiramisu! We couldn't believe the generosity, so we promised him we would come for breakfast. By the time we left the restaurant it was dark, so the 10 minute walk turned into a 2 hour walk. I felt like a mouse in a maze.



Caffe La Ramblas

 The next morning I woke up chilly and reaching for another blanket. The huge mansion didn't keep the heat in very well overnight. My cold was a little better and I could breathe once again, I even had a bit more energy. We went to Caffe La Ramblas for breakfast as promised and enjoyed a smorgasbord of carbohydrates. That day we explored St. Marcus Square which was impressive and beautiful as well as equally jammed with tourists. We snapped a few pictures and moved on through the crowds onto the boardwalk. The further we walked down the boardwalk the better it became. The crowds diminished and all you could hear was the waves crashing up against the boardwalk. The views of the Grand Canal, yachts and gondolas was breathtaking.

Views from the boardwalk

I must warn though, CAREFUL ABOUT WHERE YOU SIT! In the city of Venice, it is illegal to sit or picnic in the area surrounding St. Marcus Square as well as in other parts of the city as well. We walked to the end of the boardwalk then back up into the city where we stumbled upon my most favourite neighbourhood of Venice. The neighbourhood of Castello is in the upper right corner of Venice and is a must if you ever visit Venice. The streets were empty and free of any tourist stands, leaving only the charm of narrow corridors and the occasional cafe. Castello was so silent.....I felt like I was the only one there. Occasionally you would hear the faint sounds of cutlery against plates up above in peoples kitchens, but other than that it was void of any noise. I cant even begin to explain how perfect Castello was in every way, from the hidden courtyards to the colourful laundry hanging between windows above the narrow lanes. Castello will always have a special place in my heart.




Wandering the streets of Castello

 On our third day we took the Vaporetto to another island called Lido. For 6.50 Euros you get a wonderful tour of the canal during the 40 minute boat ride. Public transportation is always an affordable way to get a tour of a city. Lido was completely different than Venice, with no canals or narrow streets. It was more like a small summer town you'd see back home. Lots of little restaurants and shops to explore, as well as a gorgeous beach. We spent our entire day lounging on the soft sand and splashing in the warm water, even meeting the Egyptian Gondola team! Lido is a fantastic place to have a day in the sun. We ended the day with a wonderful plate of pasta and a bottle of Italian Lambrusco wine.

Lido Beach

Our final day in Venice was bittersweet. I was so excited to spend the day wandering the streets but I couldn't help but think that it was also my last day to wander through Venice. We started with a strong cappuccino then made a deal with a gondolier. Three other people from our hostel whom we'd become friends with, also wanted to go for a gondola ride, so we split the cost of 60 Euros between us making it alot more affordable. The 30 minute ride was amazing! Seeing Venice from the water was completely different, and sitting in the fancy velvet seats was such an experience, our gondolier even sang to us! It was such a peaceful ride with only the oar pushing us through the canal.

Gondola ride

We spent the last night feasting on Diavola pizza with new friends from the hostel, discussing further travel plans and memories made in Venice. I stood out on the patio that night just staring over the edge at the turquoise blue canal below. Visiting Venice was such an experience and in my opinion....Venice is the perfect city. Where else can you go that has so much charm, beauty, and romance all wrapped up in one island.

I will miss wandering aimlessly through the narrow Venetian streets in hopes of getting lost.

Venetian Masks