So I had been planning on going to Amsterdam with my roommates but since I found out that break is 6 weeks long I have been trying to figure out what I am going to do that whole time. Tickets home are very expensive and once I get there I would have no house of my own, no cell phone and a car that I would have to
de-freeze. My roommate Mario invited me to stay with the part of his family that lives in
Napoli, Italy for a week and then fly to New York with him to stat at his place for the rest of break. This would be two great experiences: living with a real Italian family in
Napoli and getting to visit New York. Not only that but it would be an immersion in Italian language that would help me learn, not to mention a chance to save money on rent and possibly have a chance to get a job. So that means that I opted out of a very expensive Amsterdam trip and chose instead to go to Venice with Brittany. Venice in my mind was a small town with little waterways. While on the right track I was pretty far off the real Venice. I found a cheap hotel (a 1 star) online called hotel
Giovaninna (you can
google it) and we booked two nights.
It was about 30 Euro a person which was pretty good for Venice which has a reputation for being expensive. We set off at about 1pm for the Florence
trainstation with the train scheduled to leave at 1:30. I used my
Eurail pass to reserve a seat and she bought hers with cash. Not being satisfied with her previous experiences she decided to pay to bump us up to first class. I had no objections! We
hoppped on the train and were treated to complimentary drinks and bathrooms that were a huge step above coach. A quickly passing three hour ride with farmland and hill top castles as scenery brought us
into view of the ocean. Venice
couldnt be far off. We arrived at the
trainstation and immediately I recognized the familiar ocean air as soon as it hit my nostrils.
Stepping out of the
trainstation we were faced with the unexpected sight of the steps leading from the
trainstation directly into the Grand Canal. Water taxis,
Busses, gondolas and personal crafts busied the water with a hurried but not frantic energy. It was an amazing sight, more so due to the surprising nature of walking out of one work into a completely new and unique one. We called the hotel and found out that it was actually located in the
Maestra section of Venice.
Maestra is where people park their cars, (no driving in
venice due to the roads being water) and take
busses or trains into
venice. We then had to take a 1 euro train back the way we came, which took about 15 minutes. From the train station in
Maestra it took about 20 minutes and help from a nice old Italian man (thank god for my Italian class) to find our hotel, that we would have been able to walk to in 5 minutes if we knew where It was. We unloaded our bags, stretched and got ready to head to Venice. On the way out the front desk man gave us some very useful advice including how to buy a pass for whatever time period you choose that allows you on all land and water
busses. he also handed out little venetian maps that proved invaluable. Stopping at a cafe for espresso and
caffe latte we also picked up the previously mentioned passes. Only 20 euro for the whole time we would be there. We then stepped over to the bus stop
and waited for the number two land (you know a place in unique when you have to specify between land and
wated) bus to Venice that cycled through every 20 minutes. We climbed aboard the standing room only bus and set off for the city that we had so briefly been introduced to. By the time we arrived it was pretty much dark. We were dropped off at the last area that
allowed motor vehicles at a station called Roma. From there we decided to hope on a water bus and take a ride.
The bus stops were floating, covered docks that looked like gutted trailer homes. The route of each water bus was clearly marked and very easy to understand. We got on the first one that came along and unknowingly set off in a direction that took us away from everything we wanted to see and out into a bay. Although it was a nice ride with beautiful building all around we soon realized our mistake when we were confronted with open water. We got off at the next stop and once we were on one going in the right direction we were able to fully enjoy the ride. The water
busses were about the same length as regular city
busses with an open, uncovered sitting area in the back. The middle was the largest area and was a covered sitting area with two rows of seats and many windows. The boat was pretty wide and held many people.
Towards the front there was a covered area with gates on both sides where people boarded. That area was also used as standing room during transit and had the second best view, after the back. The very front had the captains cabin and was closed off. The boat stopped about every 6 or 7 minutes to let people on and off. It was amazing to see building build in a maze of bluish green water. Steps and doorways led right to the lapping tongues of the canals. As it became dark the more
important and beautiful buildings became lit up with different colored lights, accenting the natural romantic nature of the canal city.
About halfway down the Grand Canal we saw a large white bridge going over the water, surrounded by restaurants and people. We got off at the closest station and walked around for a while. We were amazed by the amount of shops and stores, a number that dwarfed even Florence. Beautiful glassware was everywhere, which is something that Venice is known for. We walked up the bridge and around the area for a while before finding a restaurant to eat in.
The food was pretty good but I think we could have found a much better place if we had tried a little harder. After that we went to talk to the Gondola people (who were everywhere) but were
disappointed to find out that it was 100 euro per half hour. That translates to about 140 US. Unless I wanted to eat rice for the rest of the month that
wasnt going to happen. After that we enjoyed exploring the city at night. Venice is filled with tiny corridors and open areas, randomly one next to the other. I felt completely safe walking down dark alleys and badly lit streets. One thing about Europe (the parts Ive been to) is that the crime and danger that I heard about is completely overstated. I feel a million times safer walking here than I do in the big cities Ive been to in the US. I walk home alone up to 3 4 in the AM with no uncomfortable feelings when
the same cant be done in some US cities during daylight. I think a large part of it is the fact that there are no guns here. The fear of having to fight someone is
alot less than worrying about some person with a gun.
But anyway! Back to Venice. Wandering through streets we were drawn towards loud noises of music and yelling. In one piazza we found a large group of highly intoxicated local kids dancing to music, yelling and swinging each other around. It was pretty fun to watch for a little while before we moved on. At about 11 we headed back to the hotel. I stopped by the restaurant next door and had some wine and then walked around by myself for a little while, finding a nice park and enjoying the slight rain that was falling. The next day we set off for Venice pretty late as it had been raining pretty hard all day. We had about 45 minutes of light and we did pretty much the
same thing as the night before, wandering the streets and looking in shops.
The masks that they use for their
carnavales were everywhere and very beautiful. That night we actually took our time and found a nice restaurant with candle-lit tables and a very cozy feel. I ordered some vino (of course although she
hasnt found a taste for it yet i credit Brittany for trying)
and some scallops in a thick cream for appetizer, followed by spaghetti with clams and an
insalata mista (mixed salad).
Brittany had tomato and basil gnocchi, a mixed seafood pasta with artichoke and mixed grilled vegetables. Everything was very tasty, especially the gnocchi and scallops. After dinner we rode the water bus for a while and then headed home.
Although the weather
hadnt been very good it was a good day and great dinner. I also felt like I had mastered the water and land bus system, which was good. The next day woke up early and checked out of the hotel at 10. The hotel held onto our bags for us so we
didnt have to pay at the
trainstation to hold them, which helped
alot. The hotel was actually pretty good. While it had a couple rough spots I would definitely stay there again. Free of bags and with an early start we headed out, stopping at our cafe for
caffe and pastry. We hopped on the # 2 bus and returned to Venice. In daylight it was a completely different city.
The buildings vivid colors stood out and the true color and nature of the water was seen and felt for the first time. We
decided to walk from the Roma station instead of taking a
boat. We followed the main route and walked into the street market that was filled with masks, souvenirs and food. There was food and candies everywhere, ever more than in
Firenze. I tried the local style of pizza which is a rolled pizza and was excellent. We went into many shops and were amazed by the beautiful glass art, much of it made in a region called "
Morano".
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murano_glass) Walking over scores of bridges and next to kilometers of canal we found ourselves again at the white bridge that signified that we were halfway down the Grand canal.
From there we decided to go all the way to the other end, a part that we
hadnt seen yet. We had been walking for about 5 hours and relaxing on the boat felt great. The sun had come out at about
noon and had stayed up, making it a sunny, beautiful day.
As we headed towards San Marco church and Piazza we passed beautiful buildings on both sides and watched boats of all kinds, including ambulance and police boats that sped by. As we reached the end of the canal we turned so that our left side was to the city and our right was to the open bay. An amazing horizon unfolded with sun shining off the water and large churches dominating the cityscape.
When we departed at
san marco station we walked through yet another market and decided to sit on a bench for a while. While we were there we threw a couple chips to some pigeons and were soon surrounded by about 50 birds. We had fun with them for a while, feeding them out of our hands and even getting one to come up my leg.
When we ran out of food we headed to San Marco (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark) When we walked into a very entertaining scene. A huge open area was filled with dozens of people feeding thousands of pigeons with seeds that were for sale nearby.
The kids were especially cute to watch with them. The birds would swarm each person, landing everywhere on their body. Of course we joined in. Very fun. We did that for a while before we headed towards the church. Like all other major
churches in Italy it was huge. In front of the church was a large piazza.
We looked at the architecture for a while before heading off to wash our hands and get something to eat. We were treated to a beautiful sunset as we rode the water bus us the canal. We found a nice little
trattatoria where we had Vino, salmon gnocchi, mixed seafood plate, a creamy seafood pasta,
spinachi, roasted potatoes and salad. This meal was also very good. We slowly wandered back to the land bus stop and prepared to go home. This is where the real adventure
started. We got to the hotel at about 21:00 and gathered our things. We walked to the trainstation where we discovered that there were no trains to Firenze posted. We asked the only employee we could find and he said that we would have to catch a train that was headed to Bologna then wait there for a train that was heading to Napoli that stopped in Firenze. The only problem was that it was getting pretty chilly and the train to Bologna didnt leave until 30 minutes after midnight.
Out of Firenze there is usually a train every hour to the major cities and it was only a little after 9pm so i was surprised that we were stranded. After waiting in outer Venice for three hours we got on the train to Bologna. After about an hour and a half on that train we got off at our stop. The Bologna station held only bad news. Not only was the train to Napoli not leaving until 4:10 AM it was Italian daylight savings time. The clock moved BACK an hour. So we had an extra hour to enjoy the comforts of the train station. Brittany was cold and wanted to sleep so we went to one of the underground tunnels and she slept while I read and watched our stuff. The usual people you would expect to hang out at a trainstation at that time in the morning were all there, making it even more enjoyable. At about 3:45 I woke her up and we heade
d to where our train would be. By that time it was pretty chilly and windy, of course having been raised correctly I gave up my jacket and sweater for the comfort of my female companion. She managed to get another 45minutes or sleep on our luggages as we waited on the stone bench. Luckily I had my history book with me so I didnt fall asleep. Our train rumbled in out of the dark and we dragged ourselves on. All the private cabins were taken so we had to share one with two men. Fearing missing our stop, the loss of our passports and visa cards I again took one for the team and stayed awake. Brittany drifted to sleep and I read my book. One of the men actually turned out pretty nice and gave me an orange and some gum, proof that all the world doesnt hate Americans. After about 3 hours I realized something was wrong. Bologna was halfway to Florence and it should have only taked 1 and a half hours. I matched the cities we passed to my Italy book and a sinking feeling crept into my stomach. The train had NOT stopped in Florence but had continued on through. The superstition of
the fountain of Trevi came true. I had thrown a coin over my shoulder and now I was returning to Rome! After I realized what had happened I hoped for a stop so we could get off and stop going the wrong direction. It was now 7AM and after a day of walking I was pretty tired. We reached Rome at 820 AM and went to the ticket counter. Of course nothing could just be easy. We discovered that there was a train to Firenze that left in a half an hour but none that left from that station. We had to go to the subway and take it to another train station (termini centrale) and then catch our train. We rushed to the subway and made it in, although the minutes seemed to be moving faster than normal.
We boarded the Eurostar and thanksfully it was the quickest train in Europe. In 90 minutes we were in Florence. In another 30 i was in my bed. Things like that are miserable when they happen but become the stories that first come to your mind when you recall your past.
