Days of Exploration

---

I have just spent three beautiful days in Venice, or Venezia. If you ask to catch a train to Venice, the ticket person will just look at you strangly, then ask if you mean Venezia. When I was catching the train from Bologna Venezia sounded close so I jumped on the train. Since the train was departing in approximately 1 minute and I had to get from the window to the platform I thought "If this isn't Venice I am going to, I'm sure it will be nice anyway". I arrived and checked into the hostel and started exploring the city. The vaporettos, or water taxis were neat and the city was very beautiful, especially the Piazzetta San Marco but I didn't really start to enjoy the city untill I started to just wander. All the large streets and piazzetta's are swarming with other travellers. I don't mind the other travellers, it is just the volume of people that gets frustrating. Once I ducked down a side ally and started to explore there were much fewer people about and the same number of shops but with the added benifit of having much lower prices, especially on food. This was right up my ally since I ignored many of the museums and proceeded to eat my way around Venice, trying all the different fares that the city had to offer. One supper I sat on beside a canal on a patio, enjoying my meal with a small Italian band playing in the background.

What had to be my favorite part of my stay here was the meal I had when I found my way into the residentail area of Venice, where the only tourourist I saw was myself. I ate lunch in a small resturant populated by many Italians on break from work and the food was not only some of the best I had in Venice, it was also half the price. While I ate started to learn Italian as I attempted to talk with the hostess and pick up some Italian phrases. If you ever go to Venice find the Campo De Le Gate and wander around that area and you will get a completely different view on Venice.

The one downside of this trip was the hostel I stayed at. It was called the Ostello Venezia and is a HI hostel. The dorm rooms were 8 bunks to a room, but it was a converted warehouse and the walls of the rooms failed to reach the roof by about 4 feet. This meant that it might have well been one giant room because any noise in one room was heard by all. The bunks were very uncomfertable. Mine was permamently indented so I had to sleep on my side to fit in the groove and there was a lack of hooks around. The breakfest that was included in the cost consited of a bun...with a packet of jam. Not exactly what I think of when the hostel is a bed and breakfest supposedly. The one plus side of the hostel is that it was very clean.

But I must bid farwell to Venice now, as I am departing for Vienna on a night train very shortly. I am glad that Venice lived up to its expectations one the I got away from the main tourist sections.

---

Comments

[Andrew]

very insightful
That's a really good analysis of Venice Mike. If I'm ever there (and I definitely want to go) I'll take your advice and get off the main strips. I'll also avoid that Hostel. Sounds like it doesn't deserve its HI rating.

[Melissa]

I told you so!
Didn't I tell you that Venice was the best? And that you would eat your way around Italy? Looking forward to seeing you in Scotland!