Italy - Venice

I think in my head I had envisaged myself staying in Venice for a bit of time. However as I kept meeting people I kept hearing that a day trip is the best option and that it's too expensive to stay there. Around the time I hit Bologna I was a little stuck as to my future route; Bologna is very central in Italy and accommodation was becoming harder and harder to find the further north I went...

So I decided to do Venice as a day trip instead.

The morning of was plagued with a missed train, an hour wait, then a 40 minute delay on the next train. This essentially cut down my time there by about 2 hours. At one stage I literally thought to myself "If the train doesn't leave in 5 minutes I'm getting off" but lo and behold - three minutes later we have movement! The pictures I'm putting in this post don't really relate to the immediate text before or after.

(This is a picture to break up the text. Keep reading)

The trip from Bologna is about 2 hours on the regional train. It stops quite frequently and at every station I had that uncertainty as a huge amount of people get off and I think maybe there's some kind of transfer I've missed; until a lot more people get on and I get back to my book (World War Z).

From Venice train station I just kind of started walking. I didn't have a map and I didn't really know what was around but the walking path I was choosing seemed engaging enough to just keep going. I stumbled upon magnificent large open squares, a lot of canals, cute bridges across these canals, people in gondolas, private speed boats, Venetian masks, Venetian glass, expensive restaurants, cheap panninerias and a strange place so well hidden amongst the thinnest of network of alleyways that I was far too intimidated to knock. I felt like a foolish tourist standing at the door... I don't think it was meant to be found by the likes of me.

(Look at that crystal clear water)

All throughout I thought to myself how there weren't that many tourists. Sure they were scattered around but honestly not that many. There was a pack of 5 French guys who seemed to be following my route. Every time I found a dead end I'd have to walk back past them sheepishly but every time they kept going as if they didn't know exactly what had happened to me. I saw the same young guy riding his speed boat slowly through the canals (I'd catch him as I crossed bridges) until I eventually saw him stop and pick up his girlfriend from her house and they lazily floated away together. Saw a cathedral, the university, a band walking around and lots more.

That was until I hit the motherload of tourist areas - the grand canal - and boyyy was I wrong about the lack of tourists. You know that book I mentioned? It's about a Zombie Apocalypse and how humanity survives it (if barely). It describes how zombies are attracted to any kind of noise or stimulus and it moans loudly to draw more. Soon the source of the stimulus is completely inundated with all of the surrounding zombies until what ever drew the attention ceases to exist. Welcome to the Grand Canal. Good book though. If you're into Zombies. Which everyone should be.

(Iphone's focus/shadowing wins again!)

Whatever I found genuine about Venice was so warped along this 'grand canal'. Gondola guides dressed in ridiculous costumes, people clearly not from Italy selling cheap masks, hotels at every corner, gelati shops, restaurants with 'tourist menus' and of course a McDonalds. I tried hard to avoid this large area as I made my way back to the train station but I kept meeting dead ends that faced into the water. The city's geography was herding me onto this onslaught of slow walking pedestrians that stop suddenly and aren't aware of how much space they take up.

All in all I spent about 5 hours in Venice and of that about 4.5 hours was exploration. I'd like to think I saw a fair whack of the city in that time but a friend later on assured me that I could stay there for weeks and still have things to find - I don't doubt him. Maybe I'll return and properly research accommodation next time. Maybe I'll get a boat like this guy.

(Go you good thing)

The train ride was uneventful on the way back. No delays this time and no missed trains. Swishhhh. All in all Venice was spectacular. I was hesitant to draw that Zombie analogy. Ha. It just fit so well. All these strangely tanned people shuffling along the water banks in search of food. I don't want to imply I was any different as I was also a tourist but come on! IMMERSION! At least I try!