Venice, Italy

 Jan 4

The morning started bright and early. We packed our bags and headed for the train station before the sun was up. We traveled for 8 hours on 5 different trains. (Hence why you should instead book your tickets early for a good train route) Once again we traveled through the beautiful countryside of Europe. This time we seen an even more rural part with bigger farms. There are lots of sheep grazing on the green hills. We continued through the mountain passes, seeing many waterfalls and beautiful stone arched bridges along the way. If you looked close enough you could see an old wooden covered bridge or a church steeple high in the hills. I just love there churches. Built of stone. A big clock on the side, often with gold Roman numerals. The steeple reaches high into the sky with the bells in the tower. And you can always see one no matter where you are it seems like. As we traveled along, the country side changed. The houses no longer had the wooden shingles and wooden trim. Instead they began to look more Mediterranean. Made of concrete with tiled roofs. The trees were more dense. And more and more palm trees appeared. We crossed the border into Italy. Customs are not much of a thing between the European countries. Some officials got on the train for a bit and checked a few random passports, then we were on our way. When we arrived in Milan we had a few minutes to grab a cappuccino as we were in need of caffeine. It was shocking to be able to get one for only 2 euros ($2.30) which seems really cheap compared to what we had spent in Switzerland and even the US. Our last train was a high speed train. We watched the speedometer on the screens above us reach 219km/h as we whisked through the countryside. We arrived in Venice just after dark. Venice is located on an island with no cars. It actually was made built on 118 islands and is connected with over 400 bridges. The streets are narrow, with a lot of them only wide enough for to people to walk. The major canals have a boat system just like a bus system. The rest of the time you walk or else hire a private boat or gondola. We boarded a boat that took us to a stop near our hotel. We walked through the quaint wooden doors and checked in. We were handed a giant key on a heavy metal bar which was our room key. Up the wooden stairs to our room we went. It is just like being in a story book. The tiny room with gold fabric covering the walls. Hand blown glass lamp shades. And a tiny bathroom built in the corner that was obviously added many hundreds of years after this building was built. We dropped our backpacks off and headed off to find supper. We had been told that google maps would not work here. We soon found that out. The labyrinth of allies and walkways with only the occasional bridge. And no walking along the canal till you get to a bridge as the buildings are in the water with no sidewalk beside. We found a little restaurant that served pizza and pasta. Of course we tried both and they were delicious. Also who can complain of a full plate of pasta for only $10? And it came with fresh rolls. We wondered around the streets determined to remember our way and not get lost. But we did anyway. But that’s the fun part. Finding your way through the maze, stopping here and there to grab a crème filled pastry or to look at the little shops along the way. We stopped at San Marcos square. It is a square with a castle at one end, and ornate buildings around it. Look it up sometime. The history is interesting and it was built hundreds of years ago. The pictures do not do it justice. It is so much bigger and more majestic than you can imagine. And the intricate details in every part of the architecture. From the lion statutes that are made to look lie they are ringing the bells, the many paintings on the walls that were decorated in god, the fine detail in the pillars and the faces on the handles of the massive doors. We stayed awhile and just took in the beauty in wonder. How was something like that built so long ago? We got lost on our way back but enjoyed the detour. And now the island is silent. No cars, sounds of sirens, or trains can be heard. No street lights are to be found. Just the occasional light on a building. Peaceful.

Jan5

Morning found us taking a boat to the train station to drop off our backpacks in a secure luggage area as we had checked out of our hotel. We dropped off our bags and took a boat back to San Marco square for some breakfast. We watched as the canals were busy with boats delivering supplies for the day. We saw a dad with his young son delivering supplies. The young boy was steering the boat as his dad showed him where to go. That was cute. We had a Gondola tour after. The Gondolas are the traditional boat that was used back in the day. They hold 5 people and a man stands on the back and paddles who is called the gondolier. They are shiny black with gold trim and ornate metal work on them. The cushions are red velvet. We toured through the little water wells and around part of the island. Fun fact, there were 9000 of them being used in Venice in the 15th and 16th century. To be a gondolier, you had to be born into a gondolier family. The profession was passed down to the next generation. Our gondolier did not know much English but he whistled as he paddled down the canals. Afterwards we took about to the tiny island of Burano about an hour and a half away. This island is a fishing island and is also known for its handmade laces. The buildings on this island were all brightly painted in every color. We walked the shops and took in the views. And of course we had fish and chips for lunch. We took a boat to the island of Murano next. They are known world wide for there glassware. We were a little too late in the day to see any glass being blown but we still got to watch some artist creating fine glass artwork. They had many shops of brightly colored glasses, vases, and bowls. And tiny little glass animals of every kind.  By now it was getting dark and the shops were closing so we took a boat back to Venice. We got our packs, grabbed some filed croissants and prosciutto and cheese stuffed pitas for supper.  It was raining by now. We had been lucky to have nice weather all day. We took a bus to our hotel by the airport. Next destination: Athens, Greece.