Buona Sera da Venezia

The train trip from Florence was relaxing and uneventful. The Eurostar is a wonderful train. It's comfortable, well run and even has a dining car. How civilized can you get! Not to mention that it is very smooth running even at high speed. Via Rail should come to Europe to get a clue! The train left on time and arrived on time in Venice.

Much to my amazement on exiting the train station, I found I was a mere 50 yards from the Grand Canal and a water taxi or ferry to whisk me away to my little hotel near the Piazza San Marco. In the picture below, the train station is on the left and the Grand Canal on the right. I did not know that the train actually came into the old Venice area. I thought we would be deposited is the middle of the New Venice which is on the Mainland and I would have to get a four-wheel taxi to take me to the water taxi. This was way more cool!

Sort of ... well, it was raining as you can tell by the people with umbrella's that actually open and stay open ... they obviously didn't buy theirs at What-a-Gyp Mart. Luckily it was only a drizzle and I figured a few minutes waiting to get my ticket for the boat wouldn't kill me. So I waited in line ... and I waited .... and I waited - finally the line started moving again and it was finally my turn. I asked for my ticket to go to San Marco and was told I should be in the other line ... about 100 yards to my left. I thanked the lovely ticket lady and proceeded to the area where the other boat was docked .... no ticket agents. There was, however, an ATM sort of thingy from which you could purchase your tickets using cash or credit. Oh happy days! It ....wasn't ....working.

Everybody else was milling around not really sure what to do and since Venice isn't that big I figured that where I needed to go wasn't all that far. Besides, according to the sign I saw at the bridge over the Grand Canal it was only a 35 minute walk from there to the Piazza San Marco. It took me over an hour. In the rain. With a useless umbrella. Lugging a %&&ing heaving suitcase and carry-on satchel that could carry a homicide victim without bulging and felt just as heavy. Oh, I forgot to mention the 14 bridges I had to cross ... they all have stairs ... they are arched so the %&%%ing boats can travel underneath. Oh, and if you think I was directionally confused in Rome - well, Rome has nothing on this place. I figured the only way I was going to get there without going in circles was to ask - so at every cross-roads, corner or confusing sign- I asked. I finally arrived at my hotel in the wall. I've got to say, when I saw the alley (picture the width of stair hallway in our house) I was a little concerned. But I was very pleasantly surprised to find a for-real hotel with a lobby, a living room, a bar, a breakfast room, an elevator and everything.

My room is so small that this is as much of it I could capture from the door! BUT, it is again, spotless, the linens are snow-white and crisply pressed; all in all, very charming.

I took this picture while sitting on my bed. I thought the convergence of antique and modern was interesting.

So that you can see what I mean about the street my hotel is on, please check out the picture below.

As you can imagine, I'm pooped. I'm heading for bed now and with any luck will hit the cobblestone early in the AM. I can't wait to get lost again in Venice!

Ciao