Venetian Adventures

I went to Venice last Saturday. My only disappointment was that I didn’t go sooner. The train there is 4.25 (euro) each way, so I certainly could have gone more often, but I was always under the impression it was more expensive.

I have been to Venice in my three previous visits here, but I was too young to remember it or truly appreciate it. I do remember it raining each time I went, so I was really happy when it was a clear, sunny day on Saturday (a nice reprise, since it rained all Friday and Sunday and continues to pour even now). I also remember a lot of pigeons, this time there were many, especially in St. Marks Square, but not as many as I remember. There are two theories I have for this, one being the obvious that they probably flew somewhere warmer for the winter, the other is that they’ve started eating each other… the pigeons are quite obese, so I wouldn’t put it past them.

I made my way to Venice in the wee morning hours, I left home to catch the first train out and arrived in Venice by 8:15. I wandered along the Grand Canal and walked over one bridge after another. I made it to St. Mark’s square before the crowds showed up and enjoyed the quiet early morning. I watched vendors set up their booths, pigeons crowd around people with bread crumbs and a few tourists, like myself, taking pictures of the beautiful architecture.

I took a walk and came back to the square later, when things had opened up and I was able to go into the cathedral. It truly is striking inside. They were holding confession and I was tempted to go, except they were only offering it in Italian, French and German, because you know if it weren’t for that minor detail, I would have been in there. :P

After the cathedral I made my way onto the ferry (which costs 6 euro, more than the train, and the ticket is only good for an hour, luckily they don’t check tickets so I didn’t bother buying more than one). Once I figured out how they worked I went to the Peggy Guggenheim museum, which featured pieces from her private collection (Picasso, Dali, Klee, etc.) as well as her grave and the grave of her many dogs.

Once I felt decently cultured I made my way back down the grand canal and did some shopping in the stores, wandered aimlessly and looked wishfully at apartments, trying to figure out how much rent was and whether living in Venice is as much fun as visiting it (various people here, who have never lived in Venice, tell me that living there is probably not all it’s cracked up to be).

I finally made my way back home in the evening, tired and with sore feet, but pleased with the city and happy with my trip there. Only wishing I spent more time there in the few months I’ve been here and now wanting to visit even more cities. Oh well, I’ll be back Italy. There are far too many museums, churches and piazzas that I have yet to see.