Venice grew on me. When I first arrived, I saw only tourist shops, places selling the Carnival masks. You can tell they are tourists because the festival is in February! Still, the masks can be quite beautiful. The first day in Venice, I walked all day. I had arrived directly from Barcelona. Amazingly, I had the entire exit row to myself. It was not a full plane at all. I wish when it was like that, they would let you take your entire luggage onto the plane with you. It would make life so much easier. I never had a chance to stretch out and sleep, I just slept. I fell asleep some time during takeoff. I awoke as we were landing. That is great air travel, in my opinion. I always love in the future how when people travel by air, they are always knocked out. Generally in interspatial travel for the longer periods of time, sleep is induced. Why haven’t the airlines developed something that knocks us all out for the trip?
Back to Venice, I took the local bus in and hit the ground running. I had a backpack on, so it was more like a trot. I had searched some places on hostelworld while sitting on the bus, but wasn’t finding much. I decided to check the Sofitel, and it turns out they had a very affordable rate for a single person room. I humanized – showered, and put on deodorant – and headed out into the city. I walked, and walked. I didn’t do museums. I decided to start with the culture of today, and then look at the art through the eyes of today.
I headed towards the Rialto Bridge, which is the most famous in Venice. Then on to San Marco plaza which was full of tourists, literally full, like a liquid, filling the very shape of its holding vessel. On the way, I stopped to get another pair of linen pants. These needed to be finished on the cuffs, and after purchasing them I was told I needed to pay for the alteration, but couldn’t pay for it then. It would have to be in cash, at the time of delivery.
The salesman who arranged this and was going to drop them off also invited me to do a few different things, and get drinks, and then he asked for some of my personal information. I at first thought it was for the store records, basic email and phone. Now, I am not so sure. I have requested that all my records in the store database be removed from his access. I had the Sofitel call today to inquire about the normalcy of such a payment system, and got the manager on the line. He seemed confused, and the man who sold me the stuff, jumped on and starting talking very quickly, as if worried. I think I caught him trying to pull one over me, and he was protecting his job. I am deciding what to do now, how to best protect myself, while not accidentally screwing someone else because I am feeling anxious.
I meandered back to my hotel taking whatever street seemed nicer, or shadier, depending on my heat at the moment. I wouldn’t say that Venice is notably hot, although there is a noticeable difference between the sun and shade.
My second day I headed to the Fish Market, and the Vegetable Market. It was fun, but nothing really to get excited about. I then toured the Ducal Palace, and a few museums. I really enjoyed the Guggenheim, which I got in for free! They had some incredible paintings, and I wrote down the artists and ones that I liked so I can read up more about them. I will try to remember to post the list when my blackberry is charged up again.
Then I went to this incredible space that used to be the Customs house for Venice. It’s awesome. The space just makes the entire museum, and the individual artists use it really well, so that the art fits into the spaces, not just physically, but metaphorically as well. I really enjoyed that one.
On the way back I remembered a small gift I wanted to buy, and so I went back out in search. No luck. But, I found some tapas like places (except the morsels of food were awful) and cheap drinks with lots of people. It is still an orgy of language, with English and German and Spanish being the acts I know. Here it was mostly Italian, so I witnessed. I like speaking in German here, it is so unexpected by the native speakers, when someone who was conversing in English with an American accent turns and asks them to take a photo in German, and what of, as well. The bars were fun though to listen at because their guests spilled out onto the streets, and each mingled with members of other joints.
MILAN
I already have been to Milan, so I just stopped for a few photos and a walk around before my train to Firenze (Florence). I stopped in a place that looked ok, I was hoping for a cheap meal. They get you on the drinks, 5.50 Euro for a beer is insane. Bought a gift, and then left.
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