22/06/2011 - 26/06/2011
Took the train from Florence, pretty train ride, but I don't really remember all that much about it to tell the truth – apart from the fact that there was a puppy. No I was not drunk, please it was like 11am in the morning. I WAS NOT DRUNK. Maybe I was a little drink – no I kid, I guess what I am trying to say is that it was a pretty uneventful train ride. Except when we almost got off at the wrong stop, but we got back on before the train started moving so all good.
We were staying on the main land on account of the accommodation in Venice is super expensive and I am rapidly running out of money. Damn my need to eat. Also leaving everything to the last minute in the middle of summer doesn't really leave all that many options.
The next day...
Wandered through the streets of Venice today – took a bus in from the mainland (that bus route is super busy and not at all air conditioned). Payed more then I should have for an amazing lunch, lots of fish and pasta and I may sink the boat on the way home after it. It was worth it, the best part about Italy is the food. Well maybe not the best part – the hot policemen definitely help, whoever designed their uniforms gets all the awards.
Again is amazingly beautiful here – I should really find new adjective to describe places, but that seems like an awful lot of effort and I don't think that any other word will do. Italy is beautiful.
I don't love Venice as much as I loved Florence, but I still like it a lot more then most places. I couldn't live here, but I'd sure like to be able to visit once and a while. I could spend days just wandering through the streets discovering this city.
That said I should probably leave Italy immediately because I am turning into a relationship seeking romantic. GROSS. Right now I am quite prepared to fall in love with the next person that talks to me, so pray they don't love me back or I may never come home.
Strange things happen when your on holiday - like climbing to the top of the bell tower in St Marcos Square and meeting a girl I go to Uni with. Sure the view was amazing but that was just surreal. It really is a very small world.
The day after that...
I went to Verona, it's a lot lovelier then I expected, in fact I can't really recommend it enough. It's got that Italian vibe and there is some great architecture – and some pretty ruins if you're interested in that kind of thing. It's just enough of a tourist town that you can find someone who speaks English but you still feel like people live in this city. Venice was beautiful (again with that word) but it felt like no one had actually lived there for a hundred years.
My guide book suggested I take the bus from the station, but I'm glad I ignored it because it only took about 10 mins to walk. I was even able to find my way to the centre of the city without a map, and if I can do that you can. I did just kind of follow anyone else that looked like a tourist but still I should get some kind of navigation props.
I saw Juliet's house (which is not actually Juliet's house but does that a pretty balcony). This was the only place in Verona that I felt like I was being mobbed by tourists. The actual balcony is not really all that great and I wasn't really fussed to get a picture of me holding the bronze statue of Juliet's boob – which is apparently the thing to do. The best part was watching the various different couple engage in the ritual of writing their initials on the already crowded walls of Juliet's courtyard. Like I said, Italy has turned me into a something of a romantic so I didn't run away to vomit at the sight of so many happy couples being so outwardly affectionate around me. In fact I found it kind of sweet. Someone needs to stop me, it's like a disease.
And the one after that...
I am sitting in a cafe near the Rialto bridge typing my heart out into my computer (this isn't what I was writing, it's much better with many big words and adjectives, I'm just taking a break). Now this is my kind of travel – just relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere of the place. I always have a book with me, and my journal, so I am never wanting for anything to do. To be honest I don't even need those things I could sit here for hours and people watch and be quite content. I especially like watching tourists, being in a strange place brings out the best and worst in people. It's heighten's their personalities and that is just fascinating to watch.
Too many things to write right now – but the first thing I notice is that I forgot to change my font so I am typing in Times New Roman, this is new for me because I have been actively against this font since I was in high school. There was a reason once a upon a time but it has long since been forgotten. But now that I am looking at it again – I actually quite like it and if I begin to use it again then it will stop me from having to change my font every time I open a new document. You know I think I am starting to see things differently now that I am Italy. I don't even hate the fact that I am sitting in a cafe clogging up one of their tables so that I can be one of those wankers that clearly thinks they are writing their masterpiece of a novel in one of the most touristed cities in the world.
I know I am not alone – but I am one of the few people who happens to love tourists. I like the feeling of being around so many people who are just as out of their element as me. I constantly feel like a fish out of water in life, like someone who just doesn't belong and as I look out at the masses of confused looking faces being herded past the cafe and I know that they are all feeling the same way. There is something comforting in that. There is also the fact that when I am in such a crowded place I can still be completely alone.
This is it, I am not doing anymore of that crazy running around must see all the tourist sights traveling anymore. I don't really need to see the museums, not really, I just want to relax and soak up the atmosphere. That's sounds so obnoxious and I kind of hate myself a little for saying it but it's true. I love listening to people – I am starting to pick up words in Italian so I can get bits and pieces of conversations.
I went to the Opera on account of I'm well posh... nah the girl I am travelling with want to go and as I wasn't against it I agreed to accompany her. You know what, I enjoyed it. It did all the things Opera was supposed to – lovely music, lovely singing and then someone dies. It's pretty much cured me of my ridiculous romantic notions, I don't want any of that love nonsense. It's hard work, messy and someone always ends up dead, totally not worth the trouble.
The best part was the guy sitting next to me. He was from somewhere in Asia, I can't tell you where, obviously a tourist. There wasn't really anything out of the ordinary about the enthusiastic way he greeted us as we sat down – he's travelling, it's exciting. Also as a lone traveller I know it's nice to see other nice people around the same age as you. The funny part started after my travel companion and I had engaged in the obligatory, we're at the opera selfie photo – he suddenly took out his iphone and snapped a photo of our bewildered looking faces. I thought that was a little weird but people take pictures of weird things when they travel. Then he hands me his phone – I was super confused, did he want me to look at the photo? He eventually explained in broken English that he was going to send me the photo and he needed me to type in my email address. I was caught off guard but I figured either he is the nicest guy ever, or this is a really elaborate way to get my details, either way it probably meant he deserved my email so I typed it in and he sent it off.
Low and behold when I arrived home that evening and checked my email there it was...
I'm telling you, you meet the strangest people when you are travelling.
The one after the one after...
I was just taking a nap by one of the canals in Venice, as you do. I should clarify that by taking a nap I mean lying down while resting my eyes, I was fully alert at all times for anyone who is safety concious. Anyway, I was just chilling out embracing the sun when I heard this family of tourists. Not all that unusual seeing as Venice is made up of tourists and they had been walking past me all day, but I opened my eyes to have a peek only to find a series of cameras pointing at me. Evidently an Australian girl taking a nap by the canals in Venice is a photograph worthy event. I would filed this in with my weird occurrences if this hadn't been about the 5th time it had happened that afternoon. I'd already check that my fly was done up and there was nothing on my face – I could see no logical reason why my sunbathed siesta was photograph worthy. I am starting to wonder if there is a “people sleeping in Venice” facebook group that is about to be inundated by pictures of me. I find that more reasonable then the fact that I am going to be in some family holiday photo album. If by any chance you are one of the people that happened to snap a shot of my sunbathed kip then please send it to me, I would love to see how I looked.
Really I am just passing time until the sleeper train to Paris this evening – should be an experience. My mum says she loves overnight trains – but I'm pretty sure it's been a while since there was anything romantic about these train rides.
The Orient Express... or you know not?
They really shouldn't call these trains sleeper trains – there is not all that much sleeping going on. It was all good at first, found of steerage class bunks and there was only us in the cabin. Then, naturally, the first thing I do is break of the beds so that we have to call the guard to get him to fix it, this all happened before the train had even left Venice station. That is skill for you, I fail at life in the most spectacular of ways sometimes.
Anyway having the cabin to ourselves was way too good to be true so a couple of stops later it was full. The worst part was that a kid got on which meant I had to give up the bottom bunk that I had specifically requested and climb my way all the way to the top. I am terrified of heights, I tried to sleep but there was nothing to hold me in to I was paranoid about falling. Also there is no electricity so I couldn't charge my laptop.
I was just about to give up and throw myself off my bunk to I could go plummeting to my death below when I figured it was probably better to just go and find the bar car. Turns out there is no bar car, but there was a restaurant that was serving very over priced wine, after a few of which the train ride was a whole bunch more fun. To add to the fun I found an empty compartment in the next class up and they had an outlet so I could charge my laptop. So I sat in there drinking wine and waiting for my laptop to charge. After a few bottles of wine the over night train is not all that bad, you meet some nice people to keep you company and spend most of your time trying to figure out something to past the time. Tic Tac Toe anyone? (Next time I am bringing a deck of cards – I'm dangerous when I get bored, especially when I have been drinking over priced wine).
I've already been to Paris, so I won't really have much to write... I think I will writing something about my final English adventures soon.
xx, Von
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