Day 14 - Florence to Venice

I'm not sure I have the adjectives for this part of the trip, as I think I've overdone the word 'amazing' so I'll try a few other words, but it won't be easy as my vocabulary is limited.

The day started in Florence with Sarah wanting to see the David sculpture at the Uffizi. We had some breaky at a place round the corner from it, but got badly ripped off which I won't dwell on as it led to a conversation on budget and how well we are keeping to it. Probably not that well at all. Once online I will make an effort to see how far off track we are. Anyway it is cultural week in Florence and museums are free. Therefore the queue to see David was round the corner and then some. I really don't see the point in seeing these works of art that are so well known. I can't be one of the average people who queue for hours to get into the Louvre, spend 3 minutes looking at the Mona Lisa then leave. This is what David would have been like. Also in my view its not the most brilliant, its the one by Da Vinci. There are magnificent ones in the covered courtyard in the Piazza Signori. Anyway I was glad when Sarah was also put off by the queue.

Our train left for Venice at noon and a new type of train too with distance and speed on the monitors giving something to look at besides Robinson Crusoe which I am reading on iBooks. It pulled into Venice promptly at 2pm as promised. However, let me first describe entering Venice by train to those who haven't done so. Well you cross on this track with the sea each side and see the city in the distance like a man made Island which it sort of is really. To my mind the journey approaching, helped by the sun and the blue sky reminded me of the Florida  Keys or the Chesapeake area around Maryland. Once we left the station you walk exit and walk down the steps and all the familarity of Venice hits you. The boats and narrow streets are there straight away. For once our 1km walk to the hotel was painless and free from "you should've" or "why didn't you'?" or "Im checking the map, wait". The hotel is a quaint thing off a side street which should have been hard to find but not so. We checked in and wasted no time in exploring. Let me tell you wandering Venice on a warmish sunny day is perfect. I've heard that rainfall, floods or guttering can make the place smelly and unpleasant, but this was no such day. Let me also say that I feared the worse about the cost of food being such a touristy area, however it seems demand has ensured some things are cheap. Pizza and sandwiches can be had for EUR 2.50 to 4.00. A scoop of gelato for EUR 1.50.  With a nice day at bought lunch for 2 for less than EUR 10.00 sitting on the edge of the canals watching the gondolas pass can be every bits as romantic as a meal at a restaurant. If a restaurant meal is needed I did spy the menus and main courses of most the pasta dishes can be had for EUR 8.00. Not frightenly expensive. One course and drink each should come in at less than EUR27.00.

This evening we took a dusk to nighttime walk to see the place lit up. This is by far a better time to see Venice. The boat tours have gone home meaning the street population has reduced to less than a quarter of the day time crowd. You can wander the narrow dimly lit, but I'm assured, safe streets with near solitude. Every now and then you will come across as cozy bar or tavern or pizzaria or gelataria which you may or may not want to enter, or just see it for the ambiance that it is.

Venice is a perfect walking and yes even a budget destination. I determine budget when a city seems to leave you to some control of your spenditure which Venice has done. There is more to see tomorrow. We are catching a 10:50pm overnight train to Munich, Germany tomorrow night. I will miss Italy and next time I blog I will try and summarise it.