Up we got, packed in almost silence so as not to wake our other roommates and discovered a sign as we left that said there would be a public transportation strike from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and we breathed a sigh of relief that we were leaving Rome and would be done with public transportation long before 9. What an inconvenience for a tourist to not have the use of public transportation in such a city as this! However how very kind of the unions to publicly announce a strike beforehand so that at least the locals and well-informed tourists could plan ahead of time how to get around without the use of it. Certainly a different world. Considerate Italians.
We did take a bus to the train station and hoped on a train to Venice. The only real problem we had was trying to get our luggage to fit in the racks provided.
The best part of the train ride was when a girl walked up and started to ask if the seats were taken and then breathed, "English, oh thank goodness!" Our new companions were 2 British girls from Cambridge (what luck) who spent the entire trip chatting with us about traveling and what to see and do. They were just like us having a fun trip with their best friend. Throughout our trip we made friends everywhere and it made it a most comfortable and almost world family thing.
(The view as soon as you exit the train station.)
Storing our luggage at the hostel until check-in time we started exploring the city as we had no real plans of what to see and do. We began by getting little sandwiches and exiting on the edge of the Grand Canal being completely pestered by large fat pigeons and flirtatious Italian men passing in boats.
We spent the entire day wandering the city seeing the streets, well walking paths and bridges since there are no roads in this maze of a city but it is absolutely gorgeous. I took far too many photos. Also the view out our hostel window was a beautiful church.
I honestly think that with the use of Aubrey's trusty map skills we walked almost the entire city.
We found the only park in the whole place. It was nice to see greenery again.
Bright warm sunshine of the day made it just amazing.
Gondolas and gondoladeers are everywhere although we never actually rode on one--far too expensive and not overly worth it when the public transportation is on the water as well.
Not the kind of Venetian masks you think of but quite fascinating and well made.
She (above) is pondering views like this (below).
However, at least five times a day a view like this would inspire Aubrey to look at me and say, "How is Venice not sinking? How did they build it?" and I would reply, "Ask your city development professor at Cambridge." I don't know if she has gotten an answer yet but I will keep you posted.
A cute little couple having a picnic by the water's edge
(which really isn't hard to find in Venice).
A church we entered to see and later went to mass at on Sunday morning since we couldn't figure out how to get to the LDS Chapel on the mainland for church.
You really don't see any grass or land area, just cement and water,
but all the plants everywhere help the feel a little bit.
There is a certain bridge in Venice where couples put locks to symbolize the strength of their love hence they are called "Love Locks." A very nice thought and rather sweet, maybe someday I will go put one on the bridge to mark my own love life. It made us both smile to see how many there were and how old.
What a sunset!
Aubrey kept laughing at me on the whole trip because I kept taking pictures of lions, but they are such beautiful creatures and as they are a symbol of royalty they are carved everywhere in Europe.
I really wanted to ride this one; am I 4 yrs old--sometimes "Oh Yes!"
What I could see from my window at the hostel. Even at night it was a sight to be seen.
By the time we got home we were both so exhausted that we just crashed and slept hard not to mention that I had a terrible blister or two on a couple of my toes...ouch, but well worth the effort.
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