Venice has been so good to me. Except my arrival. I made a quick stop in Pisa to do the touristy stuff and see the Leaning Tower. The rain didn't ruin it for me, but it sure made it more difficult since I was carrying a 30lb bag and wearing TOMs. Not smart of me.
I literally made it to my train to Venice half a minute before departure. Once I got to Venice, I got off the train at the wrong station, so of course the directions to my hostel were making no sense. Bursting out my GPS, I realized that I was 6 kms away. Haha! That hike was not going to happen. After rude customer service since I spoke to the guy in English (I refuse to admit that I speak English so that I can try harder to learn the language), I jumped into a train that would take me to the right place.
Venice streets are magical, but also a freaking maze! The cheap wine and small plates make up for the hassle. I would stop at an Osteria to grab some prosecco, spritz or vino rosso everytime I would get lost. It was a perfect way to find myself on the map, but by noon I would already feel the Venice happiness in my veins, so I would either get more lost, or not even care anymore.
Also, I learned a few tricks while walking the streets of this beautiful city. It costs 1.50€ to use the public restroom... so instead, I find an osteria that is tucked in between the streets (those are the best), pay 0.85€ for a glass of their red house wine, and use their toilette. If it's too early, grab a coffee for 1€ and do the same. Everytime, the bathroom was cleaner than the public ones anyways. Another trick for backpackers is to not have a seat down dinner. They charge fees over fees for that and you are stuck with one dish. Instead, hop around the local spots for tapas style dishes that run between 1-4€. That gives you a chance to try more things, and mingle with the bartender and other locals. A local recommended the Campo Santa Margharita area. Also, I found great local spots (where my new American friend and I were the only tourists) in the Santa Croce area. Walk the streets without being afraid to get lost. Seems like every turn is a new adventure.
Yesterday was a tough day. I got lost pretty bad, tourist were annoying me, the rain had my shoes soaking wet, and my phone went for a swim in the toilet. What else could go wrong? I had to stop, take a step back and look at the big picture. I was in freaking Venice!!! Who cares??? So, I went on a shopping spree for Italian shoes and make up, and it solved the issue. Of course I lost the shopping bag later and went around the city tracking it down, but I found it! Don't judge. It was between shopping or eating gelatto, and my waistline could not take the hit anymore, so my wallet had to.
Speaking of waistlines. What do Italians do to keep the levels of obessity so low? Seriously! With so much food and drinking, you would think that Italians would be rolling all over the place, but that is not the case at all. We are definitely doing something wrong in the US.
Last and not least... I quickly have learned that making eye contact with a man in Italy is dangerous. It is not to be done, unless you are flirting. Will not disclose the stories that this has created. Lesson learned. Moving on.
Dani G.
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