We left Pergola with mixed feelings. On one hand we were excited to see Venice. On the other, we would miss the small town feel and lovely people of Pergola. The trip started out bad. Our bus driver was in no hurry and we ended up missing our train. Of course, there was another so we waited at the station for almost an hour. We finally caught a train to Falconara. I did not get the "fast" train (the things you learn AFTER a trip) so we stopped at just about every stop in between Falconara and Bologna. Once in Bologna, the trains stopped because of a driver strike....ugh!! I was so exhausted, I didn't care how much it cost, I just wanted a hotel room, a clean bed and a big plate of pasta. We walked across the street to a nice looking hotel. 150 euros a night...good enough. Once checked in and settled we ordered pasta, rigatoni with meat sauce. It was one of the most delicious plates of food I have ever had! I didn't realize I was that hungry!
We got up early the next morning and caught the "fast" train to Venice. Geez.....if I had known about the fast train, I would have booked it for the entire trip. Oh well, we had finally made it to Venice!!
I loved Venice the very moment we stopped off the train. The air was crisp, clean and sweet. People were friendly and happy. The sun was spreading glitter on the canals....gorgeous!! The Chef went to get vaporetto tickets while I chased The Girl around and tried to keep her from falling into the canal.Which I kind of think she tried to do on purpose....The Chef came over and told me there was a vaporetto driver strike and they were only going as far as the Rialto. AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! We needed to get to the Castillo district, which I was NOT going to walk to! Not after Rome!! So we grabbed a water taxi at 60 euros and didn't even care the cost. We were just happy to finally be in Venice. The Grand Canal, the baroque buildings, all of it and everything....so incredible!
Our apartment was right off Via Girabaldi, an area where it was mostly locals with wonderful restaurants, shops and produce markets.
I was totally enamoured by the twisty alleyways, the colorful laundry hung to dry high overhead and the dogs with coats but no leashes. Since there are no cars in Venice, most dogs, and kids for that matter, are allowed to wander. It is almost festival like in the way Venetians greet and mingle with each other.
After leaving our apartment to explore our neighborhood, we stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a little refreshment. A nibble and some vino were just what we needed to recharge our batteries. We started walking towards the lagoon. The Girl was in front of us and she came around the corner and and stopped dead in her tracks and just stared. There, smack dab in front of us was a carnival set up along the lagoon. Our first night in Venice was spent riding a merry go round and a roller coaster that looked like a worm with some serious dental issues. It was totally unexpected and so much fun. How many kids get to say their first roller coaster ride was in Venice with San Giorgio Maggiore in the background?!? We rode those rides until the sun went down.
The next day was spent trying to cram as much as possible into our only full day in Venice. We went to San Marco Piazza but not into the buildings. We just didn't have the time.... We had gelato and mulled wine. Then we started wandering. What an absolutely incredible city!! Something fun and fantastic was around every single corner.
Something about this busy, crowded, over the top city spoke to my soul. I cannot wait to return and get lost in the dark, twisty alleys of this amazing city!!
