Venice

The salty air from the sea and canals blowing through the streets of Venice is very refreshing after a six-hour train ride, especially one that takes place overnight.
Sam and I took a night train from Salzburg to Venice to maximize our time in Italian city and also save a little money by not spending the night in a hostel or hotel.
We definitely increased our time in Venice, arriving into the Santa Lucia train station at 8:30 a.m., but slept very little on the train and still had to spend 74 euros to reserve two beds.
Thankfully that was our one and only night train scheduled for this trip.
Despite the lack of sleep, arriving into Venice early is the only way to see the city for the first time.
That’s because the crowds of people — tourists, vendors, and souvenir salesman — along the main streets are simply overwhelming from about 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you’re not bumping into loud, obnoxious American tourists, you’re trying to avoid eye contact with the myriad street merchants, who see the move as an open invitation to hassle you about buying an “I (heart) Venice” t-shirt or a Gucci handbag that looks real but in reality is probably fake.
But Venice in the early morning is a dream.
The streets are charming, as are the canal bridges and tiny, narrow passageways that curve and bend around the entire island city.
Sam and I had a fantastic time just seeing where the small streets would take us. Many times, we’d walk down narrow lanes for five to 10 minutes and then arrive in a huge square with an old, weathered church as its centerpiece.
Navigating Venice takes some getting used to because of the many turns you’ll inevitably take, but also because the map proportions in European cities are much smaller than maps in the United States.
What looks like a 30-minute walk according to a European map will, in reality, only take 15 minutes.
(I say this because of the map, but it could be because I’m my father’s son, and I inherited my dad’s swift walking pace.)
Sam and I had been walking for a couple of hours when we came upon Venice’s most famous square, the Piazza San Marco.
It’s an impressive sight, with it’s red tower on one side and the enormous Basilica de San Marco on the other.
The basilica was constructed in order to house the remains of St. Mark, and the builders left no doubt about the wealth the city of Venice possessed at the time of its construction.
Statues adorn the outside of the basilica and what looks like gold painting fills in the background of the religious drawings that are displayed above the archways that lead into the church.
Entrance to the main part of the basilica is free, but the line at 11 a.m. was already hundreds deep. So Sam and I decided to get up early the next day and come to the church just as it was opening.
We exited the piazza and made our way back to our hotel near the train station.
Since we got little sleep the night before, we turned in for a three-hour nap.
After our much-needed nap, Sam and I did some more walking before having a delicious pizza for dinner. Well away from the main tourists areas.
People advised us not to eat near the main sites in Venice, and we’re glad we heeded that advice.
Places in the central tourist spots will not only make you pay a cover charge just to sit down, but will also include a hefty tip in the price as well.
The next day Sam and I got up early to try and beat the crowds that would inevitably arrive at the Piazza San Marco.
This is a theme that would repeat itself several times over the next several days, although it never entirely worked.
Because for every couple that vows to beat the rush by arriving early, there are at least 20 more with the same idea.
Weaving through the narrow alleys of Venice was nice that morning, and even though we arrived at the square just as the basilica was opening, we only had to wait in line for 15 minutes before entering the church.
It was definitely worth that modest wait, as the Basilica de San Marco was more impressive inside than it was outside.
Gold painting and frescoes adorns every inch of the basilica’s interior. There are also several alter pieces with beautiful statues.
After touring the through the basilica, we walked out of the now jam-packed square and found a small park for a sit and a rest.
From there we did some more walking, bought lunch at a local grocery store and then found a restaurant that was showing the U.S./Algeria soccer match.
It’s too bad that win was the high point of the Yanks’ 2010 World Cup.
Sam and I loved our time in Venice, especially the times when the crowds weren’t so thick.