30 Hours in Venice

I realize it’s been awhile but life has been keeping me busy these past couple of weeks. 

I want to tell you about one of my favorite international destinations recently visited.  It’s a place that falls on most people’s list of top dream destinations and that is the beautiful water/canal city of Venice, Italy.  I had a weekend to do as I please (Friday afternoon through Sunday night) so I was torn between a couple different options: Croatia, Kosovo, or Venice.  In the end Venice won out because of time constraints with the travel options available to me.  I likely could have made either of the other two work out but my time there would have been even more limited than what I ended up with in Venice.  My location was near Graz, Austria, and with train travel so prevalent in the area this was going to by my primary source or travel for the weekend.  Flying was too expensive and really didn’t gain me a lot of time with the flight times available.  I made a reservation at a hostel in the city online before leaving so I’d know I’d have a place to stay Saturday night and then took off with a backpack and my “purse” (more or less it’s a messenger bag).  I traveled to Graz by train and then went to the information office there at the station to get tickets for the remainder of my travel.  I had a pass that allows me to travel by train in Austria without purchasing a ticket so I mainly just needed to know availability and times for the trains into Venice.  I was able to have guaranteed seating to Klagenfurt but from there I had no guarantees and was told the night train (that traveled from Vienna to Venice) was sold out.  Figuring there would be more options available I went for it knowing I could always spend the night in the station there if it came down to it.  Upon reaching Klagenfurt I noticed the next approaching train was scheduled through to Rome with a stop in mainland Venice so I ran around to the other side of the tracks and asked the train official waiting at the doors if there was room available to Venice…getting conformation I hopped on and bought my passage from him before winding my way through the cars to find an open seat.

Canal through Venice

Thankfully, I managed to be a light sleeper for once in my life and woke up just before we approached the Venice station at about 4:00am.  I have to admit that the next hour and a half was a bit on the creepy side of things.  One, I don’t know Italian.  Having some generic language background and familiarity with German and French I could guess at some of the things being said around me, but I would probably not suggest arrival as a solo female traveler at 4:00 in the morning when you have to wait until about 5:30 for the first train out to the station on the island/s.   I will say that I was incredibly excited to arrive in Venice and stand on the bridge out in front of the station and watch the sunrise over the city.  I think the only thing that might beat that was if I had gotten there early enough to walk around to the east side of the island and watch it come up over the ocean-but either way it was absolutely gorgeous and something I will never forget.  J

Sunrise over Venice

I walked around the city for a few hours finding some bread for breakfast and learning my way around the main streets/bridges for easier navigation later.  I then found my way to the hostel so I could check in and dumped off one of my bags taking only necessities with me as it was a hot, sunny day in Italy.  Acquiring a map at the desk and some helpful hints on where I should go and what to see I set off for my day in Venice.  I enjoyed walking the streets with windows full of leather, glass, and beautiful masks.  One could never tire from the sight-it’s fascinating!  I walked the famous Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) over the Grand Canal, watched gondoliers floating along the way, and marveled at the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square).  There is a reason that Venice is a desired destination for most people and I now know that for a fact.  Rather than having a meal for dinner, I snacked my way through the morning and afternoon on fresh bread, gelato, and different Italian treats and then headed on a water taxi across to Murano where I watched a glass blowing demonstration and wandered around completely enthralled with all of the handmade glass products available.  It really is marvelous what one can do with the stuff.  J

Glass Display on Murano

The afternoon held a bit more adventure for me as I was caught unaware in a brief downpour (as were most of the people there).  I sought shelter in a little boutique and ended up finding a couple really nice shirts I bought.  Emerging out into the streets again I decided to make a quick stop back at the hostel to drop off my accumulating purchases, grab my umbrella, and seek some suggestions for a good supper restaurant.  *Take note that wearing flip flops on wet stone streets is NOT a suggested travel tip.* I walked back to my “sunrise” bridge to watch night fall on the city before setting out for the suggested restaurant that was a little off of the beaten path (walking alone on the “streets” of Venice at night may be a bit uncomfortable for some as it is more or less walking single file alleys with very little lighting).  I found the restaurant to be a nice little cozy place where most of the patrons were true Venetians and I and one other couple (also Americans) were the only tourists.  *Thank you hostel worker for your outstanding recommendation!*  I had an amazing real Italian pizza that left me stuffed beyond belief with a lot left over (and sadly nowhere to keep it, though I have to say I don’t know if asking for a box would be frowned upon there or not).  Needless to say I spent my one and only night in Venice sleeping very well.  I had experienced a wonderful day in the city and met some wonderful people along the way.

Nightfall over Venice

I got up the next morning with every intention of taking the train back the entire way only to find that the train schedules did not overlap enough for me to make my connections and get back to my little Austrian city in time.  I was left scrambling for a way home.  *This falls under one of those times where my spontaneity can cause problems.* I ended up buying a ticket for a bus to Klagenfurt later in the day but traveling by train to Udine, Italy, and then managed to catch the earlier bus to Klagenfurt.  This allowed me to barely-just barely-catch the right train connections to get me back to Graz and make the final train out of the city to my little town in the countryside.  I walked quietly into the house shortly before one on Sunday night/Monday morning brimming with excitement from the experiences I had had and also exhausted knowing I would be up bright and early the next morning to start working again.   

Piazza San Marco

Anyone who wants to plan a trip to Venice I would love to give you some specifics, it just gets to be a lot to type them all out on here.  Maybe another time…

Sticking to the Plan…With a Side of Spontaneity

I’ll admit right away that while I may make plans I am not known for following them out as intended.  While in some circumstances this may be a problem, doing this in travel allows you to get the most out of everything since you are able to add things you discover once you’ve arrived.  Europe is one of the best places for this, too, with its extensive transportation system with planes, boats, trains, busses, and taxis.  If it’s something you want to do/somewhere you want to go you can pretty much make it happen.  

driving across Austria

Last summer, July/August 2010, I had just over three weeks to travel Europe as I chose.  Who could hope for something better?  With the benefit of traveling on my own I considered where I wanted to go and how long I wanted to stay there.  After a bit of finagling I had a plan in place that included traveling from southeastern Austria to Munich, Dublin, Galway, London, Southampton, Glasgow (and a tour of Scotland), Portsmouth, St. Malo, Caen (and the D-Day Beaches), Paris, Versailles, back to Munich, Salzburg, and the return trip to southeastern Austria in about 22/23 days.  It was a lot of ground to cover and a lot of places/sights fit into the timing including visiting two different friends from college-one studying in Galway, Ireland, and the other living with her husband in Southampton, England.  It really helped having everything written down (I took my schedule with me in my backpack to have handy at a moment’s notice.  This way I was able to prioritize my time as I went.  My time with my friends, visiting Scotland where my maternal grandfather’s family came from, and Caen-known for its role in World War II history- were musts on my trip.  Knowing my struggle with sticking to a schedule, I refrained from making all of my transportation and overnight accommodations before I began the trip.  Instead, I made them as I went along once I knew things were a little more concrete-this was largely possible because of my little netbook I carried with me as well as internet cafes along the way.

along the river in Dublin, Ireland

My plans didn’t last long.  I did spend my scheduled time with my friend in Ireland and had a fabulous time seeing the area and sitting in on her class she was taking while I was with her; it really made me miss school and consider going back for my master’s degree.  From Dublin I flew to London and traveled by train to Southampton but instead of staying only a couple of days my time with friends there extended itself to nearly a week.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them including this amazing fish pie dish my friend made…it was SUPERB!!!  I realized, however, that I needed to get moving along to make everything I wanted to do happen so I made arrangements while with them for the next two legs of my journey.  Train travel to Glasgow, Scotland, and a 2 day tour of the countryside and Highlands with Rabbie's Trail Burners.  A train ride down to Portsmouth, England, and an overnight ferry ride to St. Malo, France, followed by a night in Rennes, France, before traveling on to Caen.  Here, my itinerary took another detour.  I absolutely fell in love with Caen.  It’s a wonderful town full of lots of history, charm, and friendly people.  While initially planning on being there only a couple of days, I ended up staying 4 nights there before being forced to leave in order to make it back to Austria in time to be to work the upcoming Monday morning.  I was able to extend my stay at the Hotel Courtonne after a brief and stilted conversation with the French owner.  (*Note that is may not always be possible in the summer in a popular tourist destination, but it is a little more feasible when traveling alone*)  My trip back to southeastern Austria was a bit rushed and frantic and probably a good example of being a bit too spontaneous as I managed to travel from Caen, France, to Feldbach, Austria, but train (and bus where the train routes were under construction) in about 36 hours.  Quite a feat I realized after looking back over the train schedules and the route I had to take when trains were full. 

Dunkeld Cathedral-Scotland

They say that hindsight is 20/20 and while there may have been a better way of going about my 3 weeks of travel I really would not have changed a thing about it.  I had a fabulous time visiting friends and seeing history brought to life.  I managed to meet people from all over including some wonderful Canadians who became my photographers while on the 2 day tour in Scotland, a fun mother and son from California traveling in France before heading to Italy to visit family, and a great older couple from Oklahoma returning to visit the D-Day beaches where family friends had pushed their way on shore that June morning struggling and fighting for the freedoms of so many-people they never got to meet.

at the American Cemetery near Colleville, France

All of this to say that while planning is a necessary part of travel, leaving a little room for spontaneity is highly recommended.  I was able to go back to places in Caen and really absorb the importance of what happened and the beauty of a wonderful town with its wonderful marketplace in the square so I was able to enjoy some amazing fresh fruit and baguettes.  I met people I otherwise would not have crossed paths with by extending my stays and allowed myself to really absorb the surrounding culture and take time to enjoy the area.  You can learn so much from the citizens and really see what life is like wherever you choose to go.  Just make sure you allow some flexibility in your travel plans next time you embark on a journey.

city view of Caen, France, after a thundershower

Raring to Go

If you’re any bit as restless as me, you likely have travel on your mind all of the time.  As I’ve passed some of the young age “landmarks”-turning eighteen, moving away to college, becoming a college graduate, and entering the job market-I’ve struggled with this at an increasing rate.  Taking one trip only seems to fuel the need for another.  The search for the next location and a reason I can pass off as logical for making the trip begins almost immediately.

Neuschwanstein Castle-Germany

My desire for international travel began at a young age when at thirteen I took a three week tour of Europe with a group from our small community in connection  with EF Educational Tours.  I spent months convincing my parents it was worth using my entire savings account to go.  To this day I stand by that decision.  It was on this trip that my independence began to take shape.  I went on the trip knowing four people-the leader who was a teacher at the middle school and his son who was a classmate of mine, one of the boys who was a friend of my brother’s, and one of the girls who was also a classmate of mine.  I didn’t know any of them very well nor the others to any extent and thus spent most of my time on my own whenever it was possible.  I enjoyed my fries and sweet mayonnaise discovery in the streets of The Netherlands and Belgium, exploring the magnificent lace shops in Brugge, all the chocolate one can fathom in Salzburg, and the myriad book shops of London.  The power and majesty of Ludwig II’s Neuschwanstein and his grandfather Maximilian’s Hohenschwangau in Germany are in their own category.  I can still remember the contrast of the yellow stone walls of Hohenschwangau against the brilliant blue clear skies.  Those three weeks allowed me to experience the countries of The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Lichtenstein, Austria, Switzerland, and England.  In the ten years since that trip in the spring/early summer of 2000, I’ve had the chance to revisit most of those countries-experiencing some of the same cities and adding to the list with some new ones, too.

Hohenschwangau Castle-Germany

It’s hard to look back at that trip without a little bit of nostalgia because of the changes I experienced at that time.  When you take a trip that evokes emotion or some decision-making I think it is worth reflecting on—just don’t let yourself dwell on them and become your bar for all trips to equal or surpass.  No two trips can ever be compared nor should they.  Trips are made at different times in life and under different circumstances, so even if you go to the same places with the same people you are apt to notice different things.  Enjoy all of it and allow yourself to be led and influenced by what you experience-in moderation.  I’m definitely NOT saying we need to become the world around us-there is too much negativity and evil in the world to do that, but if we don’t allow ourselves to be impressed by the world we have just tipped the scale too far in the opposite direction.  Not sure how to effectively and efficiently allow this to take place?  I’ll leave you with a couple suggestions for the day:  Journal and Photograph.  They each deserve their own entry-at least!  J