River City Roundup

Venice Day 1

We reached Venice about 9:30 A.M. We had all been served a roll and orange juice and had an opportunity to hand wash a bit in our couchettes sink. Needless to say, we didn’t feel very fresh and our official hotel check in time wasn’t until 2 P.M. The hotel was right across the Grand Canal from the train station, so we only had to get the luggage over one large bridge. We reached the hotel and the staff was great. When I asked if we could leave our bags until check in, they said of course and then asked us our names. Shockingly, they then said our room was ready and we were welcome to check in early! Unheard of service. We all took showers and were ready to see the city. The hotel staff recommended a boat ride from near the hotel that would take us all the way down the Grand Canal to the Basilica and the famous square.

The ride was nice and the water bus was surprisingly reasonable in price. We ate lunch at a little place near the tower. The calamari was great. We took a few photos, saw the square, the Rialto Bridge, and explored Venice. We saw an area here in Venice called the Ghetto where many Jewish people lived, and thus the area originated the word Ghetto. After walking there for awhile and seeing a few churches, we looked for a restaurant recommended by our guide book. It was on the Adriatic Sea and the wind was nice and cool. We had a great meal with cheeses, pasta, antipasti, and pizza. Oh, and some Coca-Cola too! Vino Americano.

Amber and I walked a bit along the canal in the late evening and watched the crowd. Venice is an amazing town. I used to think Paris was the most romantic city in the world, but Venice with its winding canals may surpass it.