Venice, Italy

Day 13
Ciao Italia!!
Ok, I realize it's been awhile, and the details are getting fuzzy (which is what I was afraid of!) but I'll do my best. Hey, vague is better than absent.
We had an overnight train from Zagreb to Venice that left at 9.30 pm and was supposed to reach Venice around 8am. What we didn't know was that the train from Zagreb was actually headed north to Austria so we had to switch at a platform in the middle of the night. Not only did we have to switch we also had to wait about 2 hours for the next train in a deserted train station. Then, to top it off, we missed our stop. We had to decide whether to stay on the train until it reached Salzburg and then travel back down (which would've taken AGES) or get off at the next horrifyingly deserted stop in the dark of the night and wait for the next train in an hour. We decided to stay safe and just go ahead to Salzburg but that would mean missing out on a lot of Venice. In a last minute change of mind, we jumped off the train at the next station.
And thank goodness we did. It was cold, and a little over 3 am. Our train wouldn't arrive until close to 5am so I waited outside with all our bags, while Afif looked around. He found out that our train was already there, just waiting to depart in two hours and that we can board it early. We got into our room and passed out! They even woke us up as we neared our destination with a breakfast tray :).
Venice!-City of Love
Venice truly lives up to her reputation and hype! Her old world glamor and charm captivates visitors. There's a seeming fusion of regality and bohemian chic. The narrow cobbled alleyways, rustic pastel buildings and plentiful canals will take you through Venice's own love story.

All sorts of pastas! The pastas are all home made and fresh so naturally Afif and I had to dive right in. We shared seafood pasta and a large pizza slice between the two of us.

Venice is a pedestrian city so cars and roads are substituted with boats and canals. Truly a marvel to witness such a large area car free!

These rides were ridiculously expensive- 80 euros per half hour!

We spent the evening at Piazza San Marco and decided to take a tour of the impressive Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale)

Bright ol me in front of Piazzo de Marco (St Mark's Square).

 

 The Palazzo Ducale, or Doge’s Palace, was the seat of the government of Venice for centuries. As well as being the home of the Doge (the elected ruler of Venice) it was the venue for its law courts, its civil administration and bureaucracy and the city jail. The building embodies the highest expression of the city's cultural, artistic, military, political and economic history. Much smaller than say Versailles but a labyrinth nonetheless. All the various stages of the Palace's past are represented here, in an extraordinary accumulation of architectural and decorative features and we had a great time wandering its corridors and educating ourselves on Venice's sociopolitical status.

 

A final evening stroll through Venice as the sun sets and I am obsessed with these narrow canals and pastel building!