Making it to Italy

Getting to Italy from Spain was easy. A flight on Vueling got me there in no time. From the plane, I took a bus to a vaporetto (boat) and a short walk while lugging my bags around the cobbled and upward climbing stairs got me to my hotel in Venice.

Within half an hour I could easily pick up the stark contrast between Venezia and the simple life of Sevilla.

1) The place was flooded with tourist. Everywhere you look there are guidebooks and photo after photo being taken.

2) Whatever they tell you, EVERYONE speaks English in Venice. And I thought Italian was the national language! For some reason this one fact alone stood out to me more than others, as when you understand everything being said by those around you the mystique of traveling in a foreign country evaporates.

3) Its insanely expensive. Lunch for one in a small, local, backstreet restaurant was 16 Euros. Whereas in Spain that could be the total for lunch for three.

4) Everyone is selling something here. And they want to sell it to you NOW without hastle. In Spain you may have to wait a few minutes to get someones attention to bring you a glass of wine or cerveza. However, once they do, you can sit or stand as long as you wanted. You could read a book, call a friend, write a novel…the Spanish don’t care. Just DON’T try this in Italy. They want to bring you whatever it is you want, but they want you to eat it or drink quickly, pay and go. There is no dilly-dallying here, unless you order a bottle of Dom and then you are entitled to some time. Unfortunately, with these prices there was not one in my future.

5) The place is filthy. Dirty. In desperate need of a bath. I get it that its old. But old doesn’t mean dirty. Spain is old, but somehow everything is pristine. Paris is old, and yet its clean too.

With these thoughts in mind I set out to see the lovely city of Venice. I was happy to be here as I have wanted to wander its canaled streets for some time, now was my chance. Lets just hope she didn’t disappoint.