The City On Water

     Towards the top of the list amongst my favorite places on Earth is Venice.  Just like in the movies, it is a serene and tranquil place.  Set apart from swarming crowds of people, it is a fairly quiet city.  A choice location for an escape from everyday life.
     The majority of the streets being rivers is a bit frustrating at a first, but once you have found your bearings it becomes an adventure.  The uniqueness of rivers amongst the narrow corridors of alleys between buildings is adventerous.  Ducking into an path that's not near broad enough for two opposing people to walk down makes for quite the challenge, but is rewarding once you emerge amongst a vast selection of sight and scenery. 
     I arrived in Venice, and took a walk around for a bit.  I looked for a place to reside for the night, and found nothing but 4 and 5 star hotels.  Hostels are always tucked away and never marked very well, so I asked for a list of them in Venice, picked the one with the most beds, and went to locate a payphone.  It was seven p.m. and I explained to the woman who answered the phone where I was at in the city.  She had mentioned that they closed at eight, and she was uncertain if I would be able to make it in time.  Apparently everyone in Venice walks slow, because what she made sound like a 45 minute walk took me no more than ten minutes.  Needless to say, I had a place for the night.  A shower was more than needed after the train ride.  Then it was on to supper.
     Rome was an experience.  More of your typical metropolis, Rome is full of people, it is never quiet, there are homeless people everywhere, and it is fairly dirty.  A quick day trip was more than enough to be able to say I've been there.  A walk about the main touristic locations brought me around to see all of the cities major sights.  I would, however, love to go back to be able to experience it in greater detail.  It is just not the place to be when traveling alone.  Which brings me to my arrival in Venice.
     I thought I would try out a train from Rome to Venice, which instantly brought me to learn several things.  A second class seat on the slow train which has no air conditioning is an awful idea.  It was absolutely unbearable, and I am almost certain that I came quite close to passing out from heat exhaustion.  I will never do that again.  It is more that worth it to pay a little extra for a high speed train that cuts the time in half and has A/C.  It was a six hour train ride from Rome to Venice, and thankfully I managed to sleep for roughly half of it.  I had been exhausted from walking around Rome and trying to find a place to sleep, and also from staying up until five in the morning on the beach in Barcelona the night before. 
     Back to Venice, where I decided to endulge in my favorite kind of food in the world.  More settled in Venice than Rome, I felt that a 4 course meal was more than necessary.  I had found a place set apart from the main river that runs through the city, nestled up along a quite street set right off a river road.  It felt a bit off to ask for a table for one in a city that should be ment for couples, but I was famished.  As I sat down the waiter brought me a complimentary glass of the house wine, which was fairly tasteful.  However I ended up with a bottle of chardonnay that was recommended, and thus began the arrival of the exquisite cuisine. 
     A basket of fresh Italian bread for a starter was spectacular.  Light, warm, and soft, it had an enticing aroma that would bring anyone to want to devour it.  Secondly, a plate of spaghetti was presented, which was nothing shy of delectable.  After the pasta, I had a place of lightly grilled chicken, which bathed in a sauce that was a mixture of heaven and freshly squeezed lemon.  For dessert, a piece of homemade tiramisu was served, which was the top of its class.  I had never had a piece as succulent as that in my life.  As I polished off the last of my bottle of incredibly savory chardonnay, the waiter brought my bill.  Aside from the bill, he also brought a complimentary shot of something that started sour, but ended sweet.  I have no idea what it was, but it was also incredible.  Italy has now proved itself with the food, and still remains my favorite.
      I am now on a train to Verona, Italy for the afternoon and night, as I have a flight to Dusseldorf, Germany in the morning.  I think I will go out and search for an Italian vineyard to tour, and hopefully I can find one to add to my list of experiences.  You know what they say; When in Rome.....