1st Day in Venice

Just trying to outdo my effort on the previous day - I wake up at 1:30am and don't get back to sleep until 4:30am. Yeh!

I don't get out of bed until 9:30am - and I was feeling a bit cold and flu like. I text Sacha (who I was supposed to meet at the train station in Venice San Lucia (eg: not Mestre) at 10am and head down for a breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The breakfast at Delfino was similar to the Olympia breakfast - only with better cereal and coffee.... (sucked in Mum@!).

I head down to Mestre where, according to LP, there are heaps of buses from the station to the island - but I couldn't find any. I give Sacha a text because I had forgotten what the main train station at Venice is called (because he had my LP dammit!!). He texted me back saying "Venice Santa Lucia". I went to informaation at the train station and they said the best way to get there was via a regular train and there was one leaving in the next 5 minutes. I quickly buy a 2 euro train fare and then I'm on my way to Santa Lucia. Venice Island is connected to the mainland via a long highway/train tracks - and the ride only takes 10 minutes by train.

When I get off at Santa Lucia - the station is absolutely packed. It was a Sunday - and there were all these people wearing peculiar masks and costumes... It was all very Eyes Wide Shut - and I was wondering where the secret underground sex party was at.

I soon discover that it isn't a Eyes Wide Shut-esque underground sex party - rather carnevale was on. I was a little bit shocked that it was on because I thought the festival was a little later on (eg: in Feb) - but this explains why it was so hard booking accommodation and why it was so expensive.

I wait for about 10 minutes at the ticket office (where Tasha and I agreed to meet) - but they were a no show so I text them again to hurry up. They text me back saying that they would be another 15 mins. I popped outside the station - which is right on the "shores" of the grand canal through Venice. It was all looking very touristy - but a lot of the tourists looked Italian - perhaps because it was carnevale and a lot of locals come down to Venice to play "Eyes Wide Shut" dress up games.

Tasha arrives at the station - and Taeko (who has a smaller bladder than I do) has to go to a toilet. We found a 75 cent toilet for her to use at the station - but there was a line out of the door. While Sacha and I wait for Taeko - we concoct a plan to head to the "event of the day" for Carnevale which was at San Marco Piazza (on the other side of the island).



After Taeko finishes doing her business - we make our way in the general direction of San Marco. There are heaps of vauge signs all over the place directing tourists to particular sites including the Rialto and San Marco - so we just follow the San Marco ones. There were heaps of tourist stalls selling gimicky stuff - including aprons and boxer shorts with large penises on them - klassy with a "k". They were also selling lots of cheap and nasty Carnevale stuff including plastic masks and "don't stand near a naked flame" capes. You could easily pick the foreign tourists out from the die-hard locals - the cheap costumes just don't compare to some of the more elaborate stuff.

Once you get away from the main bit of Santa Lucia trainstation - Venice becomes a lot quieter and peaceful. It was all very kodak momenty - but not so pleasant on the nose (think dodgy sewerage smell from asia - and you are pretty much there).

It took us an hour to get to San Marco Piazza and it was totally packed. I had been warned by LP that the number of pigeons outnumber the people in San Marco - but that was defintely not the case today. There was a big stage to one end of the Piazza (set up specifically for Carnevale) and the famous San Marco Basilica (or Church) on the other side. There were heaps of people in costumes posing for the tourists. They weren't asking for money or anything - rather I think they just like the attention.

Deciding that we wanted to escape the crowds - Tasha and I head for a nearby district of La Accademia - which has heaps of galleries and stuff. We were following all of the little yellow signs and found it easy to get lost as this place is just so complicated. We had lunch at a little hole in the wall pizzaria and it was about 5 euros for 2 slices which ain't half bad (I was expecting Venice to be hella expensive).

Whilst we were eating - Taeko was obsessed with all of the black guys selling knock-off gucci handbags. She was wondering if they make any money. But watching them for about 10 minutes - one guy made at least 3 sales.

Getting a bit bored - Sacha and I come up with a game that we invade other people's pictures (eg: walk behind all of the posing costumed venetians whilst other people take pictures). I also had Sacha take my picture whilst I poled danced on a large flag pole...

Before we got to the Accademia art gallery - I forked out 1 euro cause I was busting for the toilet. Most. Expensive. Toilet. Ever. and not the cleanest either...

We forked out another 10 euros for entrance into the gallery - which specialises in old Venetian art... which is code for lots of jesus pictures... Once you see a few jesus pictures - you pretty much have seen them all - but there was a temporary exhibit on Titian which was pretty good and worth the admission. There was also an interesting exhibit with x-ray pictures showing how he developed and changed some of his work.

On our way back to San Marco - there was this closed shop that had some interesting mannequins in the store window. There were several transvestite mannequins with breasts and fishnets - including an Osama Bin Ladin drag queen. There was also a mannequin dressed in a sparkingly thong speedo with "Kill Me 2008" written on it. Also we come across a Burger King - where Taeko cheers and gives Sacha a "high-5".

From there - we make our way back to the train station. We find a t-shrit shop which had all sorts of korny (with a "K") t-shirts including a Mister Tea t-shirt (eg: Mr T drinking tea) and a Jesus dressed as Luke Skywalker with a crucifix light sabre t-shirt. I bought a "Elliot from ET flying in his bike with an Alien (eg: Alien vs Predator) sitting in the basket" t-shirt and Sacha bought a "naked jesus getting carried away by police" t-shirt as you do.

We also find a cheap internet cafe where I quickly check my email. Wotif confirmed the cancellation of the last night - and that they would refund me 55 euros out of the 70. Thanks Ant!

When we got back to Santa Lucia - we found a cheap self-service restaurant called Brek (which was in LP). It is sort of like a cross between an Italian sizzler and McDonalds - where you can get them to cook you a pasta, steak or pizza dish in front of you - and you can help yourself to some salad and drinks. It was really cheap - 10 euros for a lasagne, salad and a beer. At the restaurant - I notice that my sunnies are missing (weren't in my pocket or my bag) - and I realised that I must have either left them at the internet or t-shirt shop... but it was a bit too late to go back (everything had closed by then) - and I probably oouldn't remember the way back there - even if I tried. D'oh!... Although I was thinking about getting a new pair - so now I have an excuse...

I head back to Mestre alone (Tasha paid 7 euros for a transfer to Venice from their hotel - because it is in the middle of nowhere - that's what 50 euros a night gets for you in Venice@!). I get a 1 euro ticket (it was strangely cheaper than getting the ticket in the morning) and accidently get on the wrong train... Although it was going to Mestre - it was a Eurocity class train (eg: more expensive) - and despite the trip being only 10 minutes. The conductor caught me and a girl trying to do the same thing. I used the "I don't speak Italian and look at him blankly" trick - and it seemed to do the work. I got off with no hassles. I'm sure they get a lot of people doing the same thing.