All The Lovely Crowds - Venice Overnight

We had previously been advised by Nico that there might be “rush hour” traffic around the Florence area since people still work and there is still school on Saturday, so we decide to leave at 9:30. Our calculation is that we should reach our hotel in Mestre, a town located just outside of Venice, by 1:30 or so in the afternoon. After check-in we plan to take the ten minute (if that) train ride into Venice.

But I am getting ahead of myself. We say our good-byes to Nico and take a one last stroll around the property. It has been such a lovely week at Sant' Antonio and we hope to come back again to stay sometime in the future.

The driving is fine until we hit north of Florence and then there are various traffic delays and problems all along the way.  We end up having a quick lunch at one of the numerous Autogrills  (a restaurant, fuel & retail complex) that are located through-out the Autostrada (toll highway in Italy).  The food is so unremarkable that I can't really remember what we had to eat!

Our hotel in Venice is actually located just outside of historic Venice in an area called Mestre , a borough of Venice. There is a direct train service from here and the total travel time is about ten minutes (if that). Mestre is also a useful location if you don't want to spend a ton of money on a hotel room directly in the center of Venice. 

By the time we get to the Hotel Bologna , it is 3:30 in the afternoon and very hot outside. The four of us manage to get checked in and decide to take the train into the center of Venice in about an hour.  Our time is very limited and, even though I have been to Venice once before, everyone else has not.

Our train ride into the station is a quick and easy. At first everyone is thrilled that they are actually seeing Venice for the first time.  Then we encounter horrendous crowds which get worse as we get to St. Marks, the principal square of piazza of Venice.  It is here that the ancient and very much photographed basilica is located in addition to other equally historic structures. 

All the lovely people- impossibly crowded during June

No one wants to navigate the Vaporetto system (water bus) so we walk.  Our attempts to make our through the crowds is stressful and everyone is very warm and tired.  On top of this, someone tries to pick-pocket Brent as we watch a huge cruise ship leave the harbor.  Luckily he does not have his wallet in his back pocket but this experience only serves to heighten his dislike of this city.

We slowly make our way back to the train station stopping in various shops along the way; purchasing some lovely Murano glass  jewelry for gifts. While shopping , I also find various places to eat but no one is happy with the menus, the prices, or the aggressive staff members standing near the entrance of their trattoria's trying to lure in tourists like us. Basically, it's our own fault for not having planned this short leg of the trip better as I could have gotten several restaurant recommendations from friends that live in Italy. Two hours later we are on our way back to the hotel where everyone but me has an unsatisfying meal... The food is great- it's just all Venetian seafood and I am the only one who wants to have seafood for dinner. 


Murano glass necklaces

 When we arrive back to our room there is a very unpleasant odor emanating from within. Basically, it smells like a sewer backed up in our room. I immediately take the elevator to the lobby and ask the front desk staff if we can be moved. The staff is more than gracious about this however, the front desk clerk casually tells me this is a problem that some of their rooms have when it the weather gets hot.....  Our new room is right across the hall and  the three of us spend a couple of hours determining if each of our suitcases will meet the 50 pound weight limit for tomorrow's airline check-in before going to sleep. 

Gondola in Venice Canal