Venice, Italy

I had not originally planned to come to Venice because there was not a lot about the city that interested me. It had its charming canals, of course, but so did Amsterdam. Besides a continuation of the savory foods I’d been enjoying elsewhere in Italy, there was not a lot that pushed Venice up my list of things to see. However, since I was on my way to Munich, and the train would pass through Venice, I thought it would be a good opportunity to see the city without being lampooned there.

The city surpassed my expectations. Much has been spent cleaning up the trash and effluent that used to clog the canals (don’t get me wrong, I still wouldn’t swim in or drink from them) and the maze of streets and many brightly coloured buildings were really wonderful. Also fascinating were all the masks that decorated the many shops along the streets. Many were selling familiar Italian fashion from the houses of Prada and Furla and so on, but there were some really great small designers and a lot of absolutely fantastic gloves. If gloves were an accoutrement I used often, I would have been spoilt for choice.

One thing I have noticed throughout my trip – though it was more predominant in Venice perhaps because Internet cafes charge 8 Euros per hour – was the preponderance of wifi-capable mobile users clustered around open hotspots. It was kind of funny; sort of like moths crowding around patio lights on summer nights.

Anyway, after a day wandering (often aimlessly) through the narrow alleys of Venice, I hopped on an overnight train to Munich.