From Florence I took a train to Venice, arriving in mid afternoon. I checked into my hostel and then set off to explore the beautiful city. Although you can get a map of Venice, they don't help all that much. It's easier (and more fun) to just follow the signs from one place to another. I spent my first few hours just exploring, wandering through the narrow streets and over the innumerable canals.
Unexpectedly, I found the old Jewish quarter on my travels. After learning about it in my Mythologizing Shakespeare class (we covered The Merchant of Venice among other plays), it was intriguing to see its remains. To this day, the area is populate by Jews. The restaurants in the area are kosher, as is the little grocer's stall. Shops sell Jewish jewelry and art. Around every corner was a sign wishing residents and visitors a happy Pesach. After exploring the area a bit, I noticed the sun had begun to set, so I headed back to the hostel to grab dinner and get to bed.
The next morning, I woke up early. I packed my things and brought my bag to the luggage storage that the hostel provided before grabbing a cup of tea and a light breakfast. I set out for the Ponte Rialto and the Piazza San Marco, two of the most famous aspects of Venice. One of the greatest parts of waking up early was that when I arrived at the Piazza, very few tourists had woken up. I got to see the monuments without the crowds that would appear later in the day. I wandered around for a bit and then headed for Academia, an area filled with art schools and galleries. I found a cafe for lunch, and then treated myself to gelato before going back to the Piazza to go into some of the monuments I had seen earlier in the day.
I started with the Doge's palace, which was probably my favorite site of the day. I especially loved the golden staircase, so named because of the gold leaf covering much of the ceiling. After spending a good portion of the afternoon there, I toured the inside of the Basilica and then walked across the Piazza to a museum made of rooms that were once the Empress's chambers. It was so interesting to see the two different living areas on opposite ends of the square. Though originally inhabited at different times, they both had the same royal feel.
Finally, I made my way back toward the train station. I grabbed a bite to eat and picked up my bag, moving my belongings around so that I would be ready for the train that would take me to my next stop: Germany.
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