Though we’d requested a 10:30 train, the ticket agent wrote down 11:30 and we didn’t discover it until it was too late. After breakfast we finished packing and sat for a while working on the blog. It took a couple of hours to complete our trip from the west to the east coast of Italy. I wrote a little more and looked out the window at a dramatically gray landscape in the rain. By the time we reached the Venice train station the rain had become an on again, off again drizzle.
Venice’s bus system is called the Vaporetto. These boats ply the waters around Venice along the two big canals and to and from the other major islands, picking up and dropping off passengers at designated stops. Our hotel was closest to the Rialto Bridge stop so we hopped on the 2 outside of the train station and got off at the bridge. We managed to find our hotel without too many missteps – a feat in Venice. Our room was really nice, though on the third floor in a hotel without an elevator. When I huffed and puffed to the landing before the last flight to our level, the young lady cleaning the rooms dashed down and hauled it the rest of the way up, crushing my male ego for about a nanosecond. 50 steps, counting the 7 landings on the winding way up.
After settling in, we hung out for a while before going out in search of a late lunch/early dinner. The woman at the desk recommended a place not far away. It turned out to be one of our favorite meal experiences. A couple with a small child were waiting in the street ahead of us and a waiter came out and gave us all a refreshing drink. They seated us in true Italian style – that is several tables for two set rows tight next to each other. The small room was packed, the atmosphere friendly and the food excellent. The wait staff ratio insured not only prompt service but also a little time for banter with the diners. And, the owner (chef?) would come out to talk to the patrons. At the end of our meals, the waiter would bring small glasses of grappa and a little dessert. We decided we’d eat there again.