Day 47 - Venice, Italy

As we were getting into the Panda this morning, which I had parked in a side alley next to the hotel, I noticed something odd. The driver’s side door was open. We looked inside and all the papers in the glove compartment had been thrown onto the floor. The car had been broken into. Luckily, we had no belongings in the car except a bottle of wine (which the robber left). I guess the Panda’s lock is easy to pick, since I am almost certain I locked the doors the night before (but MAYBE not amidst the whole check-in fiasco).

It took us about an hour and a half to get from Verona to Venice, where we dropped off the Panda, and hopped on a Vaparetto (water bus). Vaparettos are the main form of transportation up and down the main canal in Venice. The Vaparetto took us all the way down to our hotel, which is close to St. Mark’s square.

The first thing we did once we were checked-in was visit St Mark’s square. For those unfamiliar with Venice, this is Venice’s main square. Historically, it was the political, economic, and religious center of Venice, housing the Doge's (Duke's) Palace as well as St. Mark's Basilica. Today, it is home to multiple museums, expensive restaurants/shops, and the picturesque buildings of Venice’s past. At night, when all of the cruise ships are gone, it is a romantic spot to stroll through and listen to the café orchestras play “New York, New York.” Many of the diamond/engagement commercials are shot here.

St. Mark’s is also home to many, many pigeons (see the “Pigeon Challenge” in the additional notes). Watch me spoil some fun for this unsuspecting kid:

Pigeon Run - Venice, Italy from Brian Burns on Vimeo.

Rick Steve’s gave us a good little tip on where to grab a good, affordable lunch (at a place where you can sit down) just steps away from St. Marks square. The street is known as “Sandwich Row.” They have tramezzini sandwiches, which are packed with meats and fillings for just over one Euro. You just point through the glass, and they bring the sandwichs out to your table. Still hungry? Go back and point to another one. All of the sandwich’s are pre-made every morning, so the popular ones go early (you don’t want to show up too late).

The rest of the day and night was relaxing as we took it easy walking around and enjoying Venice.


Additional notes:
- The Pigeon Challenge: The pigeons in St Mark’s square, in addition to being plentiful, are quite savvy, and are artful dodgers. Unless you have food, they are almost impossible to touch, even if they are standing right by your feet. Kim, noticing my frustration, proposed the Pigeon Challenge: I will have to touch a pigeon without any aids (such as food). Though a difficult and mentally enduring task, I have accepted her challenge!