Back in Venice - wow!
Trip Start
Sep 02, 2011
1
14
26
Trip End
Oct 12, 2011
Where I stayed
Freesia Apartment, San Marcuola, Venice
What I did
Left Florence, travelled by train to Venice
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Sunday, September 25, 2011
We left Florence without any problems. There was a public demonstration (about what we don’t know) which meant traffic was diverted however, this did not affect us in anyway as we had allowed plenty of time before the train’s departure.
The Station at Florence (Santa Maria Novella Stazione) is a bit disappointing in that there are no seats for resting and only MacDonald’s and another small kiosk for refreshments. There is some upgrading underway so perhaps that will be improved in time. We left Florence 12.07 pm and as we expected to arrive in Venice after 2 pm we decided to purchase some food at the Station.
Our only food option was Macca’s for lunch. My experience with shop assistants throughout Florence has been very good, with most people friendly and helpful. However, the experience with MacDonald’s staff was a different story. I found them to be offhand, perhaps even belligerent and in no hurry to serve. I waited 10 minutes for the completion of my order after paying for it. The upside of this, I suppose is that the food was fresh, however, the coffee was only warm once the order had been completed. Macca’s needs to work on this aspect of their franchise.
Despite this, I was sad to leave Florence – it has a lot to offer. However, we are all looking forward to our next destination - Venice.
We spent a lot of the train trip going thru tunnels, consequently missing much of the countryside. Lucky it was a short trip (only a couple of hours). Train travel in Italy is an interesting experience. We have chosen to travel 1st class which entitles us to complementary refreshments, but it seems that the locals often risk the consequence of travelling either without a ticket or travelling in 1st class with 2nd class tickets. It appears to be a case of bluff and they seem to get away with it We have not seen anyone challenged though we suspect that some may not have paid 1st class tickets. Sitting in the wrong seats is also a commonplace event and they don't like it when they are asked to move. It hasn't happened to us yet, but we have seen it happen.
Mum was of course (pleasantly) surprised when we arrived in Venice as she was expecting to be going to Siena. She is very much looking forward to discovering some of the Venetian attractions, starting tomorrow.
We arrived in Venice around 2.30 and caught the Vaporetta to our destination where we were met by the Booking Agent's very warm and very helpful Representative who escorted us to our apartment. We have a two bedroom, self-catering apartment, though we have discovered that there is no toaster and no oven. We do have two hotplates and a microwave, but this means no toast for Mum for the next four days. So far we have been able to provide her with her usual tea, toast and marmalade breakfast; there will now be a change in menu for the next few days. It looks like we will be eating out a bit.
There's quite a bit to see around the area we are in - San Marcuola - and over the next few days we will take in St Marks and the Doges Palace. We may even take a trip to one of the Islands - Lido or perhaps Murano. We shall see how Mum travels. She is coping very well and thoroughly enjoying herself.
We only have 3 days for sightseeing in Venice as we will be leaving mid-morning Wednesday for Rome - the end of our trip together.
