November 10th, 2003: Venice

As before, original journal is in regular text, my comments (from today) italicized beneath:
(click photos to view)

• Metro to Venice - VERY crowded train (something wrong w/previous train causing overload)
  This is when I learned my lesson about "personal space" in Italy. Rule of thumb: there is no such thing. We were all crammed right up against one another. You just deal.
  
  
  
  
  Peace out, yo.
  
  
• African HOSTILE couple - girl punched Mom & pushed me
  Apparently this was just an ordinary lover's spat.
  
• Italian Arline flight attendant talked to us about her experience
• Train station in Venice - sat for a few minutes on front steps w/Mom
  
  
  View from train station steps
  
  
• Met Allen after he purchased water, bus tickets
• Wrong water bus taken on opposite route (wanted Grand Canal but had a new "adventure")
  
  
  Me & my lovely mother
  
  
  View from water bus - Venice, Italy
  
  
• Walked to San Marco Square "The Pigeon Place"
  
  
  San Marco Square - in front of Basilica
  
  
• Ate in San Marco Square - small restaurant (had veggie/multi-colored pasta - peas!!! yum)
  
  
  Campanile, San Marco
  
  
  Piazza San Marco
  
  
  Piazzetta San Marco
  
  
• Shopping/saw gondola drivers & dock
  
  
  Actors in Piazetta San Marco
  
  
  Where's my gondolier?
  
  
  There he goes...
  
  
• Returned on water bus -> metro
• Called hubs late after sandwich snack

Next stop: Rome