Just a warning: I was adventurous this weekend.
Trains
What’s sad is that I’d never been on a train before this weekend. I’ve been on over 100 airplane flights, but have never done trains. I’ve been missing out! Granted, Europe’s train system is much more efficient (from what I hear) than Amtrack, but still, the views are a lot better in a train than on a plane. There are trees passing by, vineyards with mist floating out of them, sunlight breaking through the clouds and illuminating that mist (that one was from my return train ride). In the plane all that I usually see is a map down below and blue sky off to the side. Riding the rails was a great first for the weekend.
Venice
Yeah, I know, this is an obvious first. When I started telling people that I was going to be in Italy for a semester I would often hear, “oh, wait until Venice.” People described it as lovers’ paradise. People described it as majestic and grand. They were right. It was all of that. Traveling to Venice alone, though, loses a lot of the splendor. Don’t get me wrong, it was great and I want to go back at least once in my life; but, after Rome and Florence, Venice loses much of its appeal besides being a great place for tourists.
Trip Alone Abroad
This was the first trip I’ve ever done solo in a different country. I’m used to flying alone and traveling alone in the US, but it has never been abroad before. Even on my flights coming over here I was with another girl from TCU. All of my other excursions since I’ve been here have been with full groups. This was just me; it had its ups and downs, but I at least know I can do it now!
Traveling Awake in Italy
Something very sad is that I’ve missed my chances for views of much of the Italian countryside. Whenever I’ve traveled in Italy so far I’ve been asleep. Even during both of my Italian flights over here I was sleeping. I redeemed myself by staying awake for the full trip for the first time this morning. The views were great and the experience I described above with the mists and the sun in the vineyards: 20 minutes west of Padua in northern Italy — serene!
Hostels (somewhat)
I’ve never been in hostels before. I still kind of haven’t. The place I stayed at this weekend was a camping village. I only paid 12.50 per night, so going there I wasn’t sure if it’d be an actual hostel or something else. It was definitely something else.
There are so many things that church camp prepared me for in life and this was one of them. I’ve camped and counseled kids in the middle of the woods. I don’t have a problem sleeping on cots and beds in tents. That was the saving grace for the weekend. I’d thought enough before going to back everything in one bag (my Burton red school bag) and had thrown in a pair of my sheets-in-a-bag before I left. When I got there they had sheets and all of that for a bed, so I put mine in between theirs and figured that it’d work. I made sure, being the camp counselor that I am, to get rid of any food I had in my bag. I have no idea what type of wildlife the mainland beside Venice, but I didn’t want to find out in the middle of the night in my tent. So for the first night I bunkered down and braved the cold weather (I think it was in the low 50s F).
The one thing I didn’t plan on before going to sleep was how much heat my head would lose. Hair keeps so much of it in. I don’t have hair. I was cold. Sometime soon I’m going to need to find a great comfortable stocking cap that I can wear. The second night I put a t-shirt over my head and it worked wonderfully; actually, I think it was some of the best sleep I’ve had since arriving in Italy. The first night I’d woken up at 3:50am since I’d gone to sleep at 8:30 (there wasn’t any more light out) and my body thought it was time to start the day. The second day I was so warm that my body knew immediately when I woke up in the middle of the night where it was supposed to be. So, in all of that, I’ve kind of had a hostel experience, but then again, not really.
For the entire weekend, I made out pretty well:
Train: 53.20
Lodging: 25
Food: 26.50
Museum Fees: 19.50
Ferry Ticket: 10.50
Total: 134.70