The train in Europe is a little school of many lessons. For instance, have a little fun to pass the time by trying to make the French or the Germans smile back at you. A difficult task indeed. But a fun and worthy one. (why the fuck is that person smiling at us? I don't know, but just don't look.) The Italian boys and men need a good old -fashioned American ass-whooping something fierce. They do not help ladies with their bags. They do not let ladies sit down in their seat if the ladies are having to stand up. they do not wait for ladies to get in their seat before they rush by them. They just run the women over like little kids would do. Old ladies and all. I got up several times to let women sit in my seat when some Italian men had two seats to themselves and just stared out the window and tried to pretend like they didn't see the ladies standing. It is something we do not see in America or England. I finally ended up all the way in the last car cause I kept getting up to let ladies sit in my seats. And none of the guys would let me sit down either. But as fortune would have it, the last car ended up being first class and the attendant let me sit there, so it worked out very nice for me in the end. but these Italian guys, I don't get them. no sense of being a gentleman. 

I am in Venezia now; we call it Venice. And boy is it everything it is cracked up to be and more... [what the hell does that expression mean anyway?] 

 

There are no words to describe Venice. I will try. towards the end of the train ride you start to notice that land is disappearing and you are seeing more and more water. It is very much like the Florida keys. But you are on a train so it is rather surreal. Pretty soon this long train you are on is riding along a track on a tiny little stretch of land essentially a bridge through the Adriatic sea. You are surrounded by ocean. Various little islands here and there in the distance. you land at the station, collect your bags, and head towards what you think will be the curb where you will catch a taxi to your hotel. This is where the enchantment begins. Right here. right off the train. You walk out of the station and there is no street before you with clamoring cars buses and awaiting taxi cabs. Instead there is a little river, a canal. And right beyond it is a hug church with a very large dome. On the river are the “busses” of Venice. Tons and tons of large boats. Ferries, but smaller. They work just like busses. They have numbers and times that they depart and land arrive and all of that. I chose a taxi instead like an idiot. It was way too expensive at $50 to get to the area where my hotel is. A taxi here is a little boat. Just like we have in Miami or Cape Cod or where ever America. Just a little boat. And you throw all your baggage on this boat and off you go through the streets of Venice which are actually thousands of little canals. There are no cars here. only boats. No buses or cabs. Just thousands of boats and gondolas. 

[In line to catch the water taxi I hear these people speaking in English and felt so refreshing to speak to some Americans. They’re like, ‘do you know of Miami?’ I'm like, “I live in Miami!” turns out they live in Miami Like a block from me. they were as surprised as I was. We all took pictures of each other. we we’re like freaking out. So we’re riding this water taxi together to our hotels in Venice Italy and we live like a block away from each other. We took each others names and numbers. One of those it’s a small world moments.]

Taxi drops me off at this dock and throws my luggage up on this wobbly dock. And I'm like dude where's my hotel. And he's like, go this way then go that way and then go this way for a while. you will find it. and so there I am walking through these narrow little streets of Venice through all these thousands of tourists trying to find my hotel with all my luggage. Crazy. 

luckily so were a lot of other people. all strolling through the little alleys lugging their baggage. That's Venice. no cars scooters or bikes allowed. I am now in piazza San Marco. The infamous and mammoth St. Marks Basilica overshadowing the entire square. This is a huge piazza. There are tens of thousands of pigeons here. They come right up to you and eat from your hand or a few may perch right on your arm or shoulder. Literally tens of thousands. I finally got out of my hotel and I hear this beautiful music being played on an accordion. So I turn the corner. There I am overlooking a canal and there is a gondola passing by with a few passengers in it and a gentlemen playing the accordion. I'm like o.k. we really are in Venice. lets relax a little here. 

There is a joy in the air here. a magic that is magnificent. Over 100 little islets. Joined together by over 400 little bridges. There is beauty everywhere. This is the town where Verdi’s la traviatta and rigoletto were performed for the first times. In the square that I am in there is an orchestra playing some very relaxing chamber music right outside in this cafe. It is something out of a movie. If there is a more romantic place in the world I would love to see it. I need to rent a bike so I can see this beautiful place. murano is a little island off of Venice. Where they make the glass that everyone is so crazy for.  

There are thousands of people here from all over the world. Everyone is so happy to be here. Germans, French, Dutch, English, Japanese. On and on and on. It is truly marvelous. 

I went walking to find the main bridge overlooking the Grand Canal which is the center of town. I noticed a line for a concert. It turned out to be for a baroque opera concert in full costume, so I went and in and grabbed a ticket and enjoyed an amazing baroque experience in this ancient church in Venice. I am sitting there looking at the people dressed up in these costumes singing this beautiful music which I love so much, surrounded by other people from all the world and my heart opened in such a way, with such joy and appreciation for this experience. One of the Canadian girls spoke the same sentiment, saying how lucky we were. How blessed indeed. Sumptuous. Sitting next to me were the most beautiful girls. We started talking. They are from Canada. I had no idea girls from Canada are so cool. These are by far some of the coolest girls I have ever met in my life. so direct and easy going, smart and sensible. We spent many hours walking through the streets arm in arm singing songs. We ended up spending the whole night together. Going to cafes and walking all over the city and taking pictures and having so much fun. Sitting by the Grand Canal sharing stories of our lives and loves. Fun to hang out with. A gift from God this evening was for all of us.