I spent two days in Venice and thoroughly enjoyed it. The trip got off to a bad start because British Airways lost my luggage between Gatwick and Venice. This happened because we could not land on time at Gatwick due to bad weather and so I missed my connecting flight. They put me onto another one but my luggage did not make it and so it was in the evening of the next day that my bag turned up at the hotel. I admired the hotel staff that came to my room to tell me my bag had arrived, this strapping young gent then told me to come down stairs and collect it. I carried it upstairs. Now I know he didn’t have to, but you know customer service goes a long way at times.

Venice is full of exotic people or maybe that’s just Italy. No matter where you wander through this labyrinth there are people scurrying about talking on their phones and being flamboyant as they go. People talk loudly and they are very expressive, so different to the world I come from. But I quite like it although after only being in Italy for 3 days I have come to the conclusion that Italians just need to talk or they will explode.

People walk with purpose and they navigate these lanes and streets easily without GPS or maps and to be honest after a day here I found many places becoming familiar and there are signs that you can follow and sometimes it’s better to ignore the Google Maps as it will only confuse you. Venice is small and on my trip it was quite empty too which was such a relief because some of the throughways’ are very narrow. But I found myself walking down streets on my own, which was surprising as well as enjoyable. I loved Venice and would actually like to live here for a few months to live the life of a local. I enjoy the confinement of the streets and the rat runs; I was born in the year of the Rat after all.

Of course Venice would not be Venice if it did not have the canals and the waterways. Walking through this amazing place and wandering over the wee bridges or even the more famous bridges is brilliant. You just don’t know what’s around the next bend. I like being near the water and maybe this is why I enjoyed my stay here. On the grand canal you can pick up a ferry to one of the other islands or just help you get to another part of Venice quickly, although once again be prepared for the high price. 7 Euros for one trip or 20 Euros for an all day ticket.

I got the ferry from the train station around to St Marks Square and then back again and it’s a great way of seeing the city, I only wish you could get a chance to explore the back streets as it were, but this option is way out my price range. A taxi for hire will cost you about 70 Euros an hour and a Gondola about 100 for a trip. But I would have loved to explored Venice more on the water, maybe one day when I’m rich and not so famous I can do this.

I’m still trying to come to terms with the price of things in Italy and the west in general. I’ve been living in China for the last 18 months and life there and the cost of living is very different. Mind you the Euro is less than the pound and so it does feel cheaper than the UK. I paid 3 Euros for a slice of pizza, yes it was quite a large piece but 3 Euros?

My Italian is shit but I think it’s a lot easier to understand than Chinese and so I think that I would be able to pick up the language quite quick and so I will say the customary “Good Morning” and Thank You” in the local lingo. I always thought that you just added an “O” to the end of most words and you would be half way there but after being here I think that rule applies only to Spanish. You also have to say it with conviction and get into the rhythm of the language or it just sounds limp and sloppy and no doubt insulting to the locals.

I like the Espresso bars where you can get a caffeine hit for about 1 Euro, a wee heart starter to keep you buzzing during the day and of course this is why the Italians are always gas bagging and running about as if they have a train to catch or their arse is on fire.

And now I’m on the train from Venice to Florence which will take about 2 1/2 hours. I’m in first class but I’m not sure if I got ripped off when I bought the ticket because I got help from a young lady and she assured me that the 27 Euros was the normal price for peasant class and I got it for first class, but either way I’m sitting here in a comfy window seat and we are travelling at 220 kms but these trains are certainly not as smooth as the Chinese high speed trains but the comfort and passengers are way better. 

There is more decorum on this train and I like that. I don’t miss that side of life living in China, not many people are concerned about their neighbour and so it can be hard to get used to life there.

I’m leaving Venice on the day that they have the Venice Festival and I am very happy about that. A festival only brings in more tourists. I only visited a few places in Venice and they were two churches. I’m on a tight budget on this trip and I want to save my money to go and see the Roman artefacts and the Roman architecture and so in Venice I did not go to any of the famous places where I had to pay anything and to be honest I didn’t feel the need either.

One thing I forgot to mention and was only reminded by it when I arrived in Florence, was the number of black guys in Venice begging. They are obviously working together as a team because they all have the same stance and style holding a cap out as you pass. Mind you I never saw them at night working so I guess they have union rules controlling them.