A fairytale start

The Venice trip was eventful is an understatement. It started with the Ryan air flight, which cost me 10 euros, cost Diptarka 10 euros and a Colgate Toothpaste, cost Chandrasekhar 10 euros and a Deodorant.

The island that is Venice has a shape strikingly similar to that of a fish. After reaching the mouth of the fish at 10.30 pm, when we asked around for budget hotels, people started shaking their heads immediately on hearing the word ‘budget’.

Now who would come to our help but a guy from Karachi, who had just lost his iPhone, whose Credit Card had got damaged, and whose Eurail pass had been disqualified, and who was cool about all of this. He said there was room in the hostel where he was staying for the night (He was a tourist too). He asked us to wait while he went to find his iPhone. Surprisingly he found it, and even more surprisingly he returned for us and took us to the hostel. Ironically, we helped him find his way from his map. But by the time we reached, it was late in the night, and the main door was locked. After some unyielding attitude from us, that involved waking up 3 more people in the middle of the night, we managed to get ourselves in. And then, 3 Indians and a Pakistani chatted late into the night. Before retiring to bed, Yusuf had started using the phrase ‘peace marna’ with ease. So if that gets spread in Karachi, remember who were the ones involved in bringing peace to Pakistan.

A good night’s sleep is what we required and what we had. There were exactly 3 extra beds in Yusuf’s hostel room. Thinking of the odds if you think this is lucky, then read on, because we needed lot more of it on the last day. Anyway more on luck later. Now on Venice.

Let me repeat some well known facts about Venice. Instead of roads they have canals only. All modes of transportation through the canals, - water buses (vaporetti), taxis, gondolas. There were footpaths for pedestrians too, of whom all I guess were tourists. In Venice there are only two categories of people, - tourists and people who serve tourists.

We found lots of Bangladeshis in Venice who make a living here.

The Rialto Bridge

The Grand Canal

Basilica dei Giovanne Paolo.

Some other architechturally good churches are Santa Maria dei Miracoli, S.M. dei Formosa, S.M. dei Allafava of course besides the grandest of them all, the Basilica dei San Marco

Strangely, most churches of Italy have a minimum dressing requirement

We inherited a map from Yusuf too. It had all the lanes recorded. And some lanes they were. Some so narrow that one can’t spread his arms across them. And when you would think you are going to nowhere by that lane, it would suddenly open to a huge square or ‘Piazza,’ with some majestic church capturing your senses. So there were surprises hidden around every corner. It is said that in Venice, getting lost is also a must-have experience. But you don't have to do anything to get that experience, - it is unavoidable.

And everywhere it was picturesque. We started with the famous Rialto Bridge, went to the churches. A ferry from F. Nova took us to Murano, famous for its glass factories. We tasted some real good local pizzas, having pity on vegetarians at the same time. It was also quite some experience having meals sitting down beside the canals, in some obscure corner, our legs dangling from the edge.

Gondolas parked by the canals.

Murano glassware