I had a great night – except for the Mosquito’s. They must have sensed fresh blood, spread the word to all their mates and then waited to make a meal of me for each time I stepped out of the tent, despite my repellent. I bought some repellent I’d never tried the last time I was in GoOutdoors and it was no good. Well, not for Italian mosquitoes. No matter how much repellent I would wear, they still got me. Airborne ninjas with a nasty bite. I wish I had some Smidge.
Well, I relented. Initially I wasn’t going to bother with Venice, but in the morning white thinking about the day ahead I decided that sometimes you just need to see the place behind the name. So, Venice it was going to be, and a day of sightseeing. As you approach Venice you ride over a causeway onto the main island. It also supports the rail and its weird riding along and all of a sudden a train appears from nowhere. As you leave the causeway there are some large multistorey car parks to your right. Just before the first carpark on the right, I parked on the pavement reserved for motorbikes. It was free, otherwise it would have cost me 35eu to use the car park. Yes, its expensive.
I spent the morning wandering through the delightful narrow alleyways, piazzas and crossing over small delicate bridges which date from the age of enlightenment. I eventually arrived at San Marco Square, and to be expected, the square was mobbed with a zillion tourists, either queuing to get into the palace, being led like battalions of sheep by flag waving guides, or taking selfies for instagram. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed by the square and decided that the narrow alleyways, small shops and piazzas were far more interesting.
I wandered away from San Marco into a small sidestreet and found a small backstreet cafe. Here I had a rest, a drink, plus an excellent ham and cheese panini. By this time it was mid-afternoon and I didnt feel like walking all the way back so venturing back into San Marco I caught the water-bus back to the railhead. It only cost 10eu and it was brilliant. The best part of the day. It took me down the main waterway and even under the Ponte de Rialto bridge, and way better than paying 110eu for a gondola ride.
After getting back to the bike it was an hour’s ride back to the campsite. I was well and truly tired, but was glad I was wearing my Altberg boots as I’d walked a fair distance. Most of all, I was glad I HAD made the effort to visit Venice. It’s unique, its beautiful, and most of all, its one of the wonders of the modern world and must no be missed.
