Day Fifteen - Auf Wiedersehen Munchen, Ciao Venezia!

I got up early as I was dying to get to Venice. Headed down to the train station about half 9, as I didn't want to be late. Turns out the train was half 11, so I was ridiculously early. I hung about the station and had a few fags outside, when some German bloke started chatting to me. Apparently he had been playing at a festival last night and someone had nicked his guitar. He also thought he might have pumped a bird but couldn't be sure. The stimulating conversation was too much for me so I headed back inside to wait on the train in peace.

Munich - Venice
Time to get the longest journey over and done with. I boarded and started searching for a seat. Wait, could it be? Yes! Another train with the wee booths! Why don't they have these in Scotland? They're awesome! The journey was excellent, nobody else in the booth spoke English but I wasn't caring, the views were tremendous. The route took me right through the alps, through Austria and into northern Italy. 7 hours later, and I had reached Venice.

I took one step outside the station and fell in love. Venice has to be the most beautiful place I've ever seen. I had been looking forward to Venice the most out of any of the stops on my trip, but this was even better than I had anticipated. The crowded, narrow streets. The canals. The lack of cars. The battered buildings which aren't allowed to be restored by law. Everything about the place is magical.

I walked about 15 minutes (should have been 5 but I couldn't stop staring open mouthed at everything around me) to get to the hostel, which has its own wee bridge to get to the front door! I got checked in and then went for a wee wander to get my bearings. I quickly realised that you can't get your bearings in Venice as everything looks the same, you just have to navigate by the signs pointing to major landmarks. I didn't go too far though as I had to be back at the hostel by 8 as they put on food for everyone.

This hostel is unlike any other I've been to before. Everything seems to be geared to getting everyone to know each other. Everyone eats together (some random pasta dish but it was alright) and then goes out on a pub crawl. Every night. I got chatting to some English folk and an Aussie bird who was completely mental and kept going on about how Al Gore should be president of America as he's big into his climate change stuff. Interesting point of view.

I had a few voddys and then went to a few pubs with them, had a good laugh then came back to the hostel to get a decent sleep, big day of walking ahead tomorrow!