The Actual Return to Venice
I've returned to Venice after exploring the tiny country of Slovenia for 2 weeks. I left the capital, at 2 in the afternoon, arriving just in time to watch the sun fall into the Adriatic from the promenade in Trieste. The evening train to Venice was nearly empty but I managed to fall into conversation with the sole inhabitant in my car; a stock broker from Manhattan, that constantly worried about his yields and P/E ratios, which IPO he was missing, and how he could connect to the net for up to the minute quotes. In between his lectures on high yield bonds he complained that he would have to walk everywhere in Venice.
"Who ever heard of a city with no cars?"
"Yes, but there are water taxis", I replied trying to assure him it was possible to get around.
"But they just rip you off. Like my friend was charged $50 for a 5-minute ride! They're only $20 in Vegas!"I drifted off pretending to sleep but his banter continued.
"And you ever even met a friendly Italian?" He asked incredibly.
"Several actually" I mumbled.
"Well I haven't. They don't even speak the same language." I watched him shake his head slowly like a dog that has lost his favorite bone.
"Which language is that" I grumbled.
"English!" he yelled.
"They speak Italian", I left out the 'you moron' part.
"That's what they want you to believe. They understand every word. When I threatened to walk out of the restaurant without paying… they understood me then!"I was beginning to wish I had said I was from Latvia or some other obscure former Soviet Republic.
There is a Venice station a few kilometers from the tourist hub, and though this is part of the Venice state, it is not the Venice of canals and gondolas (it is the Venice of factories and smog). This is where my friend exited the train, ignoring my warnings that the Venice he wanted was 5 minutes further along.
A light rain fell gently as I walked down the steps from Santa Lucia station and over to the water taxi. I was hungry for dinner and the thought of Ellia serving homemade gnocchi or duck proscitto with truffles…well… I took the 5-minute water taxi.