Su e Zo per il Ponti part 2 or Adventure in Venice.

Okay, I'm back now.  It's Monday morning here at the library.  After Venice cataloging isn't such a chore.  Although the law books don't make it easier.  But personally, I think Venice makes everything better.  It's such a strange city when you think about it.  But so magical.

I did get into Venice about 6 am, despite some worries in Verona.  We sat at the station for 90 minutes there.  I don't know why, but it didn't help me sleep.  (Not to mention the seats.)  The compartment was very cool.  Like the Hogwarts Express train cars.  Except no underage wizards and trunks.  I have photos.  See?

After getting into Venice I left my bags at Santa Lucia and got on the vaporetto to San Marco.  The city had barely changed since I was last there 13 years ago.  While that's part of it's charm, but it's also sad in a way, I think.  It's like a living archives not a real city.  But those are thoughts for another post.
I met another single traveler in for the day.  She was trying to figure out what to do and where to go. She had forgot her guidebook.  I felt for her.  I hate traveling without one too.
We wandered around Piazza San Marco for a while taking photos.  I had to buy my ticket for the Su e Zo and found out the starting time and place(the corner of the Doge's Palace and 10 am) then window shopped with Yula. She didn't quite understand the whole race thing, but that's okay.
I found this cute little bakery deal and had a chocolate brioche, yum.  Where else can you get chocolate in bread and consider it breakfast?  Okay, other than Paris? 
Since we were looking in the streets around San Marco everything was out of our price range, Versace usually is.  But it's fun to look, and the streets and the Square were so quiet.  Even the famed pigeons weren't out in force.

At a little before 10 I lined up with other 'racers'.  It's non-competitve, so racers isn't quite the right word.  But that's what they call us, so it's okay with me. 
There were flag waving displays, costumes, music, and ceremony for the start.  It's all  so typically Venetian.  Then at 10 the barrier was lowered and we were off! 
It starts out slow because of the first three bridges which all are in the first 5 minutes.  The trail ran us through the gardens into the actual homes and streets of Venice and around behind the Arsenale with a view to San Michele and into Castello and right by the church of S. Giovanni e S Pietro.  There are lots of celebrity tombs.  Renaissance celebs just so you know.  It's also quite beautiful.  We had our first snack right outside on the steps.  There are a few shops, restaurants and take-out places.  I saw a few people eating gelato instead of the raisin roll.  Which wasn't a bad choice, cause you know gelato...

I poked into some shops, bought some millefiori, and then started on leg 2.   By this time my feet were screaming for pity.  But we had to press on.  I really wanted that completion medal.  And when I say we, yes Larry came too. 

And yes, there are photos.  A few anyway.  He thought the whole thing terribly easy, but he got to be carried.  Cheater!

Su e Zo per il ponti

This is the annual Venetian up and down the bridges race!  I have wanted to do this for about 10 years!  I finally have the chance to go since it's close.  Okay, not like across the street close, but there's no jet lag involved.  I love Venice, so overnight on the train isn't a huge hardship. 
Except no one wants to come with me.  Or can.  But I'm so excited about going, I know it's the right thing to do.

100 Euros for the train to Venice.  A bit pricy, yes, but going to Boston or D.C in business class on Amtrak isn't much more than that.  I'd get to Venice about 6 am on Sunday so I can go to Mass, do the walk, shop, browse, take photos, meet new people, then come back to Austria in time for work on Monday morning.
It can't be worse than hiking a mountain.  Plus Venice is sea level.  I miss the ocean.
And it's Venice.