Rome to Venice - Hit it and quit it!

We had one hell of a train ride from Sicily to Rome! The AC was broken in our little compartment and the train was very full. Three loud Italian guys shared our compartment and carried on a heated conversation for about half the trip. They may have been talking about the weather for all we know, but we have noticed that Italians always sound like they're arguing, and they talk so damn loud! About half way through the trip the conductor came by and told us he had found another compartment with good AC and we could move. Teeny and I chose solace over comfort and remained in the compartment with no AC. It got pretty annoying to have three guys screaming at each other in Italian in the tiny compartment. Once they were gone it seemed so quiet!

We got to Rome at around 11 pm and found our hotel with just a bit of aimless wandering. We stayed at the Hotel California (which was operated by a Chinese man)! We had great entertainment watching three prostitutes working the corner below our window! Crazy place, prostitutes doing their thing right next to an outdoor restaurant with families eating dinner.

The next morning we did laundry at the laundromat across the street and then we bee-lined it back to the train station. We got there about 5 minutes before the next train to Venice and we were off. This was a nice Eurostar train that goes about 130 mph and had great AC! Oh, the best part was when we went to use the automated ticket machine in Rome (I wrote about this scam in my previous posting on Rome). We were so ready for a scammer to approach us and it didn't even take ten seconds. No sooner did we start punching buttons on the machine and this street person was in our face trying to "help" us. Teeny and I were so ready for it and as soon as she opened her mouth we attacked! I think we shocked the hell out of her when we both got right back into her face and told her to get the hell a way from us! It was almost comical!!

The trip to Venice went fine and we met a nice young couple from Norway that told us a lot about their country. We really want to check it out, but it is one of the most expensive parts of Europe.

Unfortunately, Venice was a bit of a bummer from the start. The place is beautiful, just like all the pictures, and it is very impressive when you walk out of the train station and suddenly there it is right in front of you. However, it is such a tourist trap. As you walk around you feel like you are walking down the midway at a carnival. The vendors up and down the streets haggle you and try to coax you into their store or restaurant. They will even grab your arm and try to hold you up so they can finish their pitch. It gets tiring as you are always trying to not make eye contact with them, or pretending you don't hear them, and then finally fighting them off when they get in your face. It didn't help that we are experiencing the hottest weather we have seen so far. Yesterday had to be in the nineties and it was extremely humid! Other than all the pushy vendors, Venice was great. A really unique place that looks just like all the pictures and movies we have seen over the years.

Well, gotta run, we are heading back to the train station this morning to catch a train to Innsbruk Austria, we are finally getting out of Italy!!!

Ladies of the night in Rome, they seemed to be having a pretty good time. The little chubby one was dancing around and bouncing her boobs and the other two were laughing hysterically.

This is the view of Venice as soon as you walk out of the train station, very impressive. You don't get a glimpse of it from the train.

Classic Gondola boat. We did not take a ride, they want 100 euro for a 40 minute trip!

All of a sudden this mob of hara-krishnas came out of nowhere. They had 2 drums and a microphone and were jamming out pretty good!

Freaking graffiti is everywhere. I mentioned it before in Pisa, but we have seen it all over Italy. Such a shame!!

Typical canal. They are like streets in Venice.

The view from our hotel room window.

I didn't know these were a thing in Venice, but they sell them everywhere.

Streets of Venice, no cars are allowed.

Backpacker Teeny!