We got up early to take daughter Cate to the airport. So we grabbed a snack & headed to Piazzale Roma. We bought aeroporto bus tickets at 2,50€ each, each way. Bought 2 round trips for us & one way for Cate. Later we found out that we didn’t need to buy our tickets — we only needed to buy one for our daughter whose Venice Connected card had expired. The regular airport bus fares are included in our Venice Connected cards! So we wasted 10€! Well, now you know.
Aside about our daughter flying alone: We paid Swissair 80€ for accompanied travel for her — she’d have to change planes in Zurich, so we felt more comfortable knowing she’d be taken care of. Youth from ages 13-17 may fly alone internationally, but parents can also pay for accompanied travel with some airlines. We paid a lot for our airfare, since we had to use Swissair. British Airways flights required changing airports! — So they didn’t have accompanied travel for minor children available.
We took the airport bus back to the Venice train station. We saw a couple from the ship who were on post cruise in Venice (we were on a back to back). They had encountered Venetian pickpockets who had opened her backpack. I don’t remember the whole story or what was taken, but you have to be careful everywhere!
At the Venice train station, we bought tickets to Trieste — 36€ for two, round trip. Jim said he didn’t know much about the place, but it always sounded interesting to him, so we planned on going today, since we had seen what we wanted in Venice for this trip. In the station was a sandwich shop/buffet. You decide what you want, pay first, and then pick up your food. The sandwiches were in the case; the woman took them out and heated them. Condiments like mayo and catsup/ketchup had to be bought first, as well. Then the “cook” would squeeze it out of the package for you. There was nowhere to sit — the sitting areas were closed off. We found an open table to stand at to eat (there were few of those).
As we had a little time before our train, we walked outside and I saw a 50% off store that I hadn’t seen before. Great prices — bought a glass pendant necklace for myself, and a bracelet and earrings for Cate, as we were getting home the day before her 14th birthday.
Got on the train to Trieste.
Trieste
The train from Venice took a little over 2 hours. On the way, we passed along the ocean. We took a photo of a castle by the sea near the town of Sistiana.
We walked around Trieste. It was Sunday, so a lot of places were closed. We took photos by the waterfront and the “Grand” Canal. No much to the canal, but the waterfront has a nice walkway. There are lots of surveillance cameras throughout the city, at every intersection — like we have here in places, but I think they can also ticket jaywalkers. Watch out, that’s next.
\Had cappuccinos at Bar Espresso Di D’Ambrosio Nazario, 10. There was no cover charge. This is known as the “coffee city”, as all the beans arriving in Italy come through here. There is a Coffee Expo here annually. Great coffee! While we were there, I wanted to use the bathroom — and came back to get my camera. It was my only encounter with the “hole-in-the-floor” type. And it flushed! (A button on the wall.) Fascinating to figure out how to flush European toilets — many different kinds.
\We walked back around the piazza and caught a tram/cable car up the hill. The car was pulled up the hill on a cable; then the cable was released at the bottom of the hill. Cost: 1,05€ each. The top has a lovely view where we took a few photos. The stop is Obelisco where we got off; a tall obelisk commemorating an educator, it appeared. After we came back down, we ate at the train station — pressed panini – € 3,50. Jim bought bottled water, but failed to notice it was sparkling — He refused to drink it — so I did. Didn’t like it, especially, but I don’t like to waste things! Just me. We noticed a “church” in the train station here, also directions to a “Place of Worship” at the Venice airport.
We went to a small grocery store that was open. It had good prices, so we got food to eat on the long train ride back: fruit salad – €1,80, Trieste apricot filled cookies, about € 0.85 cents, some lemon sodas for use in the cabin – € 0.42 each, and a toy for my grandson.
Left Trieste at 5:44pm. Jim sat on a backward facing seat, as he found out when we started moving — he said he was returning to Venice in “rewind” mode.
Passed fields of corn, vineyards, and large fancy houses with vegetable gardens.
Venice at Night
We returned to the train station in Venice close to 8pm. The HAL shuttle stopped running at about 6pm, so we walked back. If I hadn’t forgotten to put the extra charged battery back in the camera bag, we could have stayed in Venice, since we wanted to see it at night. So we returned the half mile or so from Piazzale Roma to the ship (I was going to go alone and return, as I didn’t want Jim to have to walk all that way, but he refused to let me go alone. We returned for the battery & the icing of the (his) knee. Went to grab something to eat on the Lido — should have gone earlier, but didn’t think — and they had just closed it. The only dinner food available after hours there is the pasta station. We like the pasta, so it wasn’t too bad that we had no choices. We (I) also got dessert, although JIm said we should have dessert later — 11-12 @ the late night snack.
\We trekked off the ship and walked back to Piazzale Roma and got on the Number 1 vaporetto to see Venice at night. It was beautiful, although the canals weren’t lit up as much as we thought they’d be and many of the buildings were deserted, something not noticed in the daytime. I’ve heard talk about the diminishing population of Venice. JIm says that Disney should buy it and turn it into a theme park!! Some of the buildings were hotels or apartments, maybe some were offices, but it seemed a bit of a ghost town in Venice at night.
We stopped at Ple. San Marco and got off to look around the square. Most of the vendors had removed their carts, but there were still lots of people. This was the final — although anticlimactic — day of Festa Del Redentore. Many of the cafes lining the Piazzale had their awnings extended and a band or orchestra playing. The whole atmosphere was very nice, with beautiful music, rose sellers, and happy people.
A lot of romance here in Venice — kissing couples everywhere — at plazas & train stations.
Took the Number 1 vaporetto back to Piazzale Roma and walked to the ship. We were tired, but went to have coffee & dessert on the Lido — gotta do the schedule!
The next morning we took pictures of the 10:00am sailaway — always special! There’s nothing quite like Venice! We’ll have to come back.
vacation
$7125+
cruise
$739+
Car Rental
$19+