7th July

The vaporetto's won't wait for anyone.  Even if they see you coming and you're standing on the platform they'll just stare at you and shut the gate.

I also discovered italians don't do queuing. At the vaporetto stop, even if there is a mass of people standing and waiting, people will still push their way to the front. They have to be first. As an english person I am incredibly offended by this. There will be loads of free seats but they have to stand right at the entrance, right at the chain stopping them.

This morning I got up and packed, left my luggage at the hostel and crossed the canal to explore the Doges palace. It has some magnificent rooms. Photos weren't allowed but I sneaked one. Then I explored the prisons, connected to the palace by the Bridge of Sighs, named after the sighs emitted by prisoners as they got their last glimpse of the outside world - as seen in the second and third photos.

I have come to the conclusion that Venice is a very expensive place. When I was looking for somewhere for lunch I found several places charging €4.50 for a glass of coke. Safe to say, I didn't go there. I found a self service cafe by the rialto bridge that did a tourist menu for €16. It consisted of three courses and a drink. So thats what I did.

Venice's tourist business must be booming. Every time I've been past there has been a different massive cruise ship moored up at the dock. Today there are two. They must be like 10 times the size of my house.

Today I'm going to Lake Como. I went to the train station earlier than planned because there was no point in hanging round Venice with nothing to do and no money. I went to the ticket office, where I had to pay a ten euro supplement. I told you Venice is expensive. The ticket man in his infinite wisdom, instead of booking me onto the next train to Milan, where I have to change,  booked me onto one that meant I had to wait for an hour. So that is what I'm doing. Sitting on the floor in the station, waiting for my platform to be announced. I'm keeping myself entertained by playing Candy crush, which is a game a bit like bejewled. If you dont know what that is, google it.

As we get nearer and nearer to Milan the clouds are getting darker and darker. This does not bode well for my day of sunbathing tomorrow.

All I can say is thank god I got an earlier train. I spent almost an hour queuing in the ticket office. My original train allowed me 15 minutes transfer time. I stupidly allowed some (probably) homeless man to help me buy a ticket and then he wanted money for it. Thankfully I only had 20 cent. He got me a first class ticket,  which I had to change (thankfully for no price) as I needed second class.

Then on the train it was absolute chaos. Everyone has allocated seats but people don't always stick to them. People with massive suitcases were trying to go up and down the aisles whilst others were trying to sit in the seat they were allocated that was already being sat in. One american lady was particularly rude to two Chinese girls who wanted to sit next to each other rather than on opposite sides of the table but not directly opposite. I didn't hear the start but I think they asked if she could sit in the unoccupied sit that had been one of theirs, only for her to respond 'I'm in 66 so move.' People are so tight on getting their allocated seat instead of swapping so families/friends to be together, like I have.
I didn't have time to have dinner. I was going to get a sandwich at the station but didn't have time.

I worked out that in 3 days (5th, 6th, 7th) I have spent €70 on train tickets. Quite alot considering.

I got lost trying to find the hostel but stumbled upon the lake. After going back to the main road I carried on a bit further and found the hostel. The rooms are alot less cramped and it seems half empty.  I put a wash on and now I'm sitting in tje bar. I might go for a wander round the lake in a bit.