Friday 30th & 1st Oct

Travelling to Florence, via a night stop in Geneva.

Why Geneva?  I worked on a project for Swissair many years ago and spent a lot time in Zurich and Geneva airports  over 2 years. So rather than spend even longer on a train in one day I broke the journey.

Well apart from the prices the centre of Geneva hasn’t changed much. The fountain is still going and much of the buildings are the same in the centre.

The train on the second day wound it’s way through the mountain until coming out the other side in Italy. The weather was bit poor so not much of a view but I was surprised by the number vines we went past, the wine industry must be getting quite big, although I don’t seem to see much Swiss wine in the shops.

I was not staying the centre of Venice, but off the island in Mestre. Once I had worked out how to use the buses and trams and vaporetto, dropped bags at the hotel I got myself on the island of Venice. Then walked around thru less crowded areas to the north-west side until sunset. As did a lot of other people!  I had just had two 7 hour days on trains so I started to head back for the tram off the island after sunset. But it was obvious from the number of people going the same way that it was going to be busy so picked a restaurant and plate of spaghetti alle vongole (Rick Stein influence), then got the tram and bus back to hotel. 

Saturday 2nd Oct

Bit of a slower start and did not get to Venice until about 10 am. Then got a vaporetto (water bus) to Murano, the glass island. Wondered around on there for the rest of the morning looked at a bit of glass work going on then moved away from the main tourist routes and kept to the back streets. I was quite surprised to find of allotments, some looking as if they had been well cared for and producing a lot crops.  

Used the vaporetto back to Venice and landed close to St Marks square, it was busy. Loads of groups and being Sunday a lot of people had come to island for the day. So went down side streets which was not much better and eventually settled down in a restaurant for lunch. Most people want to sit outside so the insides (which tend to be small) are a lot quieter. 

Trying to stay to the side streets I still ended up coming into St Marks square, it was as bad as being outside a premier football ground when the match has finished. 

Just arrived in Florence I’ll add more later