Venitian Goodbyes

Well I’m on the bus to Klagenfurt. It’s such a relief to be in this seat, I thought I’d never make it! This morning was a little rough, saying bye to my mom. It was so wonderful being with her and Caroline this week!  I think I realize just how much she loves me. She flew all the way to Austria to spend a week with me! She brought me all my clothes and shoes I need for the summer, along with other requests like Crystal Light and peanut butter. She left me her deodorant and her toothpaste. She would give me the shirt off her back if I needed it (or wanted it, for that matter, because I’m sure it would be a stylin’ shirt). I’m such a lucky girl. We got up at 3:45, and left for the boat dock at 4:30 to catch their 4:50 boat. We lugged the suitcases through the dark alleyways while it was raining. I cried when I had to say bye. It was the perfect movie set for a sad goodbye- her and Caroline getting on the boat, and me standing on the dock, crying, in the rain, as the boat takes off. I walked back to our hotel room, but couldn’t sleep. I cried for a while more, had a little pity party I guess. Should have had balloons and a cake and some streamers because the pity party definitely lasted a little while. I laid down for a while, and then went to get some breakfast. That wasn’t good either, sitting alone I wasn’t very hungry. But we’ve been gorging on the hotels’ free breakfasts, and I promised Mom and Caroline I’d eat enough for the three of us. I came back upstairs, and found my mom’s cheater glasses that she left, and got sad again. I’m definitely a little homesick. But being with my mom this week really made me realize how much I love her. She is one of the most selfless people I know, and would do anything in the world for me. I hope that some day I have enough money that I can treat her to a second mother daughter trip. Can’t promise that we’ll stay in resorts like Lake Garda, but I would love to be able to do that some day. We had so much fun all week, just laughing and going with the flow and seeing where life takes us. Mom and Caroline are both spontaneous, and that makes traveling so fun. I seriously hope that I’m as cool as they are when I’m fifty!

Our first night in Venice, we went to a nice dinner and explored the city a little bit. Then, yesterday was our full day. We ate our usual amazing breakfast, and then ventured out. The weather was nice for most of the day. We did some serious shopping, trying to find the perfect souvenirs for all of our friends and family at the best prices. It’s so touristy, you have to be careful when you shop. They can really get ya! But we bought some beautiful scarves, glass beads and necklaces, postcards, Venitian masks, a hat, and some t-shirts and Italia jackets. Quite the shopping day!  We went into a cathedral, which was beautiful. The highlight, of course, was the gondola ride! Our gondola driver was a pretty cute guy, lived in Venice his whole life. He would use the oar, and sometimes push off the buildings with his foot, to take us through the canals. Caroline got the best picture of him doing the foot thing. We shared our boat with a couple from Germany, so it worked out pretty well since we could split the cost.  We did a little more shopping in the main square. We walked into a store with a lot of different glass. Up on the wall, my eyes went straight to this amazing clock. It was glass, with a tree and a sun and all differenet colors, and it had a swinging pendulum. I wanted it so bad, but it was 49 Euro’s, so it was immediately off limits. Caroline said she was buying some little piece of glass for her sister, and Mom and I walked outside. I had no idea what was going on, but Caroline was actually buying me the clock!  Soon after, we went back to our hotel, and Caroline told me she had something for me from St Louis. I was so confused, but I opened the little package. Inside, there were two more things wrapped up: the clock and the pendulum!!!  I couldn’t believe it!  Her and Mom were really sneaky, I had no idea!  I seriously love this clock, and will think of her and of our trip whenever I see it up on my wall. It’s gonna look so good when I hang it up!  I can’t wait. A little later, we went to a really nice dinner, which we called The Last Supper. It was delicious, but very sad. I’m sure going to miss the way we’ve been eating all week. It’s definitely going to be a tough transition for me back to my way of life as a student. No more fancy pancy hotels, no more towel warmers, no more maids, no more free breakfast buffets, no more robes and slippers. Back to Graz, where I don’t have a room.  Shizaa. But what an amazing week it has been.

So back to this morning- I checked out of the hotel and took the boat to the train station. I thought I had plenty of time, got to the train station about 45 minutes early. I lug my suitcase up the stairs and try to figure out where to go. But then I realized I’m not taking a train, I’m taking a bus. Uh oh. So I asked information where the bus station is, because my ticket said “Venizia San Lucia,” which is where I was. I couldn’t be too far away, right? She told me to go outside and turn right. So I did, thinking it would be easy to spot when I got outside. I clunk, clunk, clunk the suitcase down the stairs, and follow a group of people. I walked for a while but there was no bus station in sight- just boats and tourists and masks and scarves and glass. Then I started getting nervous. So I went back to the train station, to get clearer directions. I asked a different guy this time. He looked at my ticket, and told me there was no way I was going to make my bus. It left in 20 minutes, and the bus station was about 40 minutes away. He told me that the bus stops at another station after San Lucia, which is Venezia Mestre. The train goes there too, and the train is faster. So I could take a train and try to beat the bus there, then get on at the next stop. Crap.  So off I go, and get onto a train toward Milan. I didn’t have a train ticket, and the conductor wouldn’t let me on, understandably. I was trying to explain to him my dilemma, and how the other guy told me I could go, but he hardly spoke English, and the train was closing its doors to leave. I started crying, and he let me on. Step one- get on the train… check! I got off at Mestre like I was supposed to, and flashbacks started hitting me left and right of my time alone there at 2 am waiting for my train to Vienna, freezing cold, with the creepy guys begging me for money. But I go straight to information, and ask them where to go for the bus. The lady sends me across the street. So I find a bus and ask the bus driver, but he doesn’t speak English. I show him my ticket, and he points to a blue bus down the street. I go there, and there is no driver. So I go to the bus next to it, and ask him, and he sends me back to the first guy. So I go back, and he points the other way. So off I go, frantically trying to figure it out. It was 11:37, and the bus was supposed to leave Mestre at 11:40. So now I’m in panic mode, and tears are building up behind my eyes a little bit. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME?! I ask another guy, and he points back to the blue bus with no driver. I’m freakin out. I ask some people on the street, but they don’t even try to answer me. So rude. Then, on the opposite side of the street, I see an OBB bus pull up. I’m pretty far away, but I recognize the logo, so I start running to it. Cars are coming, but I jet across the street anyway. No time to wait for a crosswalk- sorry Charlie. I’m pulling my huge suitcase and running on the street toward the bus. The driver closes the door to pull away, but I run up to it and flag him down. Finally, the right bus, just in the knick of time.  I get on the bus, sweaty, hair blown in the wind and stringy, and out of breath, but I make it on. Wowie zowie. Now I have to get to Klagenfurt, then change buses to make it back to Graz. Here we gooooo!