Venice
This weekend was to venice…it started of in a hurry. We had our train at 6:41 at walldorf. We had to leave office by the 4:40 shuttle. But at the last min…someone called us to ask some official stuff…and we missed the shuttle from rot to walldorf. We waited for the next one. That was at 5:12. got into it. Got down at the walldorf office. Ran to the hotel. Went to room. Dint have time for bath (which we planned): got ready. Took bags.packed all required stuff(had kept it ready.but had to do some last min changes due to some last min ideas).booked a taxi from hotel to station. Reached station. Got into train.met Moitreyee in train. Very soon we had to get down at Heidelberg. Then we switched to the munich train. This was an IC train. We thought it was the fast train (but that was ICE.we mistook it..and we were so happy that we were actually going to go in the fast trainī ).
We got into the compartment and sat down. People were smoking so much. It was too suffocating. Prashanth called up. I told him I got into the train. But it was suffocating. He told me that the non smoking compartment is different. Find out and go there. Thank god. We did that. it was much better. Seats were just too comfortable.it was supposed to be a 2.5 hr journey. So I dint want to sleep. I took out my novel. Read a lot. Then woke others up when station came. Got down. Had to wait for 1 hr for next train at munich station. So went into all shops in station. Felt badly like eating chocolate. So bought one for myself and ate. Also ate the bun that I had with me.then one apple. Dinner was done.
Before leaving hotel I had kept a choco drink ready to drink and go so that I don’t feel hungry. Thank god I did that. it really helped.
Got into the train to Venice. Sat down at our reserved seats. Then we realized we were in the wrong compartment. This compartment would be detached after some stations and only the rest will travel to Venice (atleast that’s what I understood)..so we went to our compartment. The guy (who smelled horribly)in our coupe told us that this is the wrong train. I clarified with a ticket checker that we were at the right place. Finally we settled down and went to sleep. Night one more girl came to our coupe. This girl was going to st lucia Venice and we had our tickets to mestre Venice. We had to go to st lucia from mestre. So I asked her how she was going. She said the same train would go. So we also went and got down there directly.
We had to spend almost 1 hr at info desk because of the crowd. And finally I don’t think we got enough info…because we still dint know what to do. We decided to take a water bus to murano island.so we took water bus 42.
We got down at the island and were ushered into a glass factory where they demoed how they made all those glass stuff. It was amazing. Dint click photos…because flash was not allowed and I dint know how to turn of the auto flash. So I thought forget it.that man made a glass horse in just 1 min…it was like making something out of clay..
Then we went into a glass store. One more Indian group…one girl by mistake broke an expensive glass tumbler. So we thought it was safer to walk out.
We were told there are a lot of thieves and pick pockets and people who will try to steal passports etc.
Ya…so since there were thieves I decided to put my bad in the front . tho it was a little funny it served the purpose. I dint have to be worried.
We then walked along the streets. It was having lots of glass shops. We were not allowed to take photos inside the glass shops. But we dint know. After we took a few photos we were told. So it was ok.
Venice is famous for its masks. I got some inexpensive ones. Hope I can get them without breaking them.
We went Into almost every shop. Then we asked directions to a church. Went there. Church was closed for afternoon. Then took a boat or its called water bus…to st marico. On the way Moitreyee and me discussed what we should do once we get there…
By the way, when we got down at station we had taken a day pass. So we could go in any water boat after that for the whole day.
We had to validate the pass in a machine that would stamp that days date. Then we could get into the boats.
In st marico we walked to the basallica…a church.
Had to keep luggage in some far away place and come back. No photography allowed inside. Beautiful church. So many paintings and all. But not too big. So took abt 10 mins. Then we walked to the museum opposite to basallica. We had some discussion on the entrance fees etc. finally we decided to take the 12 euro entrance that was for 3 museums in the same campus and for a palace that was a little away. But that lady gave it to us for 6.5 euros each. I still donno why she reduced the price. Anyway..good for us.
We saw the museum. Was full of old Italian history.ok ok it was. Then we were tired. Came out. Had some bun and apple. Walked towards palace seeing the shops…but it was time up. So dint go to palace. Checked out abt boats back to station because we had to go back to mestre. We got finally a crowded (like a horrible Indian bus) boat to st lucia. We went there to the ticket counter and asked if we could take the same train from st lucia instead of mestre. They said it was fine and told us the time. We had to wait for 2 hrs in the station. Did some apple eating.
Got into train.
These seats were better than the one in which we came. We were the only ones in the coupe. But again someone came and told the wagon numbers had changed. So we had to shift. Stil we had good seats. Went to the WC(water closet…or restroom) came back and slept. Ok ok sleep, not too good. Got down at munich. Took train to bruchsal. But that stupid train was delayed by 1.5 hrs. I had planned to go to the speyer technical museum and visit the imax theatre and all. All plan gone for toss.
This also made us miss our connecting train from bruchsal to walldorf. So we got down not at bruchsal but at karlsruhe. We went to the ticket counter. Stood in q for 15 mins. Finally got the info abt next train which was half hour later. So again ate bun and apple.
Called prashnath and told that the train was delayed and not to worry .
Then got into that train and reached walldorf by 1PM:…where as we were supposed to reach by 10.
Took a taxi. This guy took of turn somewhere. He dint know route to hotel and he dint understand English either. Finally we told him to take us back to station. It was 10 euros in the meter. We told him we will pay only 5 as to hotel it will cost only 5. then we waited. There were no other taxis. In a few mins,…this guy found out how to go to the hotel and came and called us. We went. He took us to hotel. It costed 5.8 euros. He took only .8 euros from us.
Finally we were back at hotel by 1:30.
I came into room. Took out calling card and called both homes. Then took bath. Washed some clothes.
Cleaned up room. Cut nails.
Made magi noodles for myself. Made chutney from chutney powder that mom gave…sooper it was.
Then weighed all the things I had to see if I was overweight in luggage. Thank god. I don’t think I was.
I then finished perry mason novel. Did some music practice. Then ate one unknown fruit (forgot to take a snap of it…will take next time)I only know it was edible because I took it from the breakfast table. I donno what it was but.
Then read satsaritam.made a list of what all I had to do when I was packing back to Bangalore.
Also made a list of people for whom I had to buy chocos(it was much bigger than I thought)…so that I could buy calculatively not increasing the weight in my bag.
Also did some pranayama yesterday night and today morning. Today morning I did some exercises also.
Today onwards getting paruppu podi to eat in office.it is in a tupper ware box. So easy to get and use.
Also using the payatha maavu for bath…I got to finish all that before I come. Cant carry all that weight back.
I am already counting down the day to be back…
16 more day to go
