August 5, 2009

This is out last day in Venice. We get up fairly early and go have our espresso and croissant. We then head to the town of Murano. We took a boat to get to Murano – I compared this boat to like the public tram or a public bus for Venice. They have water taxis that are little boats and then they have what is considered a limousine – which is a really nice wooden boat with a covered area to sit! The other think well known in Venice is for the Gondola ride – we did not do this due to the fact that it was eighty Euros for around thirty to forty-five minutes – that is one hundred twenty US dollars! Bummer.

On our trip to Murano we passed but the Venice cemetery which is its own island in its self. The view from the boat is spectacular but it is crowded and makes many stops along the way.

When we get to Murano we go and watch the glass blowing! This is what this town is known for. The guy makes a glass horse in less than five minutes, and a large flower vase is like ten minutes. This was very cool! After the glass show we walk around and look at all the little shops with the different glass artists and look at jewelry and lights and all the amazing glass work. While we were looking around there was a DHL boat ... this is a company that ships things and it was funny to see a boat rather than a big van parked outside a business. There were tons of crates sending glass!
Finally we head home and get ready for our ride on the sleeper train! Our train leaves a little after nine so we get there around eight thirty, we try to get some cash out of the ATM and neither of our cards will work for some reason. We get on the train and look for out bed.... OMG it is a little room about 6 X 7 with three beds on each side. We were both on the top of our side, and well all know that heat rises. It was so incredible hot that we stood in the hall for the first little bit.

We also learned that there was no café car and no shower. Thank goodness the people in our room all put their deodorant on that morning because the smell was not as bad as what I would have thought. I read my book and Devin listened to his ipod and we both went to bed and slept most of the night. The train worker came in around seven in the morning and gave us our breakfast which was a cup of coffee or tea and a roll with jelly.

We got off the train and were in Austria and we had to change not only trains but train stations. We were told to get on a city tram and it would take us there. We get on the tram and everyone starts talking like they are mad. Somehow we figure out that for some reason the driver is not going the correct route. We have to all get off and then find our way to the train station. We find some young adults that show us where to go. We make it to the train with five minutes to spare!!!