Travels by Train: Venice

Among the many appealing aspects of Munich is its proximity to other great German cities and European countries. Before we even moved here, I vowed to take full advantage of this, given how easy and affordable it is to travel by train (and the fact that we had planned to take regular trips in Hamburg and only did so near the end of our stay there).

Last year, I met up with a friend and former colleague for a day in the Netherlands. 

This year, when she said she'd be attending an event in Venice, I heartily agreed to meet her there for a few days. 

I've been to Rome, Cinque Terre, and Rimini, but Venice has been lingering on my bucket list for a while.

Maybe it's all that water, but Venice was instantly soothing. For the first time, I was perfectly content to wander and get lost in a strange city. 

I hit the main tourist spots, but was also inspired by the history and stories provided by my city walking tour guide.

St. Mark's Basilica

Interior of the Doge's Palace. The doges were nobility that ruled the Republic of Venice for a millennium.

View out over the city from the Campanile, which originally served as the city's watchtower/lighthouse.

With views like this, maybe there's hope for me to take in all of this European history after all!

One of the jokes about Munich is that it's the "northernmost city in Italy," and it's true that you'll hear Ciao more frequently than Tschüβ.

Traveling through the Alps into Austria and Italy was more a matter of changing landscapes than lands. Signs were in German and Italian, and one man near me on the train kept switching between German and Italian in his phone conversation with his daughter. 

Each of my adventures peaks my interest in learning more about the connections and converging histories of the places around me, so I'm going to take my time and enjoy connecting the dots!