Sweet gondola ride and museums in Venezia...

This was my last day in Venice :( . I woke up early and decided to visit the museums - one of the only things I was missing here, besides the gondola ride - no strike today pleaseeeee!

I just left my things in the hostel ;) It’s a good idea making friends :)

 

By the time I arrived to the main island, it was still early. Nobody was walking in the streets. Mmm, I thought the museums opened earlier, well nevermind, I would walk around the charming streets... I was walking in front of the canal and a gondolero smiled. I didn't know if he was smiling to me, but I smiled back.

Next thing, he was in front of me introducing himself, hahaha. He wasn’t working yet. Mateo asked me if I have already taken a gondola ride and if I'd be interesed in doing it. Sure, I'd be, BUT it was expensive and I had a plan for the day. Mateo offered to give me a free ride after work. Oh no! my train would leave at 4:30pm and had to go to the hostel at 3 something... Bad luck!!! I told him that during the day I was planing visit some museums and he gave some tips about it. I already knew about the pass for all the museums, but I wasn't thinking about visiting all of them, so it wouldn't have been worth. He recommended his favorites and told me where to start, hehe. Nice! I was about saying: "Good bye, grazie" but he corrected me: "see you later, mmm ?"

First I visited Museo Correr, then Palazzo Ducale. It’s so beautiful! The Palazzo (I mean the building) is great and the art collection amazing! Crossed the Ponti di Sospiri, what a lovely bridge!!! You feel as if the time stopped there.

Wow! It was a cultural day, hahaha. Dad might have been so proud of his intelectual daughter, hahaha. When I was going from one museum to another, I met Mateo twice, hahaha. That was funny. Was he following me??? Just making sure, how my day was going. We even got something to drink. It was so hot!!! Molto Caldo!!!!

 

At the last museum,  I met a nice guy and  we had lunch and a glass of wine. He explained me a bit more about the story of Venice and told me I should go back to check the museums I was missing...

 

Well, I was taking the last walk around the city and I met Mateo again! hahaha.

what a surprise! We were just chatting there, when a woman and her family came. The woman was a bit annoyed by the fact Mateo wasn't really working, just chatting with a tourist, hahaha. Nevermind, he asked him for a ride and they were ready to leave. This was time to say good bye to Mateo, but he told me: "don't you want a ride? just come in!" Wow! That was awesome! I had a free ride. Great! I had my gondola experience and it didn’t cost anything, hahaha. Grazie Mateo! We went through the Grand Canal and could see beautiful palazzos, Guggenheim museum, etc. The woman and her family wasn't saying anything, but I started to ask Mateo about the buildings, etc. Then I decided to shut up. I mean I was traveling for free and spoke all the time... Well, the last stop was the Guggenheim museum. I wouldn't visit it, but figured it out I should stay at the stop. Mateo told me, he'd give me a ride back to the main island - yay!!!!! In our way back, he was telling me all about Venezia. Grazie, grazie, Mateo!!!!

 

So, sad it was time to go back to the hostel.

Said good bye to my new friend and he told me if I decided to go back to Venice, just had to let him know. Well, I'd love to go back to Venice, but there were so many cities and places to see and know... Took the vaporeto to Guidecca Island, met Claudio and Alberto at the hostel, picked up my stuff and went to the Ferrovia in order to go to Rome :)

Oh! I was almost forgetting about my new collection. I found different magnets at the shops near the Ferrovia, so I picked up one and now I was ready but not happy about leaving Venice... I took the train and the ride started. In a couple of hours, I'd arrive to the famous Rome...