Queen of the Adriatic

Italy is one step closer to India than is Spain. The train to Venezia gets delayed first by 10 minutes, and then by 5 more. The delays are used to dash off a mail to Partner about possible topics for our Design Management presentation and to pick up my first Happy Meal (eek!!). And finally on board the train, there's no place to sit but on the floor.

Habit forces acquisition of the Vencice map at 2.5 euros, when the LP map ought to've sufficed. First up is no.82 which criss-crosses the Grand Canal in a joyful ride to San Marco. As predicted by LP, I get lost amongst the lanes in search of Piazza San Marco (San Marco Square, the centre of Venice). But soon I am wishing I was here 15 years back, on a sunny morning in the summer holidays, with all day and two months more to go and nothing to do but explore the countless campi and canals.

Piazza San Marco mesmerizes. A tour inside the Basilica is turned down to linger amongst the pigeons and the tourists and gaze at the ancient facades which surround the square. For the first time on my crazy travels, I wish I wasn't alone. But soon enough, reality calls me back to my senses. The ATMs deny me the withdrawal of the last fifty euros in my Caja Madrid account and I am left with 20 euros for another day in Italy and the trip back to Barcelona.

Change of plans, again. A pepperoni pizza in a LP-indexed pizzeria later, I scuttle a night and another morning in dreamy Venice for the comfort of the floor in Sudipta's room and a loan of 50 euros.