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Over the past few weeks, I've been traveling across Europe with a mix of new and old friends. But I found myself alone in Venice for a brief period of time. While it's a bit intimidating to be on my own in a foreign city, I'm made the most of it by exploring and trying new things.
One of the highlights of my trip was attending the Venice Film Festival. Even though I missed the premiere of "Bones and All" (which I've read... ok, listened to the audiobook), I was able to see "The Whale" and an Italian film called "L'immnsità." There's something special about watching a film in its native language surrounded by the people who speak it, and I highly recommend it.
In between film screenings, I spent some time relaxing on the beach and reading a book that I neglected since starting my trip. I also had the chance to build a sandcastle with a little Italian girl, which was a lot of fun. Despite being burned (literally) by the sun, I'm having a great time in Italy, and I am sad to leave.
Navigating Venice can be daunting at first. I recommend having service and a good GPS app downloaded (I used Google Maps). Yet even with a GPS navigating to the Airbnb I stayed at was difficult because it did not lead us there. I ended up calling the owner, who was happy to help, and placing a pin on my app in the actual location when I arrived. (The link to the Airbnb is in the description of my YouTube video)
Good things: You're practically in a living art and history museum. There are so many beautiful things to see, and you can pretty much get to everything on foot, only needing a boat to get to spaced-apart islands (like the one I took to Lido).
Bad things: The entire place is a tourist trap, and it can quickly become a maze. They take advantage of your foreign stupidity and won't give you all your change back when paying for items, or take you to a completely different restaurant if they don't want to serve you at theirs.
But that just means you have to be extra cautious. Learn the Euro if you are a foreigner and pay attention to the price of what you are paying. Also, watch the locals or Italians; they often know when or when not to purchase a ticket. I never paid for any of my boat rides. I took one look at the cost and thought that can't be correct and followed the Italians in for free.
Leaving Venice, I had to get from Venice to the nearest airport. Luckily, this is made relatively simple with Google Maps. Although there are buses that are more costly than heading straight to the airport, I opted for the cheaper option of a bus that had stops along the way. I recommend you do the same because most passages are headed to the airport anyway, and you won't be alone. Just follow a suitcase and don't be afraid to ask for help. Most younger Italians do speak some English.
I enjoy the independence of solo travel on occasion and the opportunity to share my experiences with you. Regardless of how you prefer to travel, there's always something new to discover and love about each place you visit.
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