After beginning our train journey at 8:30am, we arrived at the Venice Mestre train station at 9:30pm before walking the short distance to our hotel. We were up early the next day and back at the station to catch the local train the single leg to the island of Venice. Upon exiting the train we were welcomed by the sight, made familiar in movies, of the many canals filled with boats of all types. Following the advice of many we refrained from using any maps and got ourselves as lost as possible within the city, with the knowledge that we could easily find our way again on the small main island. We took our time, avoiding the tourist crowds, wandering aimlessly, often back tracking from dead ends and finding little treasures throughout the city.

Our lunch was spent in a little local gem, surrounded by locals who would enter briefly for an espresso before heading on their way. Having spent the morning, quietly exploring and talking, we decided to head off to the Rialto. The walk was slow as we paused and entered shop after shop containing handcrafted Venetian masks, glass sculptures and many other remarkable items. The Rialto failed to disappoint containing a market filled with some of the freshest seafood, fruit and vegetables we had come across, and the place all the locals went, from citizens to chefs, to get their groceries. Continuing on, we arrived at S^t Marks Square where we spent the next hour exploring the basilicas frescos and the museum within, ending with views of the square and canal from the terrace above.

As we left the basilica, in search of gelato, we came across a concert hall who was selling tickets to a concert of Vivaldi's Four Seasons that evening. After purchasing the tickets (at a reduced rate due to us both being "students") we caught the train back to Mestre and the hotel to freshen up for the night ahead. Arriving back on the island, freshened, we found our way back to our local gem of a restaurant to enjoy some home-cooked pasta before heading off on the scenic route to S^t Marks square, via a gelato shop, to the concert hall. The next hour was spent listening to some amazing music in a hall that was identical to where Vivaldi composed it, performed by some very talented musicians. We ended the night walking the moonlit streets of Venice, crossing small bridges over the canals, gelato in hand as we made our way back to the train and our hotel.

The following day we spent the morning in the warmth of the hotel, relaxing before heading off to the island for lunch. Although we had hoped to venture to one of the other islands the 7 euro one-way water bus fair we would each have to pay outweighed the desire. Therefore, after wandering back to St Mark's square, we paid for a single ticket, cruising around the island along the canals. With our time here drawing to a close we hastily searched for the perfect Venetian mask as a souvenir before saying goodbye to Venice and heading back to our hotel.