After the one night in Rome we were to spend two nights in Venice, three in Florence, including my partners birthday and one final night in Rome before returning home. Our train left early the next morning. At the train station I stopped for a cappuccino. I usually need coffee to jump start my mornings. My partners caffeinatted beverage of choice has always been coke or Pepsi. However, for some unknown reason, he decided that day to try the cappuccino. He took a tiny spoonful of the foam off the top. It was love at first taste. Cappuccinos became commonplace from that point of the trip on. Which might be part of the explanation for my recurrent insomnia during this vacation.
As the train left the station another of the ruins one encounters, located in a seemingly haphazard manner throughout Rome, stood by the tracks. Our train to Venice took us through the vineyards and rolling green hills of the Tuscan countryside. My partner observed that it resembled Wisconsin. I wanted to disagree, but after some thought, realized that it did, indeed resemble Wisconsin. The train took us past the ancient ramparts of Florence. I was mildly disappointed to see that the Duomo, Florence's main cathedral, which was visible from our vantage point, was under renovation. Portions of it were covered by scaffolding and netting. We continued north toward Venice. We almost disembarked one stop too soon. There are two trains stops for Venice. Two young girls we had met on the train thankfully set us to rights. Shortly, we pulled into Venice.
We had decided that we would make the reservation for the next leg of the trip at the station as soon as we arrived. It had worked well in Rome. I went and stood in line to get our train tickets to Florence. As I left the window I saw my partner staring wide eyed, almost hypnotized, through the arched exit of the station taking in the canal at the bottom of the steps outside and the sweep of buildings on the opposite shore.
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