Walking around Zagreb this last month I couldn’t get away from screaming travel agency windows with offers to spend Valentines Day or Carnival in Venice, Carnival in Rijeka and other usual tours that haven’t changed since 1980s. I wanted to visit Venice again. It’s been a long time since I last visited…and shame on me! because it’s so close. I’m actually really lucky; living in middle Europe, Mediterranean moreover has its benefits – you feel like you’re close to everywhere.

I decided to go to Venice, some time later in the week. My reason for going is to finally take photos of Venice Carnival. I’ve never been there this time of year. On my way home I picked up some itineraries in a few travel agencies to see what they offer. One day itinerary included a guided tour around the city, a couple of hours free to see the carnival and scheduled return home at 5 pm. If you take a two day trip, you arrive later in the day, have a guided tour and return to hotel outside Venice for dinner. The next day you have a tour of Murano, Burano and Torcello and you are off! I know that these tours differ from country to country but, in the end, it’s all the same. It’s a weekend trip.

Where is my free time, what do I do there? Why would you go somewhere, be shown around and then sent home. It sounds more like a museum tour. What happened to ‘travelling meant exploring’?

So, my plan is to take a train Zagreb – Venice – Zagreb. I will arrive around 7.15 am which will give me just enough time to take photos of sun rising upon Venice and of interesting places when they are more or less empty. Then I’ll have a whole day of exploring in front of me but, I won’t  tell you now what I have in mind   The train leaves at 9.20 pm, which is perfect! To avoid the crowds, I won’t go during the weekend.

That’s it.  Venice, here I come!

Stella – European Travelling Advisor