Venice: The Wrong Train Station.

The morning started off gorgeous.

I had pre-booked a water taxi to the train station. The hotel even had found someone who was willing to split the 70-Euro fare with me, as we were both going to the station. The hotel had agreed to hold one of my bags for me, since I was coming back to Venice and the hotel tomorrow evening. I woke up early and packed everything. I stepped outside... It was gorgeous.

"I'll soon be on my way to Florence!" I said. Thinking happy thoughts about the yummy food, architecture and art I'd see.

I hopped in the taxi and became enamored with the sites, again. Such a beautiful rising Sun on the Grand Canal...

And I noticed some owl sculptures on the water.

"My power animal! A good omen!" I thought to myself.

And like with most train stations, there was the obligatory Burger King near the station. Though this one (pictured above) didn't look like a BK. Very random to see it here.

But then, when I got inside, I realized I was in the wrong place. Nowhere on the screens was my train listed. I looked at the ticket again and realized that it read a completely different train station as a starting point for my journey.

"It says 'Mestre', but I'm in Santa Lucia!" I realized.

Before allowing myself to panic, I realized that there are trains going back and forth to Florence all of the time. If I missed this train, I could get another. No big deal.

I found a police officer in the station, who spoke very little English. He said that the Mestre station was the next station up. And that all I had to do was hop on a local train on track 15 to get to it.

I dashed off to track 15. Hopped on board and prayed it wouldn't abandon me somewhere sketchy. I also only had about 15 minutes before my train to Florence was scheduled to leave. So it was cutting it close, for sure.

Exactly 11 minutes later, I was at Mestre station, which was only five miles away from Santa Lucia. I was able to see my train listed on the board at Mestre, and waited for the train to arrive. A few minutes later, I was on board and connected to the Internet.

See how calm and "easy-breezy" I am?

You'd never suspect I'd almost had a freak-out.  Europe is definitely relaxing me right now.

Of course, as soon as I sat down in my train seat... I checked my return ticket to Venice for tomorrow night. And luckily, it says that I am going to Santa Lucia station. How I managed to buy a ticket out of one station and into another in Venice is beyond me. But the Universe let it all work out for me. Those owl sculptures were looking out for me.

I am grateful.