Venice

I prevailed on the train from Budapest to Vienna, using my skills and luck to get good seats without reservations.

Austria was beautiful, and I wish I had the time to explore more. I imagine it'd be bloody extraordinary during winter.

When I crossed the border, the train staff switched, and the Italian conductor tried to charge me for another ticket after the first one was checked!

I think there is also a visitor tax upon entry, which they charge on arrival.

The hostel I'm staying in is a megastructure that must accommodate hundreds or maybe a thousand people. I'm pretty worried it's going to be disappointing like Amsterdam was. Big hostels always tend to be designed to reinforce antisocial behaviour, with enormous food courts on the ground floors and individual cafe tables where people aren't sitting close enough to have a conversation. Pro-tip for next time: research Amsterdam on HoodMaps and avoid staying at the centre for a better Dutch experience.

My first question will be: How many does this place sleep?

It wasn't bad, and I appreciated how normal it is to have sweet cakes for breakfast.