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On my two prior trips to Venice, I did what most day trippers did!
I took a photo (from the outside) of the Doges Palace, I ate lunch in an okay restaurant in San Marco, I rode a gondola
for 30 minutes, I watched a Murano Glass making demonstration and I sat for 30 minutes in a cafe in San Marco Piazza
listening to classical musicians and sipping on a $20 cup of coffee. These were all very interesting, fun
and memorable experiences, but over the years I have always felt that there was so much more to Venice. And
after this trip I realize that there is way more to Venice than meets the surface of what a daytripper would experience.
With the Slow Travel concept, I set out to have a completely different
experience on this trip. My goal was to see new sights, eat at fine local restaurants and small cafes
and do as the locals do. I wanted to stay in one place long enough to have an entirely new and deeper experience
of Venice. Maybe then I can discover why I am so drawn to this magnificent city.
I had read that Venice was a great city to wander, explore, discover
and just get lost! Before my trip, here's what I wrote:
Venice is a city filled with small
and narrow calles (streets) and surrounded by century old buildings. There are beautiful canals that winds through
her like poetry in motion.
I've read that Venice is one of the few places
in the world where getting lost is actually something positive. She calls out and entices you to wander through
her. You are convinced that doing so will be a good time for exploration and adventure. You forget about
the fact that once you are lost, there are no taxi's to call to take you back to your hotel or apartment. You must
rely upon your own instincts and navigation skills to find your way back or upon the kindness of the local residents to guide
you back.
This intrigues me! On this trip, for the first
time ever, I will actually schedule some time to get myself lost in one of the only places where it would actually be
okay to do so. Beautiful Venice!
I can only wonder what I will discover!
Well, after this trip I no longer have to imagine what it would
be like to explore beautiful Venice! I spent two glorious weeks doing the things that fueled my imagination
for a very long time. I feel completely satisfied and content with the time that I had to wander, explore and discover
in this city filled with so much history beauty and intrigue -- Venice!
When I close my eyes I
can visualize myself cruising down the Grand Canal and gazing upon the wonderful grand palazzos along the water's edge. I remember my walks in the narrow and inviting calles and photographing the many beautiful
buildings, canals and bridges. I was so inspired by visiting the many beautiful churches and campos. These and
many more are memories that will stay with me for a lifetime!
It was so wonderful to leave my apartment and just walk endlessly until
my feet could no longer stand it. I walked in every small calle I stumbled upon and in every direction that called
out to me. I sat in every campo (or at least the ones that had benches) that I came across . . . and when I wanted
to change it up I hopped on a Vaporetto at the nearest stop I came across and enjoyed a relaxing ride along the beautiful
grand canal . . . hopping off at the next Vaporetto stop only to explore what awaited for me there.
Exploring By Water . . .
I think that one of the most unique things about Venice is the fact that
there are no cars. Surrounded by a series of canals and connected by bridges this city provides a different way of life.
Transportation is by foot and the use of a variety of boats and two wheeled push/pull carts.
First, there are the very famous transports called Gondolas. I didn't ride them on this trip but have in the past
and would recommend it to anyone visiting Venice for the first time. As you wind through the canals you really
get to see the city from a different visual perspective and to be honest it is a fun ride. and if you
get a really good and entertaining gondolier it will be very interesting to learn about the different sights you'll be passing.
Next, there are also these water buses or Vaporetto. These are like city buses (on water) and they travel on the canals
of Venice making designated stops where people (both tourist and locals) hop on or hop off. Tip: If you happen
to be prone to motion sickness like I am, I would recommend that you wait until your Vaporetto arrives before
climbing onto the Vaporetto stop platform. Most of the time during my stay these platforms bobbed up and down
and I nearly got motion sickness the first time that I sat in one waiting for the next Vaporetto.
Then there are the traghettos that are like gondolas and they transport people from one side of the Grand
Canal to the other side. Most people stand up while being transported across the canal and this intrigued
me. I took photos of the numerous traghettos going across the canal and was highly impressed with the manner in which
they glided across just barely passing in front of the Vaporetto that I was riding. Great fun! They have
the timing down to the wire.
Lastly, there are the water taxis and airport taxis called an alilaguna. I sort of think the Alilaguna are similar to Airport Shuttle Vans.
They are faster than taking a Vaporetto but cheaper than taking a private taxi. For my trip, I opted for slow and cheap!
I did not count exactly how many times I cruised up and down the canal,
but I can tell you that each time that I did I was treated to something new and remarkable. I would sit or stand in
the front, in the back, on the left and on the right of the Vaporetto. Each vantage point and each ride gave me a different
and unique perspective. It was so fantastic.
I purchased the Venice Blue Card which gave me unlimited rides on the
Vaporettos for my first week. And although my intention was to use the card to become familiar
with my surroundings before I felt confident to venture on my own by foot, truth be told I actually found it very enjoyable riding
on the Vaporetto for reasons more than mere transportation.
In either the early morning or late evening hours, I was able to sit
in the very first seat on the # 1 Vaporetto and from that vantage point I was treated to the most magnificent views of
the palazzos and other activities along the Grand Canal. It was almost magical!
I remember on one chilly evening during my stay, I was lucky to sit
in the first seat of the Number 1 Vaporetto. I remember just relaxing and taking in the view of those beautiful palazzos
along the canal. Suddenly, in one of the buildings a light went on and I saw the most amazing looking ceiling.
It was this remarkable painting or possibly an etching. While sitting in the front seat on Vaporetto
Number 1, you are prohibited from standing because it blocks the view of the driver, so I stretched my neck to the
highest point possible to try and catch a glimpse of who it was that lived there. Although, all I could see
were shadows, it did not stop me from wondering who it was that lived in such a wonderful building. I
then begin to imagine who may had lived there in the past and I wondered how it must have been like living in Venice centuries
ago? Would I have liked it then as I do now?
So although I originally purchased my Venice Blue Card for my transportation
needs, the Vaporetto rides became more than just a way to get from point A to point B in Venice. The rides
on these wonderful Vaporettos became windows into Venice's glorious and illustrious past. It was a moving
museum that opened up a world filled with so many beautiful scenes . . . palazzos, canals, gondolas, bridges. It
was magical!
Exploring By Land . . .
I found Venice to be somewhat of a compact city. And once
I had the logistics down I was able to easily maneuver around at will. Okay, so I got myself lost every now and
then. But isn't that part of the Venice charm. It's the perfect City for someone to lose their sense
of direction and concern over time. And when i did find myself "lost", I found all the locals to be very patient and
helpful with giving me directions to where I needed to go. I considered getting lost and unlost an integral part
of my Venice experience. In fact, I will even venture to say that "getting lost" should be on every visitor's
"must do" list when traveling to Venice. Getting lost was especially fun when there was a earby gelataria!
One of the great things I did was walk and explore Venice by foot.
I moved through narrow streets, over many different shapes and sizes of bridges and over beautiful canals during my two week
stay. This album is a collection of the beautiful canals and bridges that I discovered and enjoyed!
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