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| One of the best places to photograph! |
The feeling of being lost takes on a whole new meaning in Venice.
My dad and I left for the train station at 10am on Saturday and thanks to the simplicity of the ticket purchasing process and the Florence train station, we were able to make the 10:30 train to Venezia. We arrived at 12:30 and headed in the labrytnth that is Venice, with only a vague idea of the direction of our hotel. Since Venice is split into 6 neighborhoods or sections, it is easy to get lost in the complete wrong part of the city, with out even realizing it. I purchased a map which turned out to be of littlse use, as was the google map function on my blackberry, because I quickly realized that street signs and names are not reliable in Venice. Most of the directions we received sounded something like, “turn right then walk until you see the bridge then turn left and make another left”. Furthermore, many streets consisted of a tunnel like corridor or a nondescript alley way with out a sign.
One such alley-way happened to be the only path to our hotel, which I found after asking upwards of 5 people for directions. We stayed in the Westin Europa and Regina which was very nice and comfortable. Our hotel was also very close to Piazza di San Marco, which is always crowded with tourists as it is one of the main attractions in Venice.
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| Piazza di San Marco |
After dropping off our bags, we went to a small restaurant for lunch which was just OK. I am definitely spoiled by the food in Florence, where I can’t say I’ve had a bad meal yet. After lunch we checked out the Piazza di San Marco and then walked to the main canal. The sun was setting as we arrived and I was able to get some really nice photos. Venice is one of those cities that appears too beautiful and too unique to be real. Many of even the most mundane canals and side streets felt photo worthy to me as we explored the city. With the swarms of tourists, it is easy to forget that Venice was once a wealthy city that produced more than just masks and other cliché souvenirs. Its layout is so peculiar and different than any other city in the world, and its overall atmosphere can be characterized as having an eery and at times even creepy aura. Since there are no cars or motorized vehicles it can get VERY quiet, especially when you are lost…
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| Grand Canal at sunset |
After dozens of photos, we decided to head back to the hotel, or at least try to. By this time I had realized that the best way to navigate the streets of Venice is to memorize landmarks and to follow the signs which point in the direction of major landmarks, leaving plenty of extra time to get lost.
After a nap, my dad and I went to see a show that was supposed to be a mixture of classic Venetian Music by Vivaldi and Opera. My dad termed this type of show “opera-light” which is pretty accurate. It was enjoyable for us, since we know nothing about Opera, however, there are certainly better performances to be seen. It was a great way to spend the evening though, and I would love to go to another Opera while in Italy.
Undoubtedly the most memorable event of the trip occurred on the way to the show. We were lost, as usual, and in a huge hurry to make it to the show on time. My dad and I found ourselves on a quiet and empty street near a canal and a small bar. We asked a couple smoking outside for directions and I turned to run up the steps of a nearby bridge when I saw a rat. I screamed and ran in the opposite direction to hide. My greatest fear during my last trip to Venice in 2007 had been realized. This was not just a small rodent, it was a huge rat, approx. the size of my head and unafraid of human advances. Someone from the restaurant ran out to scare it away and it DID NOT run away. I was on high alert for the rest of the trip.
The next day was my 21st birthday! Like my mom says, turning 21 in Italy where the drinking age is negligible, is like getting a snow day on a weekend but it was still a cool place to have a birthday. While in Venice I wanted to do some more educational sight seeing, so after an exorbitantly priced brunch on the Piazza di San Marco (worth it to sit in the sun and enjoy the view), I began to tour the major museums and monuments in San Marco.
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| Brunch on the Piazza |
I started with the Basilica, which turned out to be one of my favorite cathedrals in Italy. After awhile, all of the churches and domes start to blend together, but this one was completely covered with gold mosaic on the inside, displaying a combination of Byzantine, Roman and Northern European influence in its art and architecture. Photography was forbidden but I took a few poorly framed photos from my waist. I toured the rest of the Museo del’Opera and was shocked to learn that the Basilica was built in the year 1000. After climbing to the balcony, I got a great view of the bay and the Piazza as well.
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| My favorite cathedral |
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| View from the balcony of the cathedral |
Next I toured the Palazzo Ducale which was the palace of the Doges of Venice and served as a municipal building for centuries. The palace consisted of dozens of lavishly decorated chambers and halls. The palace now serves as a museum and holds a great deal of art and many sculptures. My favorite part of the Palazzo was the basement which once served as a prison. By the time I got there, I was one of the only people there and it was a creepy experience. I wandered through the maize of hallways for a long time, so long that for a second, I thought that I might be lost, until I saw a sign pointing to the exit.
We spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to get back to the train station. After purchasing our ticket, we promptly missed our train due to confusion over the train schedule. Many hours spent wandering the maze-like streets and wandering around the train station perplexed left us feeling tired and ready to go back to what I now refer to as home—Florence.
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| Watching the bags while I went in museums |
Next post: Pisa
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