When I arrived in Venezia I never felt more like a tourist in my life. I could have wandered the streets of this beautiful old city with no real plan at all. Everything you see is something new at every turn, and you really feel as if you have gone back in time. I walked and walked until I thought my shoes could give way, admiring the famously elaborate masks and glass goods on display, taking in the smells of fresh produce at the Rialto Bridge Market, and admiring the effortlessly stylish Venetian people. I did a class project on Venice in grade 6, and never would I have thought I would make this project my reality a decade later.
 |
| Rialto Bridge |
What I found fascinating about Venice is that it is literally a floating city. The buildings along the canals are dampened and stained from the water surrounding it, and most buildings are only accessible from a gondola! I only saw a small section of the city during my time there but you rarely see road transport other than bicycles. It is so refreshing to be able to walk everywhere, and even though St Marks Square is a bit of a tourist trap with expensive food and thousands of foreigners taking photos, it really is a must see. It was raining very heavily the day before we went so a lot of the main area was full of water.
 |
| St Marks Square |
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Venice is of course gondola rides, and that is exactly what we did on day 2. We woke up early that morning to get a ferry (or vaporetto) from our accommodation a short distance away to the central part of Venice. If you find yourself visiting Venice, you have to know that it is broken up into separate island-type areas, with central Venice in the middle. I stood there eyeing out the gondolas, and the more I looked the more I noticed the charming little details of each one. Whether it was the velvet covered seats or the silver animal shaped sculpture at the front, a gondola really is something to be admired.
 |
| Sitting on a gondola |
We walked onto our gondola, guided by our handsome stripe-shirted gondolier, to find a basket with two bottles of champagne for us to enjoy on our ride (which the five of us made very short work of). We were told beforehand that most gondoliers don't usually sing unless you ask them very nicely, and we were so pleased when ours burst into song! The scene was finally set, and we went on a long and beautiful route around Venice. The sites that surround you are so unexpected sometimes, and there was an extreme contrast between, for example, the modern giant statue of an armless woman called 'breath' and the historical Santa Maria Della Salute.
 |
| The statue Breath by Marc Quinn |
 |
| The Santa Maria Della Salute in the background |
The walkways and small bridges, the damp but comforting smell of the small canals in-between mossy buildings, the flower pots and balconies and the old Italian men who blow kisses at you as you ride past them (just go with it). It makes you feel like there are so many secrets and hidden places in Venice that you could only find if you spent a longer time there. Venice is one of those places you hear so much about but it will NOT disappoint! Be aware of places that are trying to rip you off as a tourist and try go off the beaten track if possible. I just wish I could have stayed longer than 3 days to really reap the benefits of such a phenomenal city. x
 |
| Us girls on our gondola ride through Venice |
No comments :
Post a Comment